Four Corner Pass and Pivot Drill

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The following drill works on your players' passing and receiving skills as well as teaching how to pivot properly. The four corner pivot passing drill, diagramed below, should be run at half speed to begin with, eventually getting into full speed as your players become accustomed to the positions and rotations.


Here is a video of the drill from Coach Jim Huber. Jim Huber developed The Ultimate Resource for Man to Man Defense and is our Director of Coaching Development for Breakthrough's Youth Basketball Camps and Elite Guard Camps.





Instructions

Step 1:

The drill begins with players lining up in four lines, two lines at the baseline and two on the sideline extended from the top of the three point line. The players in the front of the lines will begin with a basketball (as represented by the four players with a circle around them on the right).

All four players with the ball will dribble with their right hand only to the center of the key.

 

Step 2:

When the players get to the key they will jump stop and pivot on their right foot and step through with their left foot.

All four players will make a chest pass to the line that is now in front of them (1 will pass to 2, 2 will pass to 3, 3 will pass to 4 & 4 will pass to 1, as shown to the right). The players will be passing to the corner in a counter clockwise rotation.

The player receiving the basketball should step into the pass to meet the ball in a triple threat position.

To work on team communication, the players passing the ball should yell out the name of the player they are passing to.

 

Step 3:

After making the pass, all four players will sprint to the back of the line that they just passed to.

As your players learn the proper rotation, encourage them to sprint as hard as they can. This will work on your team′s conditioning and will keep the drill in constant motion.

 

Step 4:

The drill then restarts from the beginning and repeats the same steps from above. The four players that are now in the front of the line dribble to the center of the key and jump stop before pivoting on their right foot and passing to the next line.

This drill can be run in the opposite direction, with the players dribbling with their left hand, pivoting on their left foot and stepping through with their right foot. They will now pass to the player in a clockwise rotation.

 

To progress the drill, you can teach your players how to reverse pivot and have them incorporate the reverse pivot into the passing scheme. Similar to the steps above, the drill will be run with a right handed dribble, a reverse pivot on the right foot and a pass to the player in a counter clockwise rotation. The drill can also be run with a left handed dribble, a reverse pivot on the left foot and a pass to the player in a clockwise rotation.

This drill works great in practice as well as during pre-game warm ups. It also works on teaching young kids how to pivot, which can be a lost skill for many basketball players.




What do you think? Let us know by leaving your comments, suggestions, and questions. . .



Comments

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Meme says:
3/16/2017 at 7:37:36 AM

I think the contention here is about the rule that says after a player dribbles the ball and terminates it, when he jump stops, he cant move either foot or pivot....but on a pass to him, when receiving, [meaning he has not started the dribbling phase yet] if he jump stops he can then pivot or choose either foot to move.

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Jon says:
6/3/2014 at 5:48:30 PM

Thanks for offering your perspective Joe... It's too bad that it seems futile to even try to understand it if it's not going to be called consistently anyway... Maybe Kens reply is spot on.... P.s... I decided not to do this drill anymore.

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Ken Sartini says:
6/2/2014 at 7:37:10 PM

I agree Joe -

I quit trying to figure out why they blew the whistle one time and not another... just keep playing.

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Joe Haefner says:
6/2/2014 at 2:44:49 PM

Jon, one more thing...

I usually try to differentiate between quick stops and jump stops.

A quick stop is where you don't really jump. You just try to stop as quickly as possible with both feet hitting the floor at the same time. I have never seen a referee call a traveling violation when a player quick stops and pivots properly.

A jump stop is when you literally jump before you land on both feet at the same time. I have seen mixed calls on this when a player jump stops then pivots.

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Joe Haefner says:
6/2/2014 at 2:36:53 PM

Jon, this has given me some headaches because I've actually gotten different information from referees on this topic, or at least I interpreted it as different info.

By studying the rulebook and situations, I think I finally came to a better understanding. Here is my interpretation.

It doesn't matter how high you jump or whether it is a quick stop or jump stop.

Whether it is a travel or not, depends on WHEN YOU TERMINATE THE DRIBBLE.

So, if you do this sequence.

1. Jump
2. Pick up the ball or terminate the dribble after you jump.
3. Land on both feet at the same time.

You can choose either foot for your pivot foot.


If you...

1. Pick up the ball or terminate the dribble.
2. Jump after you terminate the dribble.
3. Land on both feet at the same time.

If you pivot, this will be a traveling violation. However, you can jump to shoot or pass.


I've seen what looked like the exact same move in which the player jumps, lands on both feet, and pivots called a travel one possession and allowed the next possession. I never understood why.

However, what I didn't realize until now, the reason that it was called a travel is that they picked the ball up a split second earlier.


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Jon says:
6/2/2014 at 7:28:11 AM

If you jump stop, it's my understanding that neither foot is your pivot foot. I think this is teaching traveling!... at least this is the hs rule in MA

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Leah Cooper says:
5/30/2014 at 2:33:50 AM

I did this drill with my year 6 classes today. Was really interesting to see how confused they got with their left and right hands/legs. After seeing the first class struggle, I made the second class do the Hokey Pokey to warm up first. Put your right hand in etc. Was a bit of a laugh.

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Ken Sartini says:
5/29/2014 at 10:13:51 AM

Great drill coach -

I used the back pivot part with my sophomore and varsity boys... good warm up and like you said... teaches footwork.

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