Fun Games to Play at Basketball Practice

Games for a youth practice, sorted by the skill they train: press Pick 3 new games for three with steps.

Fun Games to Play at Basketball Practice

  1. Copycat Line Behind the Leader1. The team forms one line behind a leader, a ball each. 2. The leader dribbles anywhere on the court or the driveway and changes something every few steps: hand, height, speed, a skip. 3. Everyone behind copies as the change reaches them. 4. On the whistle the leader peels off to the back, and the next player leads. 5. Go until everyone has led once. Back in: a player who loses the ball joins the line again at the back. Ages: 5 to 12. Players: 3 to 15. Time: 5 min. You need: a ball each.
  2. Wall Pass Count in Thirty Seconds1. Each player, or each pair taking turns, stands three steps from a wall. 2. On go, chest-pass the ball against the wall and catch it as many times as you can in thirty seconds. 3. Only clean catches count. 4. Write the number down. 5. Second round with a step back, third with one-hand push passes; add up the three. Back in: everyone plays all three rounds. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 1 to 12. Time: 5 min. You need: a ball each or a ball for every pair, and a solid wall.
  3. Around the Key, Nobody Out1. Mark seven spots around the lane, from one block around to the other. 2. In threes at a basket, players shoot in turn from the first spot. 3. A make moves you on one spot; a miss leaves you where you are until your next turn. 4. First player around all seven wins the basket. Many gyms call this Around the World and add their own penalties for a miss; this version has none. Move the spots in a step for ages 8 to 10. Back in: there is no out; a miss costs only the turn. Ages: 8 to 14. Players: 2 to 12. Time: 10 min. You need: one ball and one hoop for every three players, floor spots or tape.

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How it works

These fun games to play at basketball practice are for a volunteer coach with a ball for each child and at least half a court. Each one says how a player who is out gets back in.

Read the full guide

Pick by skill, then by age

The All games menu sorts the list by what a game trains: dribbling, shooting, passing, defense and footwork. More filters, its last entry, holds Youngest player: Age 5 keeps the games a five-year-old can follow, such as Coach Says, With a Live Dribble.

When the baskets are up

No hoop needed under More filters keeps every game that works in a gym with the baskets raised, on a driveway or against a wall. All the dribbling and passing games are among them.

Tips
  • The names are the ones coaches use, and rules change from gym to gym. Agree yours before the first whistle.
  • End on a team total, as Layup Count, Team Record in Two Minutes does: next week's number to beat.

Questions and answers

What are good basketball games for 5 to 7 year olds?

Stoplight Dribble to Half Court, Cone Garden: Knock Down, Stand Up and Coach Says, With a Live Dribble need no hoop and no shooting. Under More filters, choose Age 5 to see every game rated for that age.

How do you play knockout in basketball?

Players line up at the free-throw line with two balls. Each shoots until the ball goes in, and you are knocked out if the player behind you scores first. Here a knocked-out player makes five wall passes with a spare ball and rejoins the line.

What basketball games can you play without a hoop?

Every dribbling and passing game here, and the ones under Ball-handling games for a driveway or a wall, such as Wall Pass Count in Thirty Seconds. Under More filters, choose No hoop needed to see them together.

What is a good game to end basketball practice?

Choose Whole-team games for the last ten minutes. Call a Number, Race to the Ball puts two players on court while both teams cheer, and Three on Three, Winners Stay gives every team several short games.

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All 36 games

Dribbling games, a ball each 6

  • Coach Says, With a Live Dribble 1. Players spread out with a ball each and start dribbling. 2. The coach calls moves: switch hands, dribble low, go down on one knee, turn in a circle. 3. Do it only when the call starts with Coach says. 4. A player who moves on a bare call, or who stops the dribble, crosses to the far sideline. 5. Speed up the calls as the group gets better. Back in: five crossovers on the far sideline, then rejoin on the next call. Ages: 5 to 10. Players: 3 to 16. Time: 5 min. You need: a ball each.
  • Cone Garden: Knock Down, Stand Up 1. Scatter twenty cones over half the court, half of them lying down. 2. Split into two teams, everyone dribbling. 3. One team knocks standing cones over with a free hand; the other stands fallen cones up. 4. Nobody stops dribbling to touch a cone. 5. Whistle at one minute, count standing and fallen cones, then swap jobs. Back in: a player who loses the ball fetches it and carries on; no one is out. Ages: 5 to 12. Players: 4 to 16. Time: 6 min. You need: a ball each and about twenty cones.
  • Dribble Knockout Inside the Arc 1. Everyone dribbles inside the three-point arc. 2. While keeping your own dribble alive, tap other balls out of the arc with your free hand; the ball is the only target. 3. A player whose ball leaves the arc is out for one lap. 4. When half the players are left, shrink the space to the lane. 5. Play to the last two, then start again. Back in: dribble one lap around the outside of the arc and step back in. Ages: 8 to 14. Players: 5 to 16. Time: 8 min. You need: a ball each.
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Dribbling games, a ball each, continued

