Hedge & Recover

Skill drill

Defend a ball screen by hard-hedging with the big, then recovering to the roller.

10 min groups of 4 Half court

DefenseTeamworkU14U16

Read & react

groups of 4 · 1 ball, half court

Speed

Get everyone ready

● Player / attack■ DefenceGold: ball

Illustrated steps · 5 seconds per step at 1×

Set up

Ball screen at the top: ball-handler, screener, two defenders.

A coached example. In live play, players make their own decisions; the outcome can change.

Look for: Hedge with a wide stance — show, don't foul.

Playback options

Pause between chaptersIllustrated steps · 5 seconds per step at 1×

Coach’s notes & group organisation

Ball screen at the top: ball-handler, screener, two defenders.

Screener's defender steps out hard to briefly stop the ball-handler (the hedge).
On-ball defender fights over the screen.
Once the on-ball defender recovers, the big sprints back to the roller.
Contain the ball, then re-match up.

Suggested reset

Stop on a make, turnover, foul, ball out or controlled rebound. A defender retrieves and passes to the next handler; swap the attacking pair with the defending