Blog · 2026-10-22

8 Basketball Drills for Kids That Keep Everyone Moving

The best basketball drills for kids have three things in common: everyone is moving, the rules fit in one sentence, and there's a little bit of game in them. Long lines and lectures are where young players lose interest.

Here are eight drills we use with 7- to 10-year-olds. Each one needs only balls, a few cones and a hoop, and each comes with an easier and a harder version so you can adjust for your group.

1. Red Light, Green Light (dribble control)

Setup: Players on the baseline, one ball each. Coach on the opposite baseline.

How it works: Green means dribble forward. Yellow means a slow, controlled dribble. Red means stop, catch the ball and hold it on your hip in triple threat. Anyone still moving on red goes back three steps.

Easier: Walk instead of jog. Harder: Weak hand only, and add "switch" to change hands.

2. Dribble Tag (dribbling under pressure)

Setup: Everyone dribbles inside the lane or half court. Pick one or two taggers, who also dribble.

How it works: Taggers tag dribblers with their free hand. If you're tagged or lose your ball, do five weak-hand dribbles outside the area, then come back in. Nobody sits out for long.

Easier: Bigger area, one tagger. Harder: Smaller area, and everyone is a tagger.

3. Sharks and Minnows (protecting the ball)

Setup: Minnows on one sideline with balls. One or two sharks, without balls, in the middle.

How it works: On "Go!" the minnows dribble to the other sideline while sharks try to knock balls out of bounds. Caught minnows become sharks. The last minnow wins.

Easier: Sharks walk. Harder: Minnows use their weak hand only.

Rule: Sharks go for the ball, never the player.

4. Partner Passing (passing and catching)

Setup: Partners stand 10–12 feet apart with one ball per pair.

How it works: Ten chest passes, then ten bounce passes. The receiver shows "target hands" before each pass. After five good passes in a row, both partners take a step back.

Easier: Move closer, or use a two-hand underhand toss. Harder: Pass while sliding sideways down the court.

Cues: "Step toward your target." "Thumbs finish down." "Bounce it two-thirds of the way."

5. Monkey in the Middle (passing decisions)

Setup: Groups of three. Two passers about 12 feet apart, one defender in the middle.

How it works: Passers can pivot but not dribble. They use fakes and bounce passes to get the ball past the defender. If the defender touches a pass, the passer goes in the middle. Swap at least every 60 seconds so nobody gets stuck.

Easier: The defender keeps their hands behind their back. Harder: Passers must pass within three seconds.

6. Cone Layup Footwork (layups)

Setup: Two spots or cones on the floor leading to the basket at an angle.

How it works: First without a ball: step on spot one, step on spot two, then jump with the knee up. Then do it holding a ball. Then add one dribble before the steps. On the right side, the rhythm is "Right, Left, UP."

Easier: Walk through the steps. Harder: Start with two or three dribbles at jogging speed.

Cue: "Jump up, not forward." Aim for the top corner of the backboard square.

7. Knockout, Keep-Playing Version (shooting)

Setup: One line at the free-throw line, or closer for younger players. The first two players have balls.

How it works: Shoot. If you miss, rebound and score fast. If the player behind you scores first, you're "knocked out." Instead of sitting down, make two layups on a side hoop and rejoin the line. Everyone keeps shooting.

Easier: Move the line closer. Harder: Shoot from farther out.

Why this version: Classic Knockout eliminates the kids who need the most practice first. This version keeps them shooting.

8. Mirror Drill (defensive footwork)

Setup: Partners face each other three to four feet apart.

How it works: The leader slides left and right. The defender mirrors them and stays square. After 20 seconds, switch.

Easier: The leader moves slowly. Harder: The leader can also move forward and back.

Cue: "Watch the hips, not the ball." Hips tell you where a player is going.

How to put drills into a practice

Don't run all eight in one day. A good 60-minute practice for this age uses three or four drills around a single skill, plus a warm-up, a water break and a fun finishing game. For example, a dribbling day might be warm-up, Red Light Green Light, Dribble Tag, water, then Sharks and Minnows to finish.

A few things that help any drill:

• Keep groups small. Three kids per line, maximum.
• Demonstrate once, then play. Correct while they move.
• Stop while it's still fun. Ending a drill a minute early keeps energy up.

Get these as printable drill cards

All eight drills, plus twelve more, are in the First Season Basketball Kit as printable cards, four per page, with setup, coaching points and easier and harder versions. The kit also includes 10 practices that tell you which drills to run each week, fair-minutes rotation sheets and parent messages, for $14.

Not ready to buy? Grab the free sample with four drill cards and a complete first practice.

Supervise all drills, pair players of similar size for contact drills, and follow your league's rules. See our safety notes.