  • Dribble Minnows Across the Court 1. Two sharks stand in the middle of the court without a ball. 2. The minnows line up on one baseline with a ball each and dribble to the other on the whistle. 3. Sharks poke balls away, touching the ball and never the player. 4. A minnow whose ball is knocked out of bounds puts it on the rack and becomes a shark. 5. The last two minnows start as the sharks of the next round. Back in: a caught minnow keeps playing as a shark, so nobody stands and watches. Ages: 6 to 12. Players: 6 to 16. Time: 8 min. You need: a ball each.
  • Dribble Tag, Two Taggers 1. Everyone has a ball and stays inside the half court. 2. Two taggers dribble too, and tag with the free hand, a light touch on the shoulder or back. 3. A player who is tagged, or who loses the ball out of the lines, goes to the sideline. 4. Swap the taggers every minute. Back in: ten pound dribbles on the sideline with the weaker hand, then straight back into the game. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 5 to 16. Time: 6 min. You need: a ball each.
  • Stoplight Dribble to Half Court 1. Players line up on the baseline with a ball each; the coach stands at half court with their back turned. 2. Green means a speed dribble, yellow a walking dribble with the weaker hand, red a stop with the ball still bouncing. 3. On red the coach turns around; anyone still traveling forward or holding the ball takes five steps back. 4. First to half court calls the colors next. Back in: nobody leaves the court; five steps back is the whole penalty. Ages: 5 to 10. Players: 4 to 16. Time: 6 min. You need: a ball each.

Shooting games 6

  • Around the Key, Nobody Out 1. Mark seven spots around the lane, from one block around to the other. 2. In threes at a basket, players shoot in turn from the first spot. 3. A make moves you on one spot; a miss leaves you where you are until your next turn. 4. First player around all seven wins the basket. Many gyms call this Around the World and add their own penalties for a miss; this version has none. Move the spots in a step for ages 8 to 10. Back in: there is no out; a miss costs only the turn. Ages: 8 to 14. Players: 2 to 12. Time: 10 min. You need: one ball and one hoop for every three players, floor spots or tape.
  • Beat the Coach to Ten 1. The team lines up at one spot the coach picks, close enough that most shots go in. 2. Each player shoots once and goes to the back. 3. A make is one point for the team. A miss is two points for the coach, who never touches a ball. 4. First to ten wins. 5. If the team wins, it picks a harder spot; if the coach wins, the coach picks an easier one. Back in: nobody is out, and a player who misses is back at the front within a minute. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 4 to 15. Time: 6 min. You need: two balls and one hoop.
  • Knockout From the Free-Throw Line 1. Everyone lines up at the free-throw line; the first two players hold the balls. 2. The first player shoots, then the second. After a miss you chase the ball and shoot from anywhere until it goes in. 3. If the player behind you scores before you do, you are knocked out. 4. When you score, pass to the next person in line and go to the back. Coaches also call this game Lightning or Bump, and house rules differ from gym to gym. For ages 8 to 10, shoot from the middle of the lane. Back in: a knocked-out player makes five wall passes with the spare ball and rejoins the back of the line. Ages: 8 to 14. Players: 4 to 12. Time: 10 min. You need: two balls for the line, a spare ball, one hoop and a wall.
  • Layup Count, Team Record in Two Minutes 1. Two lines at half court, one on each side, with the balls in the right-hand line. 2. The first player dribbles in for a layup; the first player of the other line rebounds and passes to the next shooter. 3. Shooter and rebounder change lines. 4. Count every make aloud for two minutes and write the total on the whiteboard. 5. Switch to the left side and try to beat it. Back in: a missed layup still counts as a turn; rejoin the other line and go again. Ages: 8 to 14. Players: 6 to 16. Time: 6 min. You need: three balls and one hoop.
  • P-I-G Before H-O-R-S-E 1. In threes at a basket, agree an order. 2. The first shooter calls a shot, such as left hand off the backboard, and takes it. 3. If it goes in, each player after must make the same shot or take a letter. If it misses, the next player calls a new shot and nobody takes a letter. 4. Three letters spell P-I-G, and that player is out of the round. The long game spells H-O-R-S-E; the short word keeps turns quick at a practice. Back in: the player who spells the word rebounds for one round, then starts the next round with a clean sheet. Ages: 8 to 14. Players: 2 to 9. Time: 10 min. You need: one ball and one hoop for every three players.
  • Team Twenty-One From Three Spots 1. Split into teams of three or four, one team to a basket if you have two, or side by side at one. 2. Each team lines up behind its first spot, an elbow of the lane. 3. A made shot from the spot scores two; the shooter rebounds and a made layup adds one. 4. After everyone has shot, the team moves to the next spot. 5. First team to exactly twenty-one wins; going over sends the team back to fifteen. Back in: everyone shoots in every round, so there is nothing to come back from. Ages: 8 to 14. Players: 6 to 16. Time: 10 min. You need: one ball for each team, one or two hoops, three floor spots.

