Shared with youvia Elite Hoops

Practice plan

European Method: Italian Defense, Shell in Five Phases

Length
120 min
Age group
Teen (13 to 18)
Level
Advanced
Season
Preseason
Contents
20 drills and 1 play

About this practice

Team defense built the Italian way: the individual prerequisites first, then the shell in five phases, then games that pay for stops. Tracing the ball with tennis balls, positioning between two attackers, the ten-minute footwork review, the close-out from help, and only then the shell, phase by phase, with look, talk, listen on every pass and the help-and-recover before the help-and-switch. Where the help stands matters more here than in the American game. With no defensive three seconds, a helper can live in the paint for a whole possession, so he had better know the spot. It ends with two stops and a break to fifteen, because a stop followed by a rushed shot gives the stop straight back. The shell in five phases and the tennis-ball work are Massimo Dima's, from the Italian federation's coaching papers; the footwork review, shrink and spread, and two stops and a break are Ettore Messina's FIBA clinic drills. Both will take you deeper.

  • Competitiveness
  • Defense
  • Passing
  • Shooting

The plan, step by step

  1. Outline Practice2 min
  2. Three-Man Chest Pass Lines5 min
  3. Walking Lunges2 min
  4. Knee Hugs1 min
  5. Defensive Slides2 min
  6. Jog and Backpedal2 min
  7. Trace the Ball8 min
  8. Two Attackers, One Defender8 min
  9. Slide, Recover, Crossover Defense10 min
  10. Closeout Drill6 min
  11. Scheduled Water Break2 min
  12. Free Throw Shooting3 min
  13. Shell in Five Phases20 min
  14. Line of Ball, Line of Pass8 min
  15. Help and Recover Drill7 min
  16. Shrink and Spread8 min
  17. Scheduled Water Break2 min
  18. Two Stops and a Break12 min
  19. Drill: Star Closeout5 min
  20. Free Throw Shooting3 min
  21. Practice Summary4 min

20 drills and 1 play120 min of drills

Keep going

More practices like this

All 55 practices

Run European Method: Italian Defense, Shell in Five Phases with your team this week.

Save it to your team, move the drills around, print it for the gym, and send it to your assistants as a link.