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Zone Shell Drill
Description

This simple drill can be used to practice any type of zone your team plays. The purpose of the drill is to teach your players how they should rotate in regard to the position of the ball.

Setup
  • Only a half court is necessary.
  • Place your defense in any type of zone you wish to use. In the animation provided we are practicing a standard 2-1-2 zone.
  • Have three offensive players with opposite colored jerseys positioned as follows: one point and one at each wing (foul-line extended).
  • Player at the point has the ball.
The Drill
ANIMATION
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  • If your team is just learning to play this zone, keep the pace of the drill at a walk so you can check your players positioning at each ball movement.
  • The offensive player at the point passes to either wing and the defense must react accordingly.
  • With each successive pass, the defense keeps adjusting while coaches monitor their positioning.
  • Initially, keep the offense players stationary so the defense can get the basic rotation without distraction.
Key Points
  • Do not increase the pace until your players understand the correct rotation and positioning of the zone.
  • For younger players you may want to start with three coaches as the offensive players. Many times younger players playing the "dummy" offense will go too fast and distract your instruction.
  • As you continue to use this drill in your practice, you can vary it by increasing the pace and eventually making it a live 5-on-5 half-court drill.
  • Don't let your defense keep their hands at their sides. A good zone defense blocks the interior passing lanes with their hands.
  • You can make this drill appealing to the offense by allowing them to run some of your plays designed for beating a zone.