re: Middle School Basketball Rec League Offense Coaching Tips

quote:

---

is it mandatory man to man or do they allow zone defense? are you only looking for man to man offense?

---

Not mandatory but I've rarely seen a team play zone defense. And I have a good handle on that. I have twin boys, one is good and 1 is decent so just the 2 of them, I've taught them to one play point and feed the other in the middle and then pass or shoot. I think I've seen teams play zone on us twice and went back to man within 3 minutes each time.

So basically just need a simplified offense to beat man. Remembering, I'm limited to 30 minutes of practice time before a game and half the team just won't grasp full on concepts in that little time like filling gaps, etc.

quote:

---

1. have a few set plays that everyone knows and practice them religiously
2. if you stop moving you are coming out

---

We're a few levels below that though lol. Not enough practice time as I've said.

I know where I've messed up game 1(we still won by 20 lol, but the other team was really bad) is telling the kids to be active and move around, where we discussed filling gaps but weren't able to truly drill it down. That just led to 4 kids without the ball moving around aimlessly.

The ask may be impossible but I need very simple concepts but that can also keep the lesser kids somewhat involved. I don't want them to truly stand in the corner out of the way at all times.

Ideally I'd like to have my good kids creating plays then shooting or passing to any open kid, good or not. But need defined and super simple roles I can teach in what is effectively less than 30 minutes.

1-4 Flat Set

this is as easy as it gets

there is a large amount of screens and flashes out of this set

we played a team one time where the HC would just call out a kid’s name and that kid would be the screener and he would screen for the PG or a team mate

based on how the defense reacted the PG would just hit whomever was open or take the shot himself

seems easy, very tough to stop a quick and smart PG

Run the basic layup drills with a couple changes; keep the dribble with curls to push out to transition and then teach euro step. Oh yeah then they gotta be able to defend.

It's hard to run 5 out correctly with no practice time because it is very reliant on kids making on court decisions and the right ones. Reading screens, timing on fill ups, when to screen, when to cut, etc. It also tough if you have 2 guys who can't play because unless you send them back door every time on the perimeter they end up turning the ball over. The absolute easiest thing to do with kids at that age and little practice time is 4 very simple sets where you are making sure that the right kids are getting the ball in the right places. Going 4 flat with your best ball handler at the top and you best or 2nd best guy setting the ballscreen is another option. And the easiest continuity to teach is just simple flex. Trying to teach 5 out in that short of time is going to look very jumbled up, your better kids will look indecisive, and your worst kids will constantly clog up the lane taking away your driving lanes and killing your spacing. With a group like that you just need to give them specific simple direction that requires little to no decision making and gets ball to the people who need it immediately.

5 out is really difficult to run correctly. If you have guys on the perimeter that have zero shooting ability, other coaches if they pay attention at all just aren't going to extend their defense to it.

4 out 1 in Jay Wright type spacing should work well.

Take one of your non shooters that can make layups and put him at the dunkers spot.

The 2 guards at the top space to the lane line extended. The 2 wings should be FT line extended. Put tape on the floor at those 4 spots at practice. Have the 4 players that are "out" making sure they are always filling these 4 spots.

Here's a video that breaks it down.

4 out 1 in

Now you have no way of being able to get into all the actions that are in Jay Wrights offense but that spacing and the basic rules should generate good looks at that age. Also drill playing off 2 feet and pivoting. Those are 2 of the most important fundamentals of offense.

My favorite offense is the Princeton offense but that is way too complicated to put in with 12 year olds.

quote:

---

Muck it up inside the paint and install a hell of a press. Score off rebounds, fast breaks, and press points. Pi’s off other teams. Win games.

---

The coaches and parents feel really good but the players got no better. Good call.

quote:

---

The coaches and parents feel really good but the players got no better. Good call.

---

He’s got 30 min of practice, 1/3 of his team can’t dribble a ball and another third isn’t coachable.


Sometimes you just gotta work with what you’ve got…..

quote:

---

100% but those kid would be much better off working on pivoting, jump stops, and cutting than pressing and trapping. Fundamentals are under taught to our youth. Rec league and AAU are both guilty of it bc the coaches would rather win that develop.

---

I understand that. I’ve coached teams that have had one ball handler and 9 deadbeats up to all-stars.

My point in Rec is you can only do so much. You can’t really teach fundamentals in 30 min. Those kids have to a) want it and b) work in it at home. I can’t get a kid that has no desire and zero skills how to run a motion offense.

I can teach them how to hustle their asses off and play defense and create turnovers.

The kids that are good and/or want it will get their coaching chance on better teams. Unfortunately for Rec, you have to dumb it down to the lowest common denominator.

I want to edit to add this:

quote:

---

those kid would be much better off working on pivoting, jump stops, and cutting than pressing and trapping. Fundamentals are under taught to our youth.

---

I fight with this in our Rec league. We get 2 hour long practices in half a court then we start our 10 game season. The first 30 min is trying to figure each kid out.

I would much rather have 7 practices and 5 games. You can teach something in that. Even someone with no skill. Court time was at a premium so what I would do is look at the entire league schedule and if any courts were unused during the season, I would schedule a practice.

quote:

---

Way too much thinking in this thread. Not enough practice time to put in anything decent.

---

This. Maybe I didn't explain it well enough but just not enough time to install a lot of the great ideas given.

quote:

---

Muck it up inside the paint and install a hell of a press. Score off rebounds, fast breaks, and press points. Pi’s off other teams. Win games.

---

Yea, if we struggle in half court, one thing I'll try to preach for next week is run run run. The more we go in transition, the less we have to be in half court.