Could 3 on 3 Basketball Be the Best for Youth Players?
By Joe Haefner
Back in college, I came back to my hometown for a Christmas break. I ran into one of my old high school coaches by the name of Casey Ditch and we were talking about youth basketball stuff. Then he said, “Man, I wish all they did with youth players was play 3-on-3. That’s all I did when I was younger.” This really caught my attention, because Casey had developed into quite a player back in his day. He led the state in scoring, beating out former Chicago Bull Bobby Hansen (for those of you who remember him). He did unbelievable stuff with the ball and still could. If it wasn’t for two bad ankles, who knows what Casey would’ve done. We had a particular coach in the area who bragged about holding him to 15 points.
If Casey became such a good player by mostly playing 3 on 3 HALF-COURT as a youth, don’t you think your players could benefit from this as well?
When I thought a little more about the conversation I had with Casey, I realized that I played a lot of 3 on 3 when I was younger, too. I started playing in 3 on 3 tournaments when I was in 4th grade. I didn’t start playing organized 5 on 5 until 6th grade, and I handled myself quite well against players who had been playing since they were 8 years old.
If you think about it, 3 on 3 HALF-COURT basketball makes a lot of sense. It will improve a youth player’s long-term development for a number of reasons.
1. Players touch the ball more often. In the 5 on 5 game, players can go almost the whole game without touching the ball. In 3 on 3, you could touch the ball EVERY possession. When the player gets more experience handling the ball during game situations, the player is going to improve much more than the players who hardly touch the ball in 5 on 5. It doesn’t matter if you are the point guard or the star post player, you’re still going to get more touches in 3 on 3.
2. More room to operate. A lot of younger players, especially under the age of 12 don’t have the skill, strength, or experience to utilize their basketball skills with 10 players on the court. 3 on 3 gives them more room to operate and practice their skills.
3. Players learn the game! When there are only six (3 on 3) players on the court, players are more inclined to run the pick-and-roll, screen away, and screen the ball without a coach even telling them to do so, because there are fewer options out there. After awhile, they will start to figure things out for themselves which is FANTASTIC and exactly what you want the players to do. With ten (5 on 5) players on the court, a lot of those options aren’t there, because they lack the skill, strength, and experience. Now, with fewer players on the court, it gives them a split second longer to recognize a situation.
4. No pressing & zones. Now, instead of spending time on breaking full court pressure, breaking half-court pressure, playing against a 1-3-1, playing against 3-2, playing against a 2-3, playing against a triangle-and-two, playing against a box-and-one, you can focus on the FUNDAMENTALS. Youth coaches waste so much of their precious time working on things that they shouldn’t worry about at an early age.
99% of the presses that are ran by youth coaches wouldn’t work in high school or college, anyways. Most of the presses I’ve seen, just run 2 to 3 players at the ball and hope he throws the ball high enough, so somebody else can pick it off. It’s just a tactic that takes advantage of a flaw in our basketball development system, because players lack the skill, strength, and experience to react correctly to these situations. Spending that extra time on basketball skills and concepts, will benefit them much more for the future. Not to mention, if taught incorrectly (which most of the time they are), the zones and presses can ingrain some terrible habits in your players that don’t work at the higher levels.
Personally, I feel that youth players should not play in 5 on 5 leagues before age 10 or 11. Part of me feels that may even be too young.
What are your thoughts?
42 Comments
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PETER.MAKANJUOLA OHIOKHIE — December 4, 2008 @ 3:22 am
THIS HAS BEEN A GOOD DRILL I WILL START TO USE IT AFTER XMAS BREAK, WE ARE IN XMAS BREAK FOR NOW WE ARE REUNITING ON THE 5TH OF JANUARY 2009.THE PLAY A BASKETBALL MATCH WITH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL LAGOS NIGERIA. A WEEK AFTER THEN I CAN GIVE MY COMMENT FULLY ON THE DRILLS
betterman1733 — December 4, 2008 @ 4:28 am
In my country, Malaysia, 3on3 is a Street-Basketball Competition.Personally, I think this type of Competition is actually doing more harm than benefit to the young players.It is too physical and the kids will learn bad tactics, rather than playing good basketball!
