When it comes to basketball tryouts, finding fundamental basketball tryout drills is key to efficiently evaluating players and making confident team placement decisions. Time is of the essence, so you need the right tools and drills organized to ensure a smooth, successful evaluation.
Keep it simple, you don’t want to spend hours teaching new players how to run complicated drills. Stick to basic, good basketball tryout drills that will still enable you to assess your athletes’ technique and competency.
If you’re looking for a way to cut down evaluation time and manpower, use the SkillShark app. With SkillShark, you can easily score athletes on any basketball tryout drill using your smartphone or tablet and gain access to reports the same day to draft teams.
This basketball layup drill aids players in developing core ball-handling technique, hand-eye coordination, and timing in basketball.
Setup:
For this basketball tryout drill set up two lines of players on opposite ends of the basketball court further away from the net.
Executing the basketball drill:
The first player in each line starts at the top and dribbles down the court towards the basket, finishing with a layup. Players rebound their ball and head to the end of the line if they miss their shot. When players make their shots, they don’t have to go through the drill again.
2. Shuffle and Scoop Drill
Goal of this drill:
This agility basketball drill allows players to work on their ability to move laterally.
Preparation:
In this basketball drill, have 6-8 players aligned up on the left side of the court, 2 feet behind each other. Each player will go down into a squat position, chest up with feet hip-width apart.
Executing this drill:
Staying in a squat position, players are going to shuffle twice toward the right side and come down slightly with both hands on the slight scoop as if they were mimicking picking up a basketball, but keeping their chest up. Then, players will continue the shuffle and scoop down the court.
This basketball passing drill teaches players how to pass continuously while moving from a distance.
Preparation:
For this basketball tryout drill, have two players stand opposite one another and maintain a distance of approximately 12 feet apart. Players will stand at the very end of the court (furthest away from the net).
Executing this drill:
As players move down the court, they will continually throw chest passes to each other. Then, they will conclude the drill with one player making a layup. To execute the drill, it is recommended to complete six passes down the court to start. Gradually decrease the number of passes to five, four, and eventually three.
4. Around the World Drill
Goal of this basketball drill:
‘Around the World’ is a basketball shooting drill that will hold the players focusing on stance, grip, and follow-through when shooting a basket. This basketball shooting drill trains players to work on their stance, grip, and follow-through when making a shot.
Preparation:
For this basketball drill, each player should perform “Close Range Shooting” from 7 specific spots directly in front of the basketball hoop.
Executing this drill:
Each player must try to make seven straight shots in each spot before moving to the next spot. There is a target for the player to have 35 shots in a wind-on shot. After player #1 has finished the drill, paying the entire basketball drill tryout repeatedly with the next play.
This basketball shooting drill develops learning to have the proper stance, grip, and follow-through when shooting.
Set-up:
Set up 5-7 cones in a semi-circle on the court 12-15 feet away from the basket.
Executing this drill:
At the whistle, the first basketball player shoots his ball at one of the cones-either far left or far right variety-retrieves his rebound, and dribbles back to take another shot at the next cone in line. This is done for 2-3 minutes. The next in line takes a chance.
In this basketball shooting drill, players learn to use their hands, block out, and come up with the basketball.
Set-up:
In this basketball tryout drill, one offensive and one defensive player line up on each side of the rectangle’s free-throw lane. The coach stands one foot from the free-throw line.
Execution of this drill:
The coach will throw the ball up the basketball. The offensive basketball player will try to pursue the rebound while the defensive basketball player will try and deny the basketball. If the offensive basketball player gets the rebound then they can shoot for the basket. If the defensive basketball player gets the ball, it is passed back to the coach.
7. Two-Line Lay Ups Drill
Objective of this basketball drill:
This key basketball drill teaches players to get the ball over their heads, achieve proper air (while jumping), extend their arms, and snap their wrists to take this shot.
Preparation:
Divide players into two groups: one shooting line and one rebounding line.
Executing this drill:
The first shooter dribbles out and shoots the layup. As they shoot the first rebounder, they will turn and make the pass to the second shooter in line. Shooter becomes the rebounder and grabs the next shot from one of the remaining players in line. The rebounder becomes a shooter and steps into one of the empty spots in the shooter line.
8. Block Before Bounce Drill
Goal of this basketball drill:
This basketball defence drill works on defensive positioning to prevent opponent rebounds.
Preparation:
For this basketball tryout drill, four offensive players will spread around the midrange of the court. Four defensive players will start inside the key. The coach, who has possession of the basketball, will be on the free-throw line.
Executing this drill:
The coach will throw the basketball from the free-throw line. The defensive players must immediately sprint out to cover the offensive players who are looking to grab an offensive rebound.
Instead of going after the basketball, the defence attempts to block the opposing players and prevent them from getting a rebound, ultimately making the ball bounce. If the defence succeeds, the drill is over. If the offence succeeds, they can attempt to score.
Expanding Your Basketball Coaching Toolkit
Although most of our work has been with basketball drills, it’s important for coaches in all sports to take a multi-disciplined approach when it comes to evaluations and selections of basketball players. It doesn’t matter if you are a basketball coach or if you simply have an interest in learning more about basketball skills, practices, and tryouts. You can enhance how you can effectively and efficiently run basketball tryouts. Here’s a quick checklist to get started:
Basketball Tryout Format
Warm-Up: Dynamic exercises that work on agility and flexibility.
