Help-Position Drill
Teach the help-side stance: be ready to help without losing your man.
- Duration
- 10 min
- Steps
- 4
- Equipment
- 2 items
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
How to run it
- 1
You guard a wing; the ball is two passes away on the other side.
- 2
Drop into help position — one foot in the paint, eyes on ball and man.
- 3
When the ball is driven toward you, step up to help, then recover.
- 4
Coach drives a coach-player; you help and recover. 10 reps.
Coaching points
- Be in the paint, not on your man — that's help position.
- See ball and man at once; never turn your back.
- Step up to stop the ball, then sprint back to your man.
Equipment
- Basketball
- 3 partners
Why it works
Young defenders either chase their man or ball-watch — neither helps the team. The nugget: help defense is what stops layups. When you're two passes away, your man isn't a threat, but the driver is — so you help. A kid who learns help position stops giving up easy layups and becomes part of a real team defense. The help-and-recover is the heartbeat of every good defensive team.
Help-Position Drill
Purpose: Teach the help-side stance: be ready to help without losing your man.
▶How to run it
- 1You guard a wing; the ball is two passes away on the other side.
- 2Drop into help position — one foot in the paint, eyes on ball and man.
- 3When the ball is driven toward you, step up to help, then recover.
- 4Coach drives a coach-player; you help and recover. 10 reps.
✓Coaching points
- ✓Be in the paint, not on your man — that's help position.
- ✓See ball and man at once; never turn your back.
- ✓Step up to stop the ball, then sprint back to your man.
▢Equipment
★Why it works
Young defenders either chase their man or ball-watch — neither helps the team. The nugget: help defense is what stops layups. When you're two passes away, your man isn't a threat, but the driver is — so you help. A kid who learns help position stops giving up easy layups and becomes part of a real team defense. The help-and-recover is the heartbeat of every good defensive team.