Wim — December 4, 2008 @ 5:01 am
3 on 3 can be very good to learn the game - many youth coaches formed at the university use it
Youngsters play it half court, sometimes even with a second basket at midcourt.
Give some rules (e.g. 1,2…passes at least,pass and cut,no screens…)
Players like it because everybody touches the ball.Use it to teach.
3 on 3-games as a tournement and without refs can of course be rough.
Coach B — December 4, 2008 @ 7:51 am
I like to run a 3 on 3 version we call “cutthroat”.
If the offense scores they stay on. If the defense causes a turnover, they become offense and the other 3 sitting out becomes defense. Rotate players quickly. Fast pace and fun. Helps to teach quick change situations.
Rich — December 4, 2008 @ 8:02 am
Great Post. I agree completely. I train many players at the youth level and we always play 3-on3. I am also a varsity coach, and I use 3-on-3 as breakdown drills for the offense. We really need to continue to do this and get back to teaching our kids how to play basketball and not run plays.
juruni mandy — December 4, 2008 @ 8:55 am
i teach grade 3 to 6,next term after the xmas break we have basketball as a unit.i will concentrate alot on 3 on 3.thanx alot
Alireza — December 4, 2008 @ 11:52 am
this is a best trainig for player
tanks a lot
Mauro Panaggio — December 4, 2008 @ 12:09 pm
I agree wholeheatedly. As a high school, college, and profession league coach; I used 3on3 basketball as a breakdown drill on a regular basis to assimilate the basic movements into our overall offense. I think many
youth leagues try to teach offenses that are way behond the comprehension
level for the age of most participants.
Russell — December 4, 2008 @ 1:43 pm
Great Site and Thanks.
I am new at coaching. I am teaching ages 8-10. I saw this web site and now
are using Drills and Plays off of this site. I have practice tonight. I
will do this 3 on 3. This I hope will help the Kids get ready for their
fist game Sat. Again Thanks
Tom Whitaker — December 4, 2008 @ 2:55 pm
Fantastic article. I agree, although I don’t think you will ever stop younger players from playing 5 on 5 full court, but we could at least encourage more three on three.
How many times have you watched younger kids play five on five full court. Alot of the action is just dribbling back and fourt. The player who gets the defensive rebound often just dribbles the length of the floor and shoots. There are countless turnovers. Worst of all there is little ball movement and some kids never touch the ball.. Throw in presses, traps, and zone defenses and it doesn’t even resemble basketball. Kids should learn to play one on one, then two on two and three on three before competently before ever playing five on five.
While coaching in Peoria Illinois during the 1990’s I had the opportunity to watch the Manual High School Teams that won four straight state championships and one muythical national championship. I was coaching in one of their feeder schools and was able to watch alot of their practices. They did alot of three on three work and it really helped them. The kids also really enjoyed it. I started doing this and it helped my teams, too.
Besides the reasons listed above it also allowed my players to bettter learn the fundemental compondents of what I was teaching in our simple half court attack. It also made practice more fun.
I even used it in P.E class and it not only helped kids develop their basketball skills but it got allowed more kids to play at one time, made it easier for everyone to get opportunities to handle the ball, make plays, and shoot. It also was great for teaching teamwork, the ability to get along with others, and other social skills. Even the kids who didn’t especially like basketball got alot out of it. It was a wonderful activity.
