If you want to build a great defensive team, it starts with one skill: closeouts.

You can teach rotations. You can scheme out of zones. You can install a switching system. But if your players can’t close out under control, contain the ball, and contest without fouling, it all breaks down.

Simply put, getting beat on the ball is the cardinal sin of defense. The less that happens, the less you have to help. The less you have to help, the less disadvantage situations you find yourself in, and the tougher shots you force.

The closeout is the most common and most abused movement in basketball defense. . . 

• Some players come flying out like their trying to swat a volleyball and get blown by

• Some players close out flat footed with their feet nailed in plae

• Some players close out too soft, giving up open jumpers

If you want to fix it — and I mean really fix it — you’ve got to teach it, drill it, and reinforce it every day.

In this post, we’ll break down 5 of the best closeout drills from top coaches around the country. These are high-intensity, competitive drills that teach players how to get their angles right, defend without fouling, and keep the ball out of the middle.

Let’s dive in.

Why Closeouts Matter

A great closeout keeps the offense on the perimeter. It prevents easy blow-bys. It limits help rotations and wide-open 3’s. And it builds a team culture where every player takes pride in guarding their yard.

You may not be able to take away everything. . . but great closeouts take away straight line drives and open jumpers.

Bad closeouts? They force your defense to scramble. They lead to layups, fouls, or drive-and-kick threes. And they absolutely destroy defensive integrity.

Drill #1: BU Closeout Drill

Source: The Outer Third Defense With Nick LoGalbo

Best For: Live 1-on-1 closeout reps with scoring

Focus: Angles, accountability, no-middle defense

This drill comes from Benedictine University, and it’s a staple in man-to-man development. Here's how it works:

• One defender in the “hole” plays 1-on-1 against three different offensive players — all starting in the corners and wings.

  
  

• The offensive players get two dribbles max to try and score.

• If the defender gets 2 out of 3 stops, they rotate out. If not, they stays in the hole and go again.

• Points are awarded for scores, stops, and charges (charges = 2 points).

  Coaching Emphasis: Force outer thirds. No middle. Close out under control. Hit and get (contest + rebound).

Train your players to treat every closeout like they’re guarding the best player on the floor. That's how you build a defense-first mindset.

Drill #2: 2 Minute Closeouts

Source: How To Run Championship Practices With Nate Steege

Best For: Team closeout principles under pressure

Focus: Communication, stance, gap help, multiple efforts

This drill adds complexity by making it team-based. Two defenders start on the help line, two offensive players space out at the wings. As the ball skips or rotates, the defense must sprint to close out, recover to gap help, and rotate.

Once the closeout happens, the next pair steps in, keeping the energy high and creating constant movement.

You can also do a 4v4 version of the drill to involve more players and different help rotations. Players follow the same rules as the 2 person version with the exception of 2 players running on at a time rather than 1.

Teach your kids to close out low, contest without raising out of stance, and respect the offensive threat — no matter who it is. Additionally, every player should be communicating on every pass.

Drill #3: Lehigh Closeout

Source: Man To Man Defense With Jim Huber

Best For: Long closeout reps into live defense

Focus: Footwork, staying in front, contesting on the run

The defender starts under the basket. They run to the block and receive a pass from the coach. They immediately pass the ball back to the coach.

On a pass to the wing and reversal, they sprint across the paint to close out and play live 1-on-1.

Offensive players attack with a live dribble. Defenders must stay low, slide, contain, contest, and finish the play with a block out.

This is one of the most realistic drills for simulating a game-like help-and-recover closeout since players must change direction before closing out.

Bonus Tip: Players must keep the offense out of the paint — the “house” — or the drill resets.

Drill #4: 1v1 Full-Court Closeout

Source: 2-3 Zone Defense With Al Marshall

Best For: Conditioning + reactive closeouts

Focus: Sprint-to-close mechanics, transition defense

Players start in the backcourt and defend the ball handler until they cross half court. The ball handler has to stay on one side of the floor.

The dribbler passes to the coach. The defender must sprint to a designated spot (timeline, baseline, top of key), and then recover into a hard closeout on a coach or player on the wing.

The result is live 1-on-1 off the catch.

This adds an element of fatigue, speed, and game-like recovery that challenges your players to close out under pressure and still stay in control.

Drill #5: Billiken Closeouts

Source: The Outer Third Defense With Nick LoGalbo

Best For: Building habits that translate to full 5-on-5

Focus: Rotation angles, communication, X-outs, low man

This is where you bring it all together.

Start with 2-on-2 to teach closeout angles and gap help. On the pass from the coach to the wing, it’s live.

Then build into 3-on-3, adding X-man (help the helper) and low man rotations on baseline drives. These mini-shell progressions force longer closeouts and sharper awareness.

By the time you scale up to 5-on-5, your team’s closeouts are tighter, sharper, and automatic.

Pro Tip: Use verbal anchors like “No middle!” and “Outer thirds!” to reinforce positioning. These cues help remind players of your principles. Over time, they should be the ones saying it instead of you!

Final Thoughts: Closeouts Win Games

If you're serious about defense, you can't treat closeouts as an afterthought. No matter what defense you play - pressure or pack, man or zone - your defense will only be as good as your closeouts.

You need to drill them with purpose, with pressure, and with standards. These 5 drills will help you teach angles, communication, accountability, and effort — the foundations of a championship-level defense.

“Do the work before the work happens — that’s the key to a great closeout.”

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