Bobby Knight once said, “The greatest motivator in the world is your butt on the bench. Butt meets bench, bench retains butt, butt transmits signals to the brain, brain transmits signals to the body, body gets butt off bench and plays better. It's a hell of a sequence.”

Not surprisingly, the quote has been edited for appropriateness! But beyond the language, Coach Knight was onto something.

The bench is a great motivator. When players don’t do what they are asked, a loss of playing time is a logical consequence.

But what if you could incorporate the same idea in practice in a way that is both educational and challenging for your team?

Guess what - you can. . . with the penalty box!

A Hockey Concept That Works On The Hardwood, Too!

For those of you who aren’t familiar, hockey has a penalty box. When a player commits a penalty, they have to go sit in the box for a predetermined amount of time - usually two minutes.

During that time, the other team has a one player advantage. This is called a power play.

Teams work religiously on converting power plays in their favor and stopping power plays when they are at a disadvantage.

Hockey teams need to be able to play well when up or down a player. So do basketball teams. Using the penalty box allows you to reinforce habits while also working on playing with advantage and disadvantage.

How To Implement The Penalty Box With Your Team

As the coach, you get to choose what qualifies as a penalty. Maybe it’s one hand passes. Maybe it’s leaving your feet on defense. Maybe it’s not sprinting back in transition.

You know your team best. You know which habits you need to build. You also know that verbal reminders only go so far.

The penalty box applies a tangible consequence to failing to perform the desired habit.

Let’s say your area of focus is sprinting back in transition. During your scrimmage segments, watch for players who fail to do this.

Any time a player does not sprint back, you simply call their name and say “Penalty Box.” The player immediately runs off the court and stands on the sideline.

• The duration of the penalty is up to you. I’ve found 30-45 seconds to be a good duration. That said, you might start on the shorter end and increase the duration for repeat offenders.

• During the time that player is in the penalty box, their team is at 4v5 disadvantage. If two players didn’t sprint back, they’d be at a 3v5 disadvantage.

After the penalty time has elapsed, the player can return to play.

Why The Penalty Box Creates An Intense & Unpredictable Practice Environment (Just Like The Game!)

• The game is a wicked environment. In other words, it’s always changing. There will be times when your players will be down a player. At other times they’ll be up a player.

  Being able to recognize these situations and play accordingly is important.

  Watch for players who immediately notice and communicate the situation to their teammates. The team that reacts first is usually in the best position to succeed.

• The penalty box is also a fun way to practice advantages and disadvantages. Many drills have scripted scenarios where teams are up or down a player.

  In penalty box scrimmages, teams never know when the situation will change. They must be adaptable.

• Players enjoy the challenge presented by the penalty box. Players who have to visit the box feel like they are hurting their team . . . . because they are! That’s good - you want that. It makes it less likely they’ll perform the undesired behavior in the future.

• Finally, it leads to some great scrimmages. Teams can build a big lead only to see the game change in an instance. One or two ‘power plays’ for the other team can get a team right back in a scrimmage.

  With penalty box rules, a team is never out of a game.

While every situation is different, there are some things you should see from your team in these situations.

What To Look For When Up A Player

The team that is up a player needs to be aggressive.

• On offense - they will want to attack and find good shots in transition. Because they are up a player, they should be able to get an open shot.

  On that note, watch the shots your team takes when up a player. That can lead to some interesting discussions around shot selection.

  Players should crash the glass. Someone won’t be boxed out and they should take advantage of that.

• On defense - look to force turnovers. Because they have an extra player, they should look to trap the ball. Every pass should be trapped and other players should deny. The goal is to force turnovers that lead to good scoring opportunities.

What To Look For When Down A Player

The team that is down a player needs to play especially well as a unit.

• On offense - they should protect the ball at all costs. Yes, scoring would be nice. But possession is a priority. The clock if their friend.

  The more time they run off, the sooner their teammate will be back on the floor.

  Players should look to score when good shots present themselves.

  Because they are at a numerical disadvantage, transition defense should be emphasized over offensive rebounding.

• On defense - look to force contested jump shots. The defense won’t be able to take everything away. Thus, the goal is to force contested jumpers. That’s a win for the defense.

  The ball should always be covered. Defenders one pass away should be in the gap. The defender furthest from the ball will probably have to split two offensive players.

  Communication and moving on the flight of the pass is paramount.

Master Penalty Kill & The Power Play In Practice To Thrive In Games

Every coach wants a team that can adjust on the fly. But too many don’t prepare their teams to play that way.

The penalty box does that. It gets your team ready for changing situations while simultaneously building good habits.

Your players will learn how to attack when they have an advantage and how to steady the ship when at a disadvantage. Both are vital attributes of good teams!

Give it a try - your players will love it and so will you!

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