I favor three on three for another reason, also. It can be played in driveways, cul de sacs, back yards, barn yards, and just about anywhere you can nail up a hoop. I used to see old milk crates nailed to telephone poles with kids playing three on three, two on two, or one on one. Three on three is alot easier for kids to play without adul;t supervision. If you can get a friend, three freeinds, or five freinds you can get together and play. Everyone touches the ball mpore so there is less bickering over that. Kids can also use try to make plays that they can’t do in five on five. It is a great way for them to have fun and develop their game. I agree totally that it is the best way for youth players to play.
CAZ — December 4, 2008 @ 3:20 pm
I AM IN MY 30TH YEAR AS A MIDDLE SCHOOL PE TEACHER AND HAVE ALWAYS USED 3 0
ON 3 BASKETBALL IN MY GAMES FOR THE REASONS LISTED IN YOUR ARTICLE; MORE
TOUCHES, MORE ROOM, AND MORE MOVEMENT. GREAT ARTICLE
Doug Wick — December 4, 2008 @ 5:57 pm
Great stuff Joe. I’m going to get my 4th grade team to work on this at our next practice. It gives us more time to coach to since we have several coaches. One group can be at one end of the floor coaching while the other is at the other end. Hopefully it can rekindle a couple of the boys enthusiasm for the game as well. They like to learn and produce!
angelo — December 4, 2008 @ 8:11 pm
I think this is a great way to work on different skills and to promote team passing. Eight and nine year olds have a hard time trying to play man to man defence with five players.this will simplify alot of things and make it fun for the kids who dont see the ball alot in a real game situation. I will try this next practice!
Jim — December 4, 2008 @ 11:04 pm
I am appalled at the 3 on 3 contests for the heavy contact by players and for the injuries that occur. Players are taking a risk driving to the basket because their opponents have nothing to lose by fouling. It is a rough, tough journey playing 3 on 3 and the only benefit would be for players who need to be more aggressive. Fouling is a big part of the 3 on 3 game.
I think organizations like American Youth Basketball Tour are much better since they have officials, coaches teaching fundamentals and kids must play 40-60% of all games. It helps all kids and not just the good or great ones to develop skills in a safe atmosphere.
audelio cerezo — December 5, 2008 @ 4:36 am
I agree with you Joe ! I have been a basketball coach for elementary boys for 4 years now and I have noticed that some players of mine have lose confidence in playing the game simply because they don’t get to touch the ball often in their practices. In a 3 on 3 situation, I know I will be able to build their confidence more and their skills in ball handling and shooting even better.
Joe Haefner — December 5, 2008 @ 10:36 am
For those of you said that 3 on 3 tournaments can get out of hand and become too rough, I completely agree.
Rather, you could implement 3 on 3 games during practice to teach concepts and skills.
You could also develop a league that has coaches and officials to supervise to enforce the rules and keep things safe.
Yesterday, after I posted this article, I received an email from Martin Spencer of the United Kingdom. He has started a 3 on 3 league called “Take 6 Mini-Basketball.” I think what he’s doing is outstanding and will tremendously help the long-term development of youth players. He has also worked with FIBA to help develop this in the Middle East and Africa. He also told me that this sort of league is the norm in Europe.
For those of us in the US, I think we should take note that this may be one of the reasons that the rest of the world has caught up with us in basketball.
If you would like to know more about the league, check out: http://www.mini-basketball.org.uk/
Rob Williams — December 5, 2008 @ 12:30 pm
I couldnt agree more with your philosphy on coaching young players. a balance of discovery learning to develop creative GAMES players- no matter what the sport is essential to allow the fun element to be instilled. The key is for a coach to know when to interject with advice and instruction to enable quicker development of a player or group.
A great site- thanks!
Rob UK
Danny — December 7, 2008 @ 1:38 am
It is great. I will try to do so. I would to shoul what the children will be…
Coach Mike — December 7, 2008 @ 5:05 am
I’ve also coached youth soccer and there is a big move toward small sided games as a teaching tool at younger ages. I think 3 v 3 is a great tool in practices, but 3 v 3 youth leagues, or “And 1″ street ball? No. But, as a practice tool, within the parameters of a team’s offensive and defensive strategies, and player development, 3 v 3 can teach a lot. One of my mentors who has won several state H.S. basketball championships goes further: He always has 1 v 1, 2 v 2, and 3 v 3 mixed into every practice. It’s the way we used to learn at the playground, or city courts, each new player adding a complexity and a new set of options. Your comments will have me using 3 v 3 more. Thanks for the reminder!
