5-man, continuous fast-break drill From Jerry White, Hampton High School, Tennessee

Reasons for running the “continuous” break

1. Excellent for shooting layups at full speed.
2. Excellent for passing as chest, bounce and baseball passes are required.
3. Excellent for conditioning.

Rules and rotation of players

1. Shooter goes back to the half court line on the same side they shot from.
2. Rebounder goes to half court line on the side they pass the ball to.
3. The player that passes to the shooter pivots in the corner, sprints down sideline and shoots at opposite basket.
4. The shooter should always use the backboard.
5. The players returning to half court should run back and touch the line with their foot.
6. No fumbled passes.
7. The ball should touch the floor only when bounced to the shooter.

*This is diagrammed for a right-hand layup. It can be run on either side. Just start 3 players on shooting side with 2 players on opposite side.

DIAGRAM 1: The drill starts with an alignment of three players on the right side and two players on left side. 1 has the ball, 2 breaks to the free-throw line and receives a chest pass from 1. 1 will receive bounce pass from 2 and shoot a layup. 3 rebounds while not letting the ball hit the floor.

DIAGRAM 2: After a bounce pass, 2 pivots in the corner, sprints down the sideline behind 4 and shoots a layup at the opposite basket. 3 makes a baseball pass to 4 and goes to that side while 1 returns to the side they shot from.

DIAGRAM 3: After receiving a pass from 3, 4 throws a chest pass to 5, who throws bounce pass to 2, who shoots a layup.

DIAGRAM 4: After bounce passing to 2, 5 pivots in the corner, sprints down the sideline behind 1 and becomes the next shooter. 4 rebounds, throws a baseball pass to 1 and goes to the side that he passed to. 2 then returns to the side that he shot from.

Continuity continues

We’ve run this break at the start of practice for a warm-up drill and at the end of practice for conditioning. Sometimes we give players 2 minutes to make a certain number of shots. Sometimes we give players a certain number to make in a row.