Passing games 6

  • Circle Keep-Away, Two in the Middle 1. The team makes a circle around the center circle; two defenders go inside. 2. Passers may not pass to the player next to them. 3. A defender who touches the ball trades places with the passer. 4. A pass that sails out of reach also sends its passer in. 5. Every thirty seconds, call a new rule: bounce passes only, or the weaker hand. Back in: each touch frees one defender, so the middle changes every few passes. Ages: 8 to 14. Players: 7 to 14. Time: 6 min. You need: one ball.
  • Five Passes Make a Point 1. Two teams of three to five in the half court, one ball, no baskets. 2. A team scores by completing five passes in a row, counted aloud. 3. No dribbling, and no handing the ball back to the player who passed it to you. 4. Defenders guard at arm's length and may only take the ball out of the air. 5. A dropped or stolen ball starts the other team's count at zero. Back in: all players are on court the whole time; spare players rotate in after every point. Ages: 8 to 14. Players: 6 to 12. Time: 8 min. You need: one ball and pinnies for one team.
  • Keep-Away Triangle With Bounce Passes 1. Three passers stand on a triangle of floor spots about four steps apart; one defender stands inside. 2. Passers may not move their feet off the spot, hold the ball longer than three seconds or pass over head height. 3. Bounce passes only. 4. The defender who touches the ball swaps with the passer who threw it. 5. Count the longest run of passes for each triangle. Back in: the swap is the way back: the defender becomes a passer at once. Ages: 8 to 14. Players: 4 to 16. Time: 6 min. You need: one ball and three floor spots for every four players.
  • Pass in Number Order While Everyone Moves 1. Number the players from one to however many there are. 2. Everyone jogs anywhere in the half court. 3. One passes to two, two to three, and the last player back to one, calling the receiver's name first. 4. Time one full loop. 5. Add a second ball starting at the middle number, then try to beat the first time. Back in: a missed catch is picked up by the receiver and the loop goes on. Ages: 8 to 14. Players: 5 to 15. Time: 5 min. You need: one or two balls.
  • Passing Ladder: Chest, Bounce, Overhead 1. Pairs face each other three steps apart. 2. Rung one is ten chest passes without a drop, rung two ten bounce passes, rung three ten overhead passes. 3. After each rung, both partners take one step back. 4. A dropped ball sends the pair down one rung, not to the start. 5. The first pair to finish rung three from the widest gap calls out. Back in: a drop costs one rung, and the pair plays on. Ages: 5 to 12. Players: 2 to 16. Time: 6 min. You need: one ball for every pair.
  • Star Passing, Follow Your Pass 1. Five short lines stand at the points of a star around the lane. 2. The ball starts at the top; that player passes to the line two places to the right and runs to the back of that line. 3. Each receiver does the same, so the ball draws a star. 4. Count clean catches aloud to twenty. 5. Add a second ball once the team gets there. Back in: a fumbled pass restarts the count; the players stay where they are. Ages: 8 to 14. Players: 10 to 16. Time: 6 min. You need: one or two balls and five floor spots.

