Equipment Needed
- One basketball per pair
One ball per pair, no sharing
A multi-pack of training basketballs means every rebounding pair works with their own ball.
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- Partners stand near the free-throw line, one on offense and one on defense, no ball live yet.
- Coach has a ball ready to toss up for a live rebound after the box-out rep.
Instructions
- On the coach's shot fake or toss, the defender pivots and makes contact with the offensive player.
- The defender holds their position with a wide base and arms up, keeping contact.
- The offensive player tries to get around the box-out to the ball.
- Coach tosses the ball off the rim; whoever secures it wins the rep.
Coaching Points
- Find your opponent with contact before looking for the ball — boxing out is about feel, not sight.
- Stay low with a wide base; standing tall makes it easy to get moved out of position.
- Pursue every rebound with two hands and bring it down to chin level immediately after securing it.
- Rotate offense and defense every few reps so everyone practices both roles.
Variation
Add a live shot instead of a toss for a more game-realistic rebound angle, or run 2v2 box-out battles for a team-rebounding emphasis.