1. KIWIHOOPS LEARNING MODULE 4
REFINED INDIVIDUAL OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE SKILLS
REFINED TEAM OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE SKILLS
Kiwi Hoops Coach Learning Modules

2. Kiwi Hoops Coach Learning Modules
Offensive skills
Ready position without the ball is the ‘stance’ position:
Key emphasis:
Feet shoulder width apart and weight on the balls of your feet, knees slightly bent and hands up with palms out.
Ball fake to dribble, pass and drive:
The key element for the ball fake dribble, pass and drive is the ball fake. Accentuating the ball fake as if to shoot, but instead you drive, dribble or pass. It is important to ‘sell’ or ‘dummy’ the ball fake and make a jab step to commit the defence into thinking you’re going to shoot the ball.
Creating a lead, Straight lead and V-cut
The player starts at the foul line extended where it intercepts the 3 point line.
The player then runs down to the low post or ‘block’, keeping their shoulders square to the passer.
On reaching the block the player plants their inside foot and changes direction and pace cutting back to their original starting point.
The player gives a hand target and upon receiving the ball makes a stride stop and assumes the triple threat position.
Kiwi Hoops Coach Learning Modules

3. Kiwi Hoops Coach Learning Modules
Offensive Skills
Pivoting to be an offensive threat
When teaching this regardless of where you are on the court, and whether you’re pivoting on the inside or outside foot, always square up strongly facing the basket.
The result should be a strong triple threat position ready to attack offensively. Use the creating a lead drill to work on this.
Post play (sealing)
To do this, you must have a strong offensive position, with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, your butt out and low to make contact with the defender, and your back straight.
If the defender overplays you to one side, raise your shoulder and arm to maintain the seal that you’ve created with your body.
Post up, catch, face and shoot
Seal your defender with contact
Then present a target with your hand away from the defence enabling an uncontested catch
Turn and face your defensive man and step into him with one foot between his two feet. Then shoot the ball.
Kiwi Hoops Coach Learning Modules

4. Individual defensive skills
Defensive slide and run
Key points:
The defender is in a balanced position with feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart, moving sideways by lifting the lead foot and pushing off the trail foot.
Steps should be short and quick, with the feet never coming together. Keep the knees bent and the head remains in a parallel line to the floor. One hand down taking away the crossover, and the other hand is up to try and deflect the pass.
Channel the offensive player being careful not to over influence and ‘opening the gate’ (allowing them a channel to dribble through.
If the dribbler beats the defender, then you must run and try to get in front of the dribbler, resuming your defensive stance.
The drop step
Its used to change direction, reverse pivot off the lead foot (this is called
the ‘drop step’)
Kiwi Hoops Coach Learning Modules

5. Individual Defensive Skills
Defensive rebound
Key Points:
Positioning yourself against an opponent staying between them and the basket and the ball.
Using contact from your lower body against them to keep them from getting the ball and keeping your arms above shoulder height to shield the player you’re defending from getting the ball.
Defensive rebound and outlet
Key points:
Using the contact technique (box out), and catching the ball with your hands held up.
Then immediately pivoting forward to look for a team mate up the court who is free to pass to.
Kiwi Hoops Coach Learning Modules

6. Spacing/Timing/Ball Movement
The following are the key team offensive principles in the Pro and All Star Programmes:
1.Floor balance: Ensuring players are evenly
balanced on court with good spacing
2. Ball Reversal: Ensure the ball is passed from one side of the court to the other, keeping the defence moving
3. Dribble penetration/receivers : When there is dribble penetration, ensue your fellow players get to receiver spots (scoring positions) relevant to the position of the dribbler
Kiwi Hoops Coach Learning Modules

7. Kiwi Hoops Coach Learning Modules
Player Movement
1. Pass and cut: Make a pass to a player and initially move (cut) away from who you’ve just passed to but then cut back sharply for a return pass
2. Relocation: After cutting relocate to a free space on the court
3. Presenting a target: When looking to receive a pass give the passer a target (your hand) to throw to. The passer then throws to your hand which is away from the defence.
4. Pass penetration: A pass that is thrown and penetrates the defence for an easy inside score.
Kiwi Hoops Coach Learning Modules

8. Kiwi Hoops Coach Learning Modules
Transition Offence
2 on 1
Key points:
Run the lanes wide passing the ball to and from you team mate keeping the defender guessing
Likely the defender will protect the basket until his reinforcement arrive.
Offensive player must attack with the dribble and commit the defender so an easy pass can be made for a score.
Kiwi Hoops Coach Learning Modules

9. Team Defensive Skills Help and Recover
Each defensive player’s primary responsibility is to guard their assigned opponent. Their secondary responsibility should be to help out team-mates especially the one guarding the ball. Basically help and recover refers to the help side player getting into position to help stop penetration of the ball then recovering to his own player
Ball side
A defensive player who is one pass away from the ball adjusts his defence to help their teammate defend the ball handler.
Help side Principles
A defensive player who is two passes away from the ball adjusts his defence to help another teammate defend the ball handler.
Defending receivers on the inbounds pass
Always defend the basket first. So ensure you are between the basket and the player you are defending
Line of ball/Split line concept
Split line: The imaginary line that divides the court in half. Defines the ball side and help side box. The weak side defender that is 3 or more passes away from the ball positions them self on the split line and drops to the line of ball (where he can see both his man and the ball.

10. Transition Defence Back court cover Rules:
Stop the ball: nearest defender to the ball must engage and pick up
Other defenders sprint back and protect the basket and take away any early scoring threats close to the basket.