Defense and footwork games 6

  • Box Out at the Center Circle 1. Put a ball on the floor in the center circle. 2. Pairs stand outside the circle, the defender with their back to a partner and facing the ball. 3. On go, the partner tries to get around and touch the ball; the defender stays between with a wide stance and arms up, no pushing and no holding. 4. Three seconds a round. 5. Swap roles; play first to three stops. Back in: the two players trade roles after each round. Ages: 9 to 14. Players: 2 to 12. Time: 5 min. You need: one ball.
  • Deflection Count in the Lane 1. Four passers stand outside the lane, one on each side; three defenders stand inside it with hands up. 2. The passers move the ball through or across the lane with bounce and chest passes, never over head height. 3. Defenders count every ball they touch aloud. 4. After thirty seconds, three passers become defenders. 5. The trio with the most touches wins. Back in: the groups rotate every thirty seconds. Ages: 9 to 14. Players: 7 to 14. Time: 6 min. You need: one ball.
  • Jump Stop and Freeze on the Whistle 1. Everyone jogs or dribbles around the court. 2. On the whistle, land on two feet at once with knees bent and the ball at the hip, and freeze. 3. The coach walks around and looks for a wobble or a step. 4. On two whistles, land and pivot a half turn. 5. Play ten whistles and count how many times the whole team was still. Back in: a player who wobbles does three pivots on the spot and is back in for the next whistle. Ages: 5 to 10. Players: 3 to 16. Time: 5 min. You need: a ball each, or none.
  • One on One From the Wing, Three Dribbles 1. Line up on the wing; the first player defends, the second attacks. 2. The defender hands the ball over, and the attacker has three dribbles and one shot. 3. A stop, a steal or a miss is a point for the defender; a basket is a point for the attacker. 4. Attacker becomes defender, defender joins the back of the line. 5. Play for five minutes; the top score picks the closing game. Back in: everyone moves from the line to attack to defense, so each turn brings you back in. Ages: 9 to 14. Players: 4 to 12. Time: 8 min. You need: one ball and one hoop.
  • Pivot and Protect for Ten Seconds 1. In pairs, one player holds a ball and plants a pivot foot. 2. The partner has ten seconds to touch the ball, reaching around but not through the holder. 3. The holder pivots and moves the ball high and low; lifting the pivot foot hands the point to the partner. 4. Count touches, then swap. 5. Fewest touches against you wins the pair. Back in: the roles swap after every ten seconds. Ages: 8 to 14. Players: 2 to 16. Time: 5 min. You need: one ball for every pair.
  • Shadow Slides Along the Sideline 1. Pairs face each other across a sideline, an arm's length apart. 2. One is the leader and slides left or right along the line, changing direction at will. 3. The shadow tries to stay in front, sliding without crossing the feet. 4. On the whistle after fifteen seconds, the leader freezes; a shadow within reach scores a point. 5. Swap roles and play to three. Back in: both partners play every round. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 2 to 16. Time: 5 min. You need: none.

Whole-team games for the last ten minutes 6

  • Call a Number, Race to the Ball 1. Two teams sit along opposite sidelines, and each player has a number that matches one on the other side. 2. A ball sits at half court. 3. The coach calls a number; those two players race to the ball. 4. Whoever gets it attacks the nearer basket, and the other defends, for one shot. 5. A basket scores two for the team and a stop scores one. Call two numbers at once for two against two. Back in: every player sits back down after one play and waits for the next call. Ages: 7 to 14. Players: 6 to 16. Time: 10 min. You need: one ball and one or two hoops.
  • Dribble Relay With a Layup Finish 1. Teams of three or four line up behind the baseline with one ball each. 2. The first player dribbles to half court, around a cone and back in for a layup. 3. Shoot until it goes in, then hand the ball to the next player. 4. The first team with everyone sitting down wins the heat. 5. Run it again with the weaker hand out and the stronger hand back. Back in: a relay has no out; a missed layup is simply shot again. Ages: 7 to 14. Players: 6 to 16. Time: 8 min. You need: one ball and one cone for each team, one hoop.
  • Five-Second Countdown Shot 1. Players line up at half court with a ball each or sharing three. 2. As each player starts to dribble, the whole team counts down aloud from five. 3. The shot has to leave the hands before zero. 4. A basket that beats the count scores one for the team. 5. Go twice through the line and try to beat the team's best total from the last practice. Back in: one shot each, then back to the end of the line. Ages: 7 to 14. Players: 4 to 15. Time: 6 min. You need: three balls and one hoop.
  • Nine-Hole Hoop Golf 1. Mark nine spots around the basket and number them like golf holes. 2. In pairs, players take turns: count how many shots it takes to score from hole one, then move on. 3. Six is the most anyone writes down for a hole. 4. Partners rebound for each other. 5. The lowest total over nine holes wins, and pairs keep their card to beat next week. Back in: nobody is out; the six-shot cap keeps every pair moving. Ages: 8 to 14. Players: 2 to 12. Time: 10 min. You need: one ball for every pair, one or two hoops, nine floor spots and score cards.
  • Three in a Row Shooting, Nine Tape Spots 1. Tape a three-by-three grid of shooting spots in front of the basket. 2. Two teams line up and take turns, one shot a turn. 3. A make from a free spot claims it with a pinnie or a cone in the team color. 4. A miss claims nothing, and the next shooter may try any free spot. 5. The first team with three in a row wins; a full grid with no line is a draw. Back in: each shooter returns to the back of the team line. Ages: 8 to 14. Players: 4 to 12. Time: 8 min. You need: two balls, one hoop, tape and markers in two colors.
  • Three on Three, Winners Stay 1. Split into teams of three. Two play in the half court; the others wait on the baseline. 2. A game is one basket. 3. The team that scores stays on and gets the ball at the top; the other team goes to the back of the line and the next team runs on. 4. A team that wins three in a row also steps off, so that nobody waits long. Playgrounds call this King of the Court. Back in: a team that loses is back on after the teams ahead of it have had one game each. Ages: 9 to 14. Players: 9 to 15. Time: 10 min. You need: one ball, one hoop and pinnies.

