Great Tips for Coaching Youth Basketball Offense

If you need help Coaching Youth Basketball Offense – you’ve come to the right place! The tips below are designed to help coaches gain a better understanding of the principles and techniques needed to run a team offense. These tips are relevant to all coaches, regardless of their level of competition or coaching experience.

There are so many offensive patterns and plays being used today that it is often confusing as to what team offense should be used. Coaches, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about here!

I am a firm believer that players must first learn the offensive skills that will be used to run their team offense. As simple as that sounds, I have seen many youth basketball coaches jump right into teaching their team offense before teaching the skills needed to run the offense. If the players are not proficient at dribbling, passing and shooting – how are they supposed to run an offense? The results are obvious.

For a youth basketball offense to be successful, it should allow the players to react to what the defense is doing. This is often called a “motion offense”. I prefer this type of offense over an offense where players are simply running rehearsed patterns.

In a “patterned offense” the players are so concerned with their designated movements that they often lose sight of their main offensive objective – which is to create scoring opportunities for themselves and their teammates.

Regardless of which concepts and strategies you use, these tips for Coaching Youth Basketball Offense will help build a solid foundation and understanding of team offense.

Again, I believe that the players should first practice and develop their individual offensive skills. Once they have a solid foundation of skills, they can be incorporated into a team offense.

Our page on youth basketball drills is filled with some valuable practice ideas to help players improve their offensive skill level.

Also, as you are reading this section, if there are any words or terms that you are not familiar with, please visit our page on over 200 basketball terms. 

I hope you enjoy these valuable tips on youth basketball offense – best of luck!

Coaching Youth Basketball Offense –
All Players

The following basketball tips should be followed by all players on offense.

• Players should put the team first. The team’s success is the main priority, not individual accomplishments.
• Players should be patient when running the team offense. They should learn to work the ball around and look for the best shot possible.
• Players should maintain proper floor spacing. They should stay spread out and pass the ball around for a good shot. This spacing makes it harder for the defense to help out, creates better passing and scoring opportunities, and enables the offense to run more smoothly.
• Players should always know where the ball is.
• Players should watch the ball, their teammates and the defense. They should react based on what is happening on the basketball court.
• Players should be in a good triple threat position facing the basket. This will allow them to either dribble, pass or shoot. Post players will often play with their back to the basket before making an offensive scoring move.
• Players should not dribble the ball too quickly. They should first look the court over for a possible pass to an open teammate.
• Players should keep their dribble alive until they are ready to pass or shoot the basketball.
• Players should cut from the weak side of the court to the strong side of the court.
• Players should make good fakes before making their cuts.
• Players should cut behind the defense, not in front of them. This makes it harder for the defense to react to the cutting player. One exception to this would be if the offensive player was using a front cut.
• Players should look for good, high percentage shots. They should shoot within their range when they are open.
• Players should use their offensive skills to execute their team offense. These would include proper dribbling, passing, cutting, screening, and shooting.

Coaching Youth Basketball Offense –
Post Players

The following basketball tips should be followed by all post players on offense.

• Players inside the foul line should cut to the open area for a pass.
• Players should time their cuts by properly communicating with their teammates. This will help keep the lane area open for passes and drives.
• Players should use their post moves for scoring opportunities.
• Players should always be ready for passes from perimeter players. These passes will come directly from the perimeter or when perimeter players are driving to the basket.
• Players should always be ready to crash the boards for an offensive rebound.

Coaching Youth Basketball Offense –
Perimeter Players

The following basketball tips should be followed by all perimeter players on offense.

• Players should be in a good triple threat position when they have the basketball. This will allow them to either dribble, pass or shoot.
• Players should look inside for their post players.
• Players should make good entry passes to their post players. The pass should be made to the post player’s extended hand.
• Players should make good fakes before passing the basketball.
• Players should only dribble the basketball when necessary. They should first look to pass the ball to an open teammate.
• Players should keep their dribble alive until they are ready to pass or shoot the basketball.
• Players should make good cuts toward the basketball for a pass. They should cut toward the ball at the proper angle so that the defense cannot steal the pass. The exception to this would be the backdoor cut in which the player cuts away from the passer and toward the basket.
• One perimeter player must stay back to prevent the opposing team from running their fast break offense. They act as a safety as their teammates go after the offensive rebound.

Once again, for some great drills to help improve a player’s overall offensive skills, please visit our page on youth basketball drills.

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I hope you found this information on Coaching Youth Basketball Offense to be helpful and informative. In order for a team offense to be successful, the basketball players must first have a solid foundation of offensive skills. Coaches that teach these skills consistently will be much more successful at running their team offense.