You draw up a great play.

The spacing is right. The first option is open. The kids run it exactly how you practiced it.

And then, you turn it over.

Not because the defense did anything special, but because of a rushed pass, a careless dribble, or a player catching the ball without a plan.

If you’ve coached long enough, you know this feeling all too well. You walk back to the huddle thinking, “We’re doing everything right… so why do we keep giving the ball away?”

In tennis, these would be called “unforced errors.” And they make up most of the turnovers our teams commit.

Turnovers don’t just cost you possessions. They steal momentum, confidence, and sometimes entire games. And what makes it worse is that many turnovers are completely avoidable.

Here’s the good news: turnovers usually aren’t a talent problem.

They’re a habits problem. Or, said differently, they’re a coaching problem. You’re the one responsible for teaching winning habits. So, before you blame your players, take a look in the mirror.

The teams that consistently protect the ball don’t do anything flashy. They teach simple, repeatable habits that show up on every catch, every pass, and every decision.

In this article, we’ll break down 9 specific habits you can teach your players that will immediately lead to fewer turnovers, without slowing your offense down or overcomplicating things.

9 Simple Ways to Reduce Turnovers (That Coaches Can Actually Teach)

1. Catch on a hop

   Catching on a hop does a couple of things. First, it allows your players to pivot on either foot, giving them more options. Second, it helps them land on balance, resulting in fewer turnovers.

2. Don’t jump to FIND a pass.

   Some coaches disallow the jump pass altogether. I wouldn’t go that far. There are times when a player NEEDS to jump to pass. My teaching point would be, “It’s okay to jump to make a pass. It’s not okay to jump to find a pass.”

   When players jump to find a pass, they only have a second to make a good decision. This leads to many careless turnovers.

3. Don’t Drive Single Gaps

   Single gap drives are problematic for a number of reasons. One of the biggest is that they result in your players to drive into the help. This allows the gap defender to swipe at the ball.

   

   When you teach players to “Pass through single gaps and drive through double gaps,” you eliminate those types of turnovers.

4. Once you start a basket cut, you must finish it.

   When teammates start and stop their cuts, the player with the ball is unsure what to do. This leads to miscommunication and unforced errors.

   Make it a rule for all players that once they start cutting to the basket, there’s no going back.

5. Aim small, miss small.

   Most players don’t take pride in passing. They throw passes in the general vicinity of their teammate.

   Instead, teach players to aim small. For example, you might have them aim for their teammate’s jersey number. When they narrow their focus, they are more likely to hit it. And, even if they miss, they won’t miss by much, reducing passing turnovers.

6. Sync up screen usage with the sound of the screener’s feet

   Illegal screens often result from the player receiving the screen going too early. Here’s an easy fix. First, teach your screeners to jump stop into every screen. That prevents them from moving.

   Then, tell the player receiving the screen that they aren’t allowed to go until they hear the screener’s feet hit the floor on their jumpstop. Those two elements combined will wipe out moving screen fouls.

7. Avoid the “Pregnant Lady” & “Statue of Liberty” poses.

   Players should be in a power position when they have the ball and are closely guarded.

   

   Many players, especially young ones, hold the ball right in front of them (the Pregnant Lady). That allows their defender to take the ball away.

   Other players place the ball above their head (the Statue of Liberty). This, too, is a position of weakness that leads to turnovers.

8. No post feed from above the free throw line extended

   Feeding the post is not easy. Most players aren’t taught how to do it anymore. One key to feeding the post is a good angle. That’s why post feeds should be from the free throw line down.

   When you post feed from the top, the pass is longer. That gives a help defender more time to deflect the pass. Shorter passes from the wing down ensure fewer passing turnovers.

9. Don’t turn your back to pressure.

   When players turn their backs to pressure, they can’t see up the floor. That makes traps and denials more effective. It also creates panic in the dribbler.

   Instead, teach players to use a pullback dribble when pressured. That enables them to create space while still maintaining vision up the floor.

Conclusion

Turnovers are frustrating. Beyond that, they kill your chances of winning. According to Dean Oliver’s 4 Factors, turnovers are the stat that has the second most significant impact on winning (behind only shooting).

By teaching the 9 habits above, you can significantly decrease your team’s turnovers, which will significantly increase your chances of winning. That’s the type of math we can all get behind!

If you’re looking for the type of practice drills that will help engrain these habits, check out:

How To Run Championship Practices With Ryan Schultz & How To Run Championship Practices With Nate Steege - Coach Schultz and Coach Steege share over 20 drills each that they’ve used to build state championship programs. The drills work at every level. In addition to the drills themselves, you’ll see candid footage of how an outstanding coach runs a high-level practice. These 2 products are sure to make your practices more efficient & effective.

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