Basic Basketball Skills
Basketball Skills Handout
1. Dribbling
- Used to move around the court with the ball
- The maneuvering of the ball by tapping it with the hand to bring the ball legally
- Done to move the ball around the court when passing is not an option
- Dribbling should be done by the fingers, not the palm
- The fingers should be relaxed and spread while the wrist pushes the ball and the forearm moving up and down
Kinds of Dribbling
a. High Dribble – normal dribbling where you dribble the ball to waist level
b. Low Dribble – dribbling the ball low to the floor
- Usually done when a defender is near the dribbler
- Minimizes the chance of the ball being stolen
c. Speed Dribble – dribbling the ball fast when the dribbler is running on the court
d. Change-of-Pace Dribble – slowing down the pace of the dribble then quickly increasing your speed and the speed of your dribbling
- This is done to deceive your opponent into thinking that you are slowing down then quickly blowing by your defender
e. Crossover Dribble – dribbling the ball in one hand and then quickly switching the ball to your other hand
f. Between-the-Legs Dribble – dribbling the ball with one hand and then bouncing the ball between your legs and catching it with your other hand
g. Behind-the-Back Dribble – dribbling the ball with one hand and bouncing it behind your back and catching it with your other hand
1. Passing
- The act of giving the ball to your teammate
- The #1 option of moving the ball on the floor because it is faster than dribbling
- Most passes are usually done with a step forward for power and a follow through for accuracy
Kinds of Passes
a. Chest Pass – the ball is passed from the passer’s chest and is received by the receiver at his chest
b. Bounce Pass – you pass the ball to the receiver by bouncing the ball on the floor
c. Overhead Pass – the ball is thrown from over your head and is received from over the head of the receiver
d. Touch Pass – advanced kind of passing
1. Dribbling
- Used to move around the court with the ball
- The maneuvering of the ball by tapping it with the hand to bring the ball legally
- Done to move the ball around the court when passing is not an option
- Dribbling should be done by the fingers, not the palm
- The fingers should be relaxed and spread while the wrist pushes the ball and the forearm moving up and down
Kinds of Dribbling
a. High Dribble – normal dribbling where you dribble the ball to waist level
b. Low Dribble – dribbling the ball low to the floor
- Usually done when a defender is near the dribbler
- Minimizes the chance of the ball being stolen
c. Speed Dribble – dribbling the ball fast when the dribbler is running on the court
d. Change-of-Pace Dribble – slowing down the pace of the dribble then quickly increasing your speed and the speed of your dribbling
- This is done to deceive your opponent into thinking that you are slowing down then quickly blowing by your defender
e. Crossover Dribble – dribbling the ball in one hand and then quickly switching the ball to your other hand
f. Between-the-Legs Dribble – dribbling the ball with one hand and then bouncing the ball between your legs and catching it with your other hand
g. Behind-the-Back Dribble – dribbling the ball with one hand and bouncing it behind your back and catching it with your other hand
1. Passing
- The act of giving the ball to your teammate
- The #1 option of moving the ball on the floor because it is faster than dribbling
- Most passes are usually done with a step forward for power and a follow through for accuracy
Kinds of Passes
a. Chest Pass – the ball is passed from the passer’s chest and is received by the receiver at his chest
b. Bounce Pass – you pass the ball to the receiver by bouncing the ball on the floor
c. Overhead Pass – the ball is thrown from over your head and is received from over the head of the receiver
d. Touch Pass – advanced kind of passing