I do basketball training and during my sessions I spend a lot of time on footwork. I want my players to be able to pivot off either foot, jump stop, shoot off the 1, 2 step etc. This footwork is done for perimeter and post players. Now that the season has started I have a few girls that play on the same team and their high school coach wants them to only pivot off their left foot (for right hander) and pivot off the right foot if they are left handed. His reasoning is that they are less likely to travel. I understand his reasoning but I don't agree with it. I feel like it can limit the players ability. I told my players to do as the coach told them, but I wanted to hear some opinions on the matter. Is it best to teach to pivot off one foot or be versatile and pivot off both? Wanted to hear how other coaches teach footwork.

My opinion is pivot off both!! But you can't really go against what the coach is doing. You need to support the coach. How old are these players?

Two of the girls are in 8th grade and the other is in 9th grade. I told the 9th grade girl that she has to do what the coach wants her to do. The high school coach is very active in the 9th grade practice. I told the 9th grade player to do as the coach says.

I like to teach both pivots as well. However, I have heard other coaches swear that using a dominant pivot foot cuts down on traveling violations. Some coaches also believe that players attack the basket better by using the strong pivot foot. Maybe, that is his reasoning.

Teach both, and to steal a phrase from Don Kelbick "let the players do what they feel comfortable with during the games."

This discussion was expanded on this page as well: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/q ... -foot.html

She is comfortable off either foot but I just told her to do as the coach says to save her from any problems.

Yeah, those players should be learning how to use both feet. The good news is that they will get repetitions from you during your training sessions.

What about other aspects of basketball? Pivoting is for much more than just shooting. You use pivoting and footwork to block out, play defense in the post, play defense on the perimeter, screening, cutting, getting position in the post, sealing the defender, and all aspects of basketball. What that coach probably doesn't realize is that pivoting and footwork is not just for when you have the ball. Not to mention, when you do have the ball, you really limit your options by pivoting with just one foot.

If we can get the coach to read this book maybe he would change his mind? Even though it's about post play, it an excellent demonstration of footwork and how it applies to all aspects of the game. I think he or she would be sold after a few pages.
http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/pr/post-play.html

In any case, it sounds like you are taking the right approach!

I work a lot with my team on footwork, our vision is that players need to use both legs to give the more options, but we also want them to handle the ball with both hands.

This is such an interesting topic. As a coach and skills trainer, I see the relevance in working on being able to pivot and make moves off of both. However, I once heard a coach speak on this and he made the point that as a player, think about the amount of times you do not set your left foot as your pivot foot if you are right handed and then vice versa. As a result, he felt that players should focus on getting more consistent at planting that foot down first, then they would not have to worry about making moves on the off pivot foot. As a player, this always made sense to me and in a way shapes the way that coach players.