Rebounding Drills:
3 Man Rebounding Drill

Rebounding drills are exceptionally important to developing strong teams. Teams cannot win without decent rebounding, even with the best shooting average in the league. On the other hand, even teams with lousy shooting averages can win if they have strong rebounding. More rebounds mean more shots - and with enough shots, even poor shooting teams will rack up points. So you need to use your rebounding drills to transform your big men into solid basketball rebounders.

This is a great drill for enforcing good boxing out, but also for moving to the ball after the box out - when rebounding, there are always players who focus only on the boxing out, but forget to go for the ball. If they do that in this drill, they are punished.

Instructions to Players

Here's what players need to focus on:

• The defensive player must box out first, before going to the hoop for the rebound. If he doesn't, he's leaving open the opportunity for the offensive player to get around him.
  
  
• The offensive player must fight hard for position and, when he gets the rebound, he goes hard to the hoop.
  

How this Drill Works

Player #1 and #2 are paired off - #1 is the defensive player, #2 is the offensive player. #3 is the shooter. #3 shoots the ball, intending to miss. On the shot, #1 must box out #2 and rebound. #2 works hard to gain position for the offensive rebound. If #2 gets the offensive rebound, he plays 1-on-1 against #1 until he scores or #1 gains possession of the ball

Once #1 gains possession of the ball - through rebound or after playing 1-on-1 with #2 - he becomes the shooter #2 becomes the new defensive player, and #3 steps in to become the new offensive player.

The drill continues in this manner, with players moving from shooting position, to offense, to defense, and then back to shooting, until the coach calls stop.

This drill is great practice not only for boxing out and rebounding, but also for putting the ball back up quickly after snagging an offensive rebound. Tell players to go up strong and immediately after rebounding - not to wait. One or two (at most) pump fakes can be used, but the follow-up shot must be quick, before defense has time to set up.