Drills play
Drill: Taking a Charge
- Court
- Half court
- Length
- 5 steps
About this play
Players will not take a charge in a game until the fear of the fall is gone, which is why this drill exists. Setup: a line of offense on the right wing with a ball, one defender at a time starting on the help side under the rim, a floor mat on the low lane outside the restricted arc, and a manager behind to catch the faller; a blocking pad for youth. The wing drives to the rim; the defender steps across into the driving lane and is set before contact, both feet planted, wide stance, forearm across his chest, hands up. On contact he falls straight back, lands on his seat first, rolls to his back with his feet up, and yells. He pops up. Two rules keep it safe and keep it fun: the driver jump-stops into the contact instead of running through it, and when the charge is a clean one the whole gym celebrates the call out loud, so the player who just hit the floor hears that it counted. Three charges each, then rotate. Common mistakes: sliding into the drive late, falling sideways with a turned hip, and hands behind the body. Progression: Kelvin Sampson's version adds a loose ball to dive on and a layup pass after the charge. High school; youth at half speed with the mat. I learned it from Coach's Clipboard's take-the-charge drill and Sampson's charge drill on Breakthrough Basketball; start there for the hustle version.
