3v3 One Side of the Court Drill – Elevate Your Half-Court Offensive and Defensive IQ
Purpose:
This drill emphasizes offensive spacing, driving lanes, passing options, and defensive containment in a confined half-court space. It’s excellent for improving small-sided decision-making and defensive closeouts under pressure.
Setup:
Divide the court lengthwise. Use only one half of the half-court (sideline to center line).
Place three offensive players on one side of the court (point guard, wing, and corner).
Match them up with three defenders.
A coach or another player can initiate the drill by passing the ball into the offense from the top.
Play live 3v3 within this tight boundary.
Instructions:
Offense must maintain spacing and look for effective dribble drives, passes, and kick-outs.
Defense must communicate, help, recover, and contest under tighter constraints.
Offense scores or turns it over, next group rotates in.
Add scoring incentives: 1 point for a stop, 2 for a basket, bonus for “paint touches” or “extra pass” possessions.
Full Breakdown for Coaches
Why Use the 3v3 One Side Drill
This drill compresses the floor and forces both the offense and defense to think quickly and execute precisely. By operating on one side only, players get reps in:
Navigating tight space
Executing drive-and-kick actions
Cutting and spacing under pressure
Help defense rotation and containment
It mimics late-clock or sideline-constrained scenarios and emphasizes game-realistic positioning and decision-making.
Execution Keys
Offensive Focus Points:
Maintain proper spacing, elbows and corners.
Use hard jab steps or quick ball movement to shift defenders.
Penetrate to collapse the defense, then kick or dump off.
Re-space after a pass; don’t clog the lane.
Defensive Focus Points:
Jump to the ball immediately upon a pass.
Help early on drives, but recover quickly on the kick.
Contest all shots and box out hard.
Communicate switches or stunts.
Variations to Elevate the Drill
Shot Clock Limiter: Add an 8–10 second shot clock to simulate pressure.
Touch Paint Bonus: Award extra points for possessions where the ball touches the paint.
Defensive Penalty: If defenders don’t rotate or communicate, add sprint penalties or remove a point.
Ball Screen Rule: Allow one ball screen per possession to simulate pick-and-roll defense.
Coaching Points
Teach the why: Explain why spacing tightens on one side and how it forces defenses to commit.
Film review: Record the drill and point out decisions — missed extra passes, late closeouts, or good cuts.
Encourage risks: Let players try creative finishes or dump-off passes to simulate live-game reads.
Track stats: Track touches in the paint, deflections, and stop percentages to give competitive structure.
Final Takeaway
The 3v3 One Side of the Court drill is one of the best tools for teaching the game in a small-sided, controlled environment. Players are forced to think fast, move smart, and work together to make good basketball decisions. Whether you're coaching at the youth, high school, or even college level, this drill gives valuable repetition in reading defenders, maintaining spacing, and applying defensive pressure.
It’s a game-changer for teams that want to become sharper in the half-court.
Drill it. Refine it. Win with it.