Coach David Rowe — December 8, 2008 @ 7:29 am
I have just come back from a State Championship in which both City and Country kids play off against each other. I found that my team was aware of the moves and positioning for motion offense, however when the game started and the defensive pressure went on the offense disappeared out the door. I will try 3 : 3 and let you know the results. Sounds like a great idea.
Coach Victor Preston — December 9, 2008 @ 8:15 am
I am a basketball coach at Nimitz 9th grade and I’m a believer in 3 on 3 basketball and I tell my kids to pass, shoot or drive so they will not spend time dribbling a lot, I call it three on three for three because, they only get three minutes to play. If anyone holds the ball over 5 seconds it’s an automatic turnover. Sometimes its best that I officiate these games also.
SportNut — December 13, 2008 @ 11:28 pm
Great post. I completely agree that 3-on-3 is much more effective at teaching basketball fundamentals than 5-on-5.
When I used to coach 1st and 2nd graders, we would spend at least half our practice in 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 drill/game situations even though the league games were 5-on-5.
Now that I’m at the high school level, I still spend about half our time running drills that utilize 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 game playing to work on the fundamentals of passing, screening, close out on a shooter, defense, …. These are my favorite type of drills, but just as importantly, these are also the players favorite drills so they work hard to master the skills (I don’t have to constantly be trying to motivate them).
Brian
http://basketball.youth-athlete.org
Coach Santos — December 14, 2008 @ 11:48 am
I definitely agree with guided 3-on-3 as a practice tactic. After reading this article I tried it in my 8th grade practice. GREAT results!
I used this as a good opportunity for them to practice pick/roll, screen away, weave-screen, and backdoor moves (with me stopping the action and offering guidance of course.) To my happy surprise… after the 3-on-3 sessions were done, we went into a full 5-on-5 scrimmage to practice our offensive set… and suddenly the cuts, the screens, the ball movement I had been begging for all season were there!
I also noticed that the best team in our league (who kicked our butts the first game of the season with great screens, cuts, and ball movements) played ONLY quick 3-on-3 pick up games as a pre-game warm-up. I think I’ll be trying this!
In practice, we did a variation that focuses on defense, found here: http://www.coachesclipboard.net/3on3defensivedrill.html
The players loved it, the intensity went up 3 notches, there was better shot selection and rebounding and overall better basketball. I wish I’d have known this simple tip earlier!
James Manguba — December 15, 2008 @ 8:53 pm
Hey, this is a really good article that interests me!
I’ve got a 10 year old brother who’s grown up playing 5 on 5, and I wonder how much better he could be right now if he grew up playing 3 on 3.
chuck — December 22, 2008 @ 5:51 pm
I feel sorry for coaches (and kids who play for “drill sergents) who haven’t learned this yet. Let the game be the teacher! I coach soccer also, and SSG’s (small-sided games) are the way forward for much the same reasons: more touches, off-the-ball movement, FUN for the kids.
http://www.giveusbackourgame.co.uk/
Dan — December 25, 2008 @ 5:16 pm
I have been talking about this since I started coaching youth 5 yrs ago I appreciate the article and believe its right on, also kids should start at smaller baskets and graduate up every 2 yrs or so.
Gary Bond — December 30, 2008 @ 8:42 pm
I just moved from Tacoma, WA after being there for 12 years to a smaller town in Eastern Washington called Cheney. I am have been involved in youth sports for several years.
