Teaching the dribble:

A guide for youth basketball coaches

Julio Robles

The Basic Dribble for Novices:• Important for participating and

advancing the ball during gameplay

• Continuous open skill w/ inter-trial variability (movements have to be adapted to the environment)

Technique1 Eyes up2 Use fingerpads (not fingertips) 3 Keep ball at your side 4 Keep ball at waist level or lower5 Keep the ball in your “foot pocket”

by dropping the right foot behind your left foot (right handers)

6 Use opposite arm to shield the ball from defenders

Common Mistakes• Looking at the ball while dribbling• If you say, use your “fingertips” to younger

children, they often dribble the ball where the nail starts to protrude from the finger

• Slapping the ball instead of firmly pushing it to the ground

• Dribbling the ball too high (shoulder level)

Demonstration1 Show YouTube video of 3 different N.B.A players

dribbling using technique Have players practice the technique

2 Coach and experienced player should demo 1x each from multiple angles

3 Show YouTube video of correct technique and bad technique, so players could compare and contrast

Another round of practice 4 Demonstrate 1-2 corrections to common mistakes

being made

Recommended FeedbackNovices will require knowledge of performance feedback (KP)

Example: Descriptive & Prescriptive statements

“You dribbled the ball in front of you and it almost got stolen. Try dribbling it towards your side while using your other hand to shield the ball from the defender.”

Recommended Feedback • (KP) should guide the player to dribbling

correctly• Feedback should be given early to correct

technique, but gradually lessen in order to avoid dependency (Fading schedules of feedback)

Practice Plan• Should be practiced

randomly at different speeds and with/without defenders.

Stationary Dribbling

Practice Plan Cont.

• Dribbling while walking

Practice Plan Cont.

Dribbling while running

Practice Over Time/Experience • Practice would still be done randomly but with

more variations to the dribble.

Crossover Between the legs Behind the back

Learning the Skill• Fluidity in dribbling is apparent when the

degrees of freedom aren’t limited.• Learning should be measured through

retention. If the player could perform the dribble consistently over a span of weeks then they have learned the skill.

References• http://www.brianmac.co.uk/teaching.htm• http

://www.pecentral.org/lessonideas/cues/ViewCues.asp?ID=69

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1ocRKLg7R4