Ball-handling games for a driveway or a wall 6

  • Ball Trick Ladder: Waist, Knees, Figure Eight 1. Everyone stands in a space with a ball. 2. Rung one: five circles around the waist without a drop. Rung two: five around both knees. Rung three: five figure eights through the legs. Rung four: toss, clap twice, catch. 3. A drop means you start that rung again, not the ladder. 4. First to the top calls a new rung for everyone. Back in: a drop only repeats the rung. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 1 to 16. Time: 5 min. You need: a ball each.
  • Chalk Course Time Trial on the Driveway 1. Chalk a course: a zigzag of five crosses, a circle to dribble around twice, a line to dribble along backward and a finish box. 2. One player at a time runs the course while a teammate times it. 3. A lost ball costs two seconds. 4. Everyone gets a first time and one try to beat it. 5. The prize is for the biggest improvement, not the fastest lap. Back in: every player gets both runs. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 1 to 10. Time: 10 min. You need: one ball, sidewalk chalk and a stopwatch.
  • Copycat Line Behind the Leader 1. The team forms one line behind a leader, a ball each. 2. The leader dribbles anywhere on the court or the driveway and changes something every few steps: hand, height, speed, a skip. 3. Everyone behind copies as the change reaches them. 4. On the whistle the leader peels off to the back, and the next player leads. 5. Go until everyone has led once. Back in: a player who loses the ball joins the line again at the back. Ages: 5 to 12. Players: 3 to 15. Time: 5 min. You need: a ball each.
  • Eyes Up: Call the Coach's Fingers 1. Players dribble on the spot, facing the coach. 2. The coach holds up some fingers and changes the number every two seconds. 3. Players call the number aloud without stopping the dribble. 4. Next the coach holds up two hands and players call the sum. 5. Last, move in a slow circle around the coach while calling. Back in: nobody is out; a wrong call is just called again. Ages: 5 to 12. Players: 2 to 16. Time: 4 min. You need: a ball each.
  • Opposite-Hand Mirror Dribble 1. Pairs face each other two steps apart, each with a ball. 2. One leads: right hand, left hand, low, high, a crossover. 3. The partner mirrors it at once, so a leader on the right hand is matched on the partner's left. 4. Swap leaders every twenty seconds. 5. Last round, both players look at each other's eyes and never at the ball. Back in: a lost ball is fetched and the pair carries on. Ages: 7 to 14. Players: 2 to 16. Time: 5 min. You need: a ball each.
  • Wall Pass Count in Thirty Seconds 1. Each player, or each pair taking turns, stands three steps from a wall. 2. On go, chest-pass the ball against the wall and catch it as many times as you can in thirty seconds. 3. Only clean catches count. 4. Write the number down. 5. Second round with a step back, third with one-hand push passes; add up the three. Back in: everyone plays all three rounds. Ages: 6 to 14. Players: 1 to 12. Time: 5 min. You need: a ball each or a ball for every pair, and a solid wall.

How this list was compiled: Written by the Game Night Generator editors for a volunteer coach running a youth practice, in our own words; ages, player counts and minutes are our estimates. The names are the folk names coaches use, and the rules differ from gym to gym, so treat each entry as one way to play. Every entry says how a player who is out gets back in. No league, team or player is named, and nothing here is training, fitness or injury advice. The shooting games known as knockout, around the world, H-O-R-S-E, twenty-one and king of the court were checked on 2026-10-03 against https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variations_of_basketball. Licence: own work