I agree full-heartedly with the opinions that everyone else has shared. Soccer programs around Washington have been sharing this same idea for years. I belive that k-4 basketball programs should be played as 3 v 3. This has worked for me in practices. Not every program is capable of doing this. Some programs have different reasons for not trying this concept with their leagues.
1. Lack of coaches
2. Doesn’t feel or look like a real basketball game
I think it is very important for our youngsters to learn in this environment. It lets them see the game in whole different view.
Jen — January 18, 2009 @ 1:40 am
I played my first 3-on-3 tournament in college, and I came to this exact conclusion. In 5on5 I was always a bit shy of the ball, with a tendancy to hold back - which meant I was holding back my improvement. This would have been impossible in 3on3. I’ve just started coaching my first youth team, and I’d already decided to try this, so thanks for reaffirming my instincts!
lizz — February 24, 2009 @ 10:40 am
I think that the sport is fun to play
Colin — March 10, 2009 @ 4:47 pm
I am coming to the end of my season and after the Easter break I am (hopefully!) organising a series of 3-on-3 leagues for my students here in the UK. I have had it quite hard this year with only one hour a week on a thursday for coaching my teams (basketball is a way down the list of priorities in this school!) and I am hoping that this league will help drum up more support for basketball in my school, and get the students more invovled in playing as well. Your article and comments have really helped motivate me and I will be getting the article to my Head of Sport to look at and hopefully he will let me have more time on court next season!! Thanks heaps and keep up the great work!
Ted — March 14, 2009 @ 6:05 am
Joe,
In Sweden, I’d say that the notion of small-sided games has been around for a good while, and basketball here is often influenced in this way from what successful coaches have done for years in other ball-in-goal invasion game sports like soccer, ice hockey, and team handball.
For what it’s worth, I thought you might like to see what recommendations our regional federations and basketball clubs in Sweden have been given by the
national basketball federation here when it comes to competition rules by age:
* 9/10 years old and younger: 3v3, smaller court (they play full court on the side hoops), low hoops (2.60m), size 5 ball, man-man only, GAME TIME: 4×5
minutes running time (competition days come once a month, where kids play 3-4 matches during the day, plus skills competitions in a festival-like atmosphere)
* 11/12 years: 4v4, low hoops, size 5 ball, man-man only, no 3-pointers awarded, plus the defender cannot take the ball out of the hands of the offensive
player in front of them, GAME TIME: 6×6 minutes running time (and there are rules that guarantee fair playing time for all players)
* 13 years: 5v5 from here on, size 5 ball, 3-point makes awarded, man-man only, GAME TIME: 4×8 min (regular clock stoppage from here on)
* 14-year-olds: regulation ball from here on (size 7 boys, size 6 girls), man-man onLY
* 15-year-olds and older: zone defenses allowed from here on
The key idea behind all of this is that basketball players are said to peak in their late 20s. My understanding of this model is that it is built so that players don’t peak too early. Of course, this type of long-term development model might not be particularly applicable to many locations in the US, but I think it’s great that you, your brother, and the other excellent contributors on your site are certainly not alone in recommending some great ideas that go a long way in promoting sound player development.
Ted
PS: I just discovered your site this past week–it’s truly impressive and a fantastic resource for practical ideas!
honey — April 8, 2009 @ 5:30 am
it is to good for the basic.
Hadi — April 9, 2009 @ 1:09 pm
I completely agree
Flora — July 11, 2009 @ 4:32 pm
My name is Flora,am from london,a team i represent is currently looking for a basketball player coming season,the team will be organizaing it tryout from 24th-31st July 2009,if any of you coaches can introduce me to young talents i will appreciate,my email is florahoops77@gmail.com
Lance Stephenson Videos — November 13, 2009 @ 7:54 pm
Practice. Practice. Practice. Believe in Yourself and Make it Happen!