Basketball Drills: The shooting, passing, dribble, and defense of basketball players shall be tested.
Game-like scenarios: Once you have put the runners through basketball drills, stage a “real-life” game situation during tryouts.
Basketball Tryout Plan
Set Clear Objectives: Determine what skills and attributes are most important for your team.
Schedule Basketball Drills: Allocate specific times for each drill or activity, ensuring a smooth flow and minimizing downtime.
Include Evaluation Time: Build in moments for coaches to discuss and note observations about players’ performances.
Basketball Tryout Checklist
Gear ready: balls, bats, gloves, helmets, bases, etc., and any more protective gear necessary.
Drill Stations: Set up stations for each planned activity to facilitate smooth transitions.
Evaluation Forms: Prepare forms or digital tools (like SkillShark for basketball) to record player performances.
Staff Assignments: Ensure each coach or helper knows their role and what they’re evaluating.
Player Registration: Have a system in place for player check-in and information collection.
Looking For an Easier Way to Evaluate Basketball Players?
Using SkillShark, you can quickly score basketball athletes using your smartphone or tablet. Once your evaluation is complete, instantly gain access to player reports. Review player data and draft teams that same day!
SkillShark Testimonials
Explore how SkillShark has transformed careers and organizations through real-life success stories. Join our community and streamline your basketball evaluations today.
SkillShark is hugely beneficial for our athlete development, as we can easily track their progress and identify areas for growth.
Phil Jevtovic
Senior Manager – Canada Basketball
Great use for our industry. We needed something like this a long time ago.
Farida Salem
Founder of Empower Football
Skillshark provides an amazing useable format that makes things so efficient.
Dari Arrington
Pro Skills Trainer
SkillShark provides a superior solution with added video and statistical performance.
Bill Edwards
Hofstra Head Coach
SkillShark is easy to understand, easy to check in players and has a very simple user friendly interface.
Cory Trann
PA Minor Hockey — Evaluator
Data entry usually took us eight hours a day, for fifteen consecutive days. With the volume of athletes that we need to process in one event, SkillShark has probably saved me about 120 hours overall.
Jordan Draeger
Owner & Operator — Going Yard Baseball
FAQ — Basketball Player Evaluations
What is SkillShark, and how does it contribute to the assessment of players in basketball?
SkillShark is the ultimate evaluation software, designed to help coaches at the highest level evaluate and develop basketball players. It streamlines the process of evaluation, thereby providing an instant feedback report at the end of every assessment, saving coaches much precious time that would have been traditionally used to key data into spreadsheets.
Can SkillShark be used for other sports besides basketball?
Yes, SkillShark is a versatile tool suitable for evaluating athletes in various sports. While this blog focuses on basketball, SkillShark can be applied to multiple sports, making it a valuable resource for coaches across different disciplines.
Can I utulize SkillShark for coaching at different levels?
Of course, SkillShark is targeted at all levels, from beginner-level players to pros. Because of the customizable templates inside, this app will easily adapt to the coaching needs.
How do I start using SkillShark?
It’s never been simpler to get started with SkillShark. You can request a free demo to understand in detail how the app works and whether it would come up to par with what you expect from it as a coach.
There is no binding commitment to trying out SkillShark, nor will the demo leave you with any judgment about the features and benefits that SkillShark has to offer.
Request a free demo today.
What are the main features of SkillShark for basketball evaluations?
• Customize evaluation templates
• Score athletes on your mobile device
• Instantly access player data
• Provide player report cards
• Compare & rank players
• Draft teams on the app
Can SkillShark be used for basketball evaluations at different skill levels, including youth players?
Yes, SkillShark can be used for basketball evaluations across various skill levels, from youth players to professionals. Coaches are able to modify the assessment criteria and templates according to the developmental stage of their players.
If you have any more questions or need more information, feel free to reach out to SkillShark’s support team for help at support@skillshark.com
How do you measure basketball performance?
You can measure basketball players on skills such as:
• Defense
• Dribbling
• Passing
• Rebounding
• Shooting
What are some basketball tryout tips to consider?
1. Choose basketball tryout drills 2-3 weeks ahead of time.
2. Select evaluators 1 week before and communicate with them (i.e., run through the drills and explain what they should look for at each station they are evaluating).
3. Focus on positive relationships. Aside from coaching basketball tryouts, take the time to get to know athletes and provide verbal tips for improvement when you can.
Where can I find a basketball tryout template?
SkillShark offers a free printable
basketball tryout template. All you have to do is download and print, then you are ready to evaluate!
While we do offer a basketball evaluation form, we do recommend checking out the
SkillShark app, removing pen-and-paper evaluations.
What is included in a basketball practice plan?
A well-structured basketball practice plan ensures you make the most out of your available time.
1) Set clear objectives of what you want to accomplish.
2) Schedule the necessary basketball drills & game scenarios.
3) Include time to properly take notes and provide verbal feedback during practice.
Brenton Barker
Brenton Barker: Former Professional Sports Coach/Manager //
Brenton is an Australian with 20 years of experience working with professional athletes. These athletes have combined to win more than ten international events. He holds a Degree in Sports Coaching and was the former Head Advisor to the Japanese Government Sports Institute.