Objective
Sharpen fast-break decisions with numbers up while training outnumbered defenders and the instant flip to defense in the same continuous rep.
Setup
Area
Full court
Players
5 per rep (3 attackers, 2 defenders); 10–15 for continuous rotation
Equipment
1 ball, bibs to mark the waiting defensive pairs
Duration
10–15 minutes
How it works
- 1
Launch the 3v2
Three attackers start on the baseline — ball in the middle lane, runners wide on the sidelines. Two defenders wait at the far end in tandem: one at the free-throw line, one at the rim. On 'go', the trio attacks at a sprint.
- 2
Read the top defender
The ball handler attacks the free-throw-line defender at speed and reads him: if he commits to the ball, hit the wing cutting to the block; if he sags or fakes, keep going and score. One pass should beat the first defender — sideways passes above the arc walk the advantage away.
- 3
Punish the second rotation
When the deep defender rotates to the first pass, the weak-side runner cuts to the front of the rim for the second pass and the layup. Finish in three passes or fewer — the shot comes inside eight seconds of 'go'.
- 4
Flip into the 2v1
The instant the shot falls or the defense rebounds, the two defenders outlet and attack the other way. The attacker who shot (or lost the ball) sprints back as the lone retreat defender; the other two are out. The 2v1 pair works the same reads against him.
- 5
Rotate and keep score
After the 2v1, a new trio attacks the pair waiting at that end and the drill flows continuously. Score it: 2 points for a 3v2 finish, 3 for a 2v1 finish, 3 for any outnumbered stop — giving defenders a score keeps the drill honest.
Coaching points
Sprint the lanes wide and deep — spacing, not speed, is what breaks the tandem.
The ball travels the middle of the floor; a break driven up the sideline lets one defender guard two attackers at once.
In the 2v1, attack a shoulder of the defender and pass off two feet; jump-passing is the drill's most common turnover.
Demand the transition sprint from the shooter: the flip to defense is the drill's real subject, and jogging back is the one unforgivable rep.
Variations
3v2 with a chaser
A third defender starts under the offense's basket and chases the play from behind — attackers learn the advantage has a shelf life of seconds.
Outlet start
Begin each rep with a coach's missed shot: the rebounder outlets to a guard before the trio attacks, stitching defensive rebounding and the first pass into one habit loop.
Build it in Coach Board
Animate one full cycle on a Coach Board full-court board — the 3v2 sprint down, the shot, then the same tokens flipping into the 2v1 counter — as one continuous playback. Watching the shooter's token get left behind is the fastest way to sell young players on sprinting back, and the clip makes the rotation obvious before anyone steps on the floor.
Open Coach Board