Ball handling, dribbling and footwork

1Why this matters

In basketball you may move with the ball in only one way: by dribbling it, which means bouncing it on the floor with one hand. You met the basic skills in primary school. At secondary level the game is faster and defenders are closer, so the same skills have to work with your eyes up and a defender in front of you. This session recalls ball handling, dribbling and the footwork rules that decide whether you keep the ball or give it away.

2Holding the ball

Spread your fingers wide and hold the ball on the finger pads, the soft part of your fingers, not in the palm. There should be a small gap between the ball and your palm. A ball held this way is easy to control, pass and shoot.

3Dribbling, step by step

1. Stance. Feet about shoulder-width apart, knees bent, weight on the balls of your feet, head up.
2. Push, do not slap. Push the ball down with your finger pads, using your wrist and forearm. Let it come back up into your fingers.
3. Keep it low when guarded. A control dribble stays at knee height, beside you, with your body between the defender and the ball and your free arm up to protect it.
4. Push it ahead in space. A speed dribble is pushed out in front at about waist height, so you can run on to it.
5. Eyes up. Look at the court and your teammates, not at the ball.
6. Use both hands. A crossover moves the ball from one hand to the other with one low, quick bounce across your body. It changes direction and beats a defender who leans the wrong way.

4The dribbling rules

• Double dribble: dribbling with both hands at once, or stopping your dribble and then dribbling again.
• Carrying: putting your hand under the ball during a dribble.
• Travelling: taking too many steps while holding the ball. Under FIBA rules, a player who catches the ball while moving, or who ends a dribble, may take two steps to stop, pass or shoot.

A violation gives the ball to the other team.

5Footwork: stopping and pivoting

• Jump stop: land on both feet at the same moment. Either foot may then be your pivot foot.
• Stride stop: land on one foot, then the other. The first foot to touch the floor is your pivot foot.
• Pivot: turn on the ball of your pivot foot while your other foot steps in any direction. The pivot foot must stay on the floor. If you start to dribble, the ball must leave your hand before the pivot foot lifts.

Worked example

Mugisha catches a pass while running. He lands on his left foot, then his right, and stops. He turns on his left foot to face the basket, looks for a pass, and then lifts his left foot and puts it down again while still holding the ball.

Decision. His left foot touched first, so it was his pivot foot. Turning on it was legal. Lifting it and putting it back down before releasing the ball is travelling, and the other team gets the ball.

Figure 1. The zig-zag dribble drill. Dribble with the hand furthest from each cone and cross the ball over between cones. Diagram: Ganzaa.

6The session (about 40 minutes)

Warm-up (8 minutes). Jog around the court while dribbling, first with the right hand, then the left. Then, standing, move the ball around your waist and around each knee, 10 times each way. Finish with walking lunges, leg swings and arm circles.

Skill drills (20 minutes).

• Pound dribble. On the spot, dribble hard and low for 30 seconds with each hand. Count how many times you look down; aim for none.
• Zig-zag cones (Figure 1). Five cones, bottles or stones about 2 m apart. Weave through with a crossover at each cone, then jog back. Four turns each.
• Stop on the whistle. Everyone dribbles freely in half the court. On one whistle, make a jump stop; on two whistles, a stride stop. Then pivot to face the teacher, holding the ball, without moving the pivot foot.

Game (8 minutes): dribble tag. Everyone dribbles inside the key and the circle around it. Two taggers try to touch other players while keeping their own dribble. A player who loses the ball or is tagged becomes a tagger.

Cool-down (4 minutes). Walk one lap. Hold each stretch for about 20 seconds: calves, fronts and backs of the thighs, and shoulders. Finish with three slow, deep breaths.

7Safety

• Check the court for stones, sand and water first. A wet patch on concrete causes falls.
• Tie your laces; remove watches and jewellery; keep fingernails short.
• Keep stray balls off the court. Landing on a rolling ball is a common way to twist an ankle.
• In busy drills, keep your eyes up and leave space between players, so you do not collide.

Practice

Decide each answer yourself, then read the solution.

Solution. Double dribble. A dribble must be made with one hand at a time.

Solution. Either foot. After a jump stop he may choose, but once he lifts one foot, the other becomes the pivot foot.

Solution. A low ball spends less time in the air, so it is harder to steal, and your body shields it from the defender.

Solution. Yes. After ending a dribble a player may take two steps to stop, pass or shoot. A third step would be travelling.