Shell Drill: Defending Motion

The next step with the shell drill is defending pass and screen away action. Initially, it is much simpler and clearer to teach this skill-set using just 3 offensive players and 3 defenders. The principle teaching concept at play in this scenario is that we want to open up, get into weakside help position, and consistently go on the ball side of perimeter screens, consistently. The player guarding the screener gives space for the defender being screened to get through the screen. This is termed “loosening up and letting your teammate through”.

This does not mean that we are conceding the perimeter pass; we still want to step into the passing lane and challenge the pass to the player as he moves to a position where he or she is one pass away from the ball.

Again, starting with a 3 man shell simplifies the process and allows the coach to closely focus in on proper defensive footwork and positioning, since the screening action occurs once on every pass.

Filed Under: Basketball Defense Drills

Spread The Word With Other Coaches: