End of Game Drill

A Great Way To Get Your Players To
Perform In The Clutch

This is an excerpt from our Man to Man Defense System.

In order to get your players adjusted to end of game situations, here is a suggestion made to us by Don Kelbick (www.DonKelbickBasketball.com).

• Split your players into two teams.
  
  
• If you only have one assistant, you can have him coach one team while you coach the other. If you have two assistants, you can supervise or referee.
  
  Decide what kind of situation to work on, whether it's a close game, last minute scenario, last three minutes, or some other scenario.
  
  
• Next, pick a situation with time and score. Let's say it's a regular game, "6 & 3."
  
  The game starts with the score 0-0 and 3 minutes on the clock. You start the game like a normal scrimmage by jump ball, out of bounds, etc. As soon as a team gets to 6, the clock starts. During the scrimmage, you can emphasize zone offense and defense, man-to-man offense and defense, full-court pressure, etc. Referee the game as if it were an actual game.
  
  If the score is 6-0, a team is down 6 points with 3 minutes left. If the score is 6-5, a team is down 1 point with 3 minutes left. Do not stop play once the team gets to 6 points; just let them know that "the clock is running."
  
  
• During the clock period, the game is played as if it were a regular game. Each team has 1 time out, and both teams are in the bonus (1-and-1 or Two Shots, that's up to your preference).
  
  
• As soon as the clock starts, the "scrimmage emphasis" changes to a "winning emphasis." For example, during the scrimmage portion you are working on half-court, man-to-man pressure defense; but once the clock starts, you change to a "game winning strategy." If you're up 6 with 3 minutes left, you may want to hold the ball. If you're down 6 with 3 minutes left, you may want to apply pressure.
  
  
• You can alter the situations to suit your needs. Play 2 and 1 for a close end of game situation. Play 10 and 2 for a longer scrimmage time to work on something.
  
  
• Treat this exactly like a game by:
        - Stopping the clock
        - Calling ALL violations
        - Calling fouls
        - Calling timeouts, etc.
  

1. Players love competition and usually look forward to doing this. It's a great way to keep them motivated throughout practice.
   
   
2. Players will be tired at the end of practice, and that is exactly what will happen at the end of a game. It makes the situation more realistic.