How  to coach, teach and use a five-on-five basketball rebounding drill

The ability to rebound the basketball contributes much to the success of most basketball teams. Rebounding is the drab and thankless task performed by the most steady basketball players. Old-time coach Garland Pinholster called rebounding the basketball as the “blood and guts” of the game. Pinholster goes on to say, “All players appreciate a good rebounder. They appreciate good rebounding most when it’s being done by someone else.”

A lot of great shooters fail to appreciate the value of defensive rebounds but will bust their butts for a tip-in. When this happens, such player has not been properly schooled and mentally conditioned. Always stress to your players the value of every rebound.

Today, the game is being played by bigger and stronger players. After watching Gonzaga defeat Bruce Pearl’s Tennessee team, there are few weak players. From what I saw, it takes real courage to get under the basket with flying elbows and knees. Unlike football, basketball players have no protective covering. The only way you can teach youngsters rebounding courage and skill is by daily use of rebounding drills. Players do not amazingly become rebounders by stirring half-time talks. Men are separated from the boys in your daily practice sessions.

Here are a few drills that should help the basketball coach accomplish this objective. Many of these drills are interchangeable as either stressing offense or defense.
In observing these drills on the practice floor, do be too hasty to change a player’s successful style to a stereotyped conception of what constitutes a proper form or style of play. Exceptions to the rule should not be taught; however, when such exceptions are being successfully demonstrated by a player and prove to be more successful for him than the accepted form, let him use them. Do you remember when the one-handed jump shot was an exception to the rule? I do.

Diagram 1 - Team Rebounding Drill and Fast-break Outlet pass drill The coach starts the drill with the basketball, three offensive inside players (1, 2 and 3) move without the ball. The action proceeds as follows: The coach either takes a shot or passes to an offensive player who takes a shot.  Defensive players (X) are in defensive guarding positions, but allow a shot to be taken. Defensive players then block-out, while offensive players use head and shoulder fakes and roll-offs to gain inside rebounding positions. The two defensive guards box-out their men, then move to their points for the outlet pass, while the offensive guards either try to prevent the outlet pass, or move down-court to defend against the break. The inside offensive players fight for the offensive rebound, but become defenders if they lose the rebound If the defense rebounds and outlets the ball, this initiates a three-on-two fast break with the offside rebounder joining the attack. Play this as a game, with the offensive tip-in counting two points and a fast-break basket counting one point. We used this drill to teach blocking out, rebounding, and executing a fast- break without dribbling; however, other values are self-evident.

More rebounding drills coming soon!!!