Citizen Campanola Watches — January 15, 2010 @ 8:04 pm
I think 3 on 3 is the best experience for youth players. I agree that the kids involved get so much experience as opposed to 3 on 3. We host a 3 on 3 tournament every year as a benefit for cancer research and it is such a hit with the crowd. I am a huge fan of 3 on 3!
-Sylvia
MIlovan — February 3, 2010 @ 10:32 pm
In my school, the girls are versing the boys in basketball training session, we train together, as it increases the chance of both genders on improving their plays in real game.. Not to say the are 13 -16 versing 17,18 or even 19. We dont count their winings but we do see the improvment in the confidene….
Shaun — February 24, 2010 @ 6:45 pm
I agree that the 3 on 3 game is not only a great tool to teach basketball concepts to youth but also to creat some mental toughness in your players. As a D1 player and now a collegiate coach for Mens Basketball, today’s athlete suffers from a lack of mental toughness. Yes 3 on 3 can be rough and physical but so is college, professional ball and even life at times. Sometimes during the game it’s not who has the most talent or fundamentals that win the game, but who has the most heart and fight to win!
E.Lee — March 9, 2010 @ 1:28 am
We started three on three mini court basketball this year with our 3-8th grades this year. Parents loved it, and the kids loved it. We allow pressing full court man to man.
Daniel — March 10, 2010 @ 5:56 am
I have read a fair bit to fo with 3 on 3. I am about to try this now as our club training expectation for all age groups. The reason for us is because we believe that kids cannot handle the basketball enough to build experience and confidence. Did you know, that Football (Soccer) in Europe, is played in a small sided games version, and kids no younger than 14 are only allowed to play 5 a side? I live in Australia, and Football bodies are implementing this as well as a direct result to improve grass roots skill levels. Now in Football, this is a proven technique in vastly improving kids skills, whilst kids touch the ball as often as they can. I will be very interested to see its impact over time in our basketball club, & well done on this fantastic initiative!
Michael — March 10, 2010 @ 4:10 pm
My 6-year-old daughter just completed her second season of 5-on-5 basketball. Last year she was in a 5-6-year-old program for boys and girls. The defense was confined to the key and the hoops were 8 feet high. The ball was standard 27.5 inches (”junior” ball). The kids learned nothing about defense, virtually nothing about passing, and a little about dribbling/shooting. Pretty much the only thing to do on offense was to launch the ball from outside the key (where the shooter is undefended) with all their might. I cringe. The kids seemed to enjoy things, but not a lot.
This year my daughter joined a girls league. The problem was that the league comprised grades 1, 2, and 3. So my 6-year-old was playing with 9-year-olds. This time, the defense was restricted to the area inside the three-point line, which was much better because it meant that there was really no alternative to facing the defense. My daughter learned a lot more about paying attention to her girl on defense, and was the big lesson she learned this year. However, with 5 girls on offense, she rarely got involved, despite wonderful coaches who tried hard to accommodate her. 8 foot hoops again.
My daughter has never made a basket, despite the fact that i don’t know a single 6-year-old girl who is better at basketball than her. She simply lacks the strength to reach the 8-foot hoops. She is already expressing discouragement, despite her love of ball-handling.
I think the 3-on-3 concept would be a huge step in the right direction for her and those (few) like her. Our league could have fielded only 2 teams of first graders, but they could have played with Spalding “rookie” balls (which weigh less) and lower hoops. It would have been a completely different experience.
in conclusion, I’m going to get together with some other parents and create our own tiny summer league. The money we save on enrollment fees will buy all the equipment we nee: two six-foot hoops, a couple rookie balls (we buy balls anyway, don’t we?) even uniforms. I volunteered my time at every practice and every game anyway. My kids can show up in the regular league at age ten and dominate. Yay!
Joe Haefner — March 10, 2010 @ 5:55 pm
Michael, what you mentioned would definitely be a better alternative for your daughter.
You may also want to check out this article: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/blog/index.php/should-we-teach-basketball-skills-to-kids-under-the-age-of-10/