Equipment Needed
- One basketball
- Half court
Build out your practice kit
This tactical drill just needs a live possession and a ball, but a basic coaching-aid kit keeps the rest of practice moving.
Shop Basketball Coaching Gear on Amazon As an Amazon Associate, FreeCoachingDrills.com earns from qualifying purchases.Setup
- Set up a live half-court possession (4-on-4 or 5-on-5) with the offense running ball screens.
- Defense is told to switch every on-ball screen, regardless of position.
Instructions
- The offense runs continuous ball-screen actions, looking to create a mismatch off the switch.
- Defenders call out the switch loudly before it happens and immediately get into a legal guarding position on their new assignment.
- Play out the possession live; reset and run it again with a different screening angle.
- Coach freezes action to correct communication or positioning errors as needed.
Coaching Points
- Talk before the switch happens, not after - late calls create the mismatch offenses are hunting for.
- Whoever ends up smaller in the post must front or dig immediately, not just concede position.
- Stay disciplined - switching everything only works if everyone commits to it, every time.
Variation
Restrict switching to only certain screen angles (like side ball screens) to teach a more selective, modern scheme.