Drills play
Drill: Knockout
- Court
- Half court
- Length
- 7 steps
About this play
Knockout, also called Lightning or Elimination: one line at the free throw line, two balls with the first two players. The first player shoots a free throw; the instant it leaves his hands the second player shoots his. A miss means sprinting for the rebound and scoring as fast as possible, and if the player behind you scores before you do, you are out. Last one standing wins. Why it works: it is shooting under pressure with rebounding and finishing attached, it needs no coach to run it, and kids will play it until you turn the lights off. Setup: any number of players in a single line behind the free throw line, two balls, one basket. The designer draws one ball, so the second ball is in the next player's hands in the diagram. The rules I enforce: real free throw form, no shooting early, no intentional misses for a quick put-back, and no touching the other ball. Three to five minutes a game. Mistakes: the lazy heave, players not ready for the outlet pass, and bumping the other player's ball. Progressions: shoot from the arc, return to the spot and shoot again after a miss instead of a layup, left-hand finishes, Dribble Knockout, and letting a player back in when the one who knocked him out goes out. Youth first, works for all. I got the rules and variations from Basketball For Coaches' Knockout post and the wikiHow video; read them for the full variation list.
