Footwork · U10 drill · ages 8–10

Ball Drop Reaction Sprint

Coach drops the ball. Catch it before the second bounce. Most kids cannot.

AgesU10+
Players2–16
Time5 min
Spacehalf court
Equipment1 ball
Levelbeginner
Court diagram of the Ball Drop Reaction Sprint basketball drill: start positions and movement
Basket at the top. Orange circles: offense, X: defense, wavy line: dribble, dashed line: pass.

Setup

A player waits in a ready stance on the baseline; the coach stands about 25 feet away holding a ball.

How it runs

  1. The coach tosses the ball out to the side without warning.
  2. The player explodes out and must catch it before it bounces a second time.
  3. Reset and repeat five times, then rotate players.
  4. Move the coach further away as players get faster.

Coaching point

The first step should be a hard push, not a shuffle or a false step backwards.

In the U10 Drill Book, page 42

The full drill

  • 2 more coaching points
  • 2 common mistakes and how to fix them
  • 3 progressions to make it harder
  • a way to make it competitive

Plus 119 more drills for ages 8–10, one per page, with court diagrams.

More drills

All free U10 drills · All footwork drills · Drill videos on YouTube