Defense · U17 drill · ages 16–17
No-Middle Closeout Angle Drill
Close out at an angle and send the drive baseline into help.
AgesU17+
Players6–12
Time8 min
Spacehalf court
Equipment1 ball per group, 2 cones
Levelintermediate
Setup
Three lines: a passer at the top, a receiver on the wing, a defender at the elbow. Cones mark the middle lane of the court.
How it runs
- Top passes to the wing; the defender closes out.
- The defender lands with the inside foot high, shading the wing so the drive is directed baseline.
- The wing attacks; the defender contains and forces him baseline, then the passer becomes a help defender who meets the drive near the block.
- If the wing gets past the cone line into the middle, the defense loses the rep.
Coaching point
Close out on an angle so the ball sees your chest from the middle side.
In the U17 Drill Book, page 74
The full drill
- 3 more coaching points
- 3 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 16–17, one per page, with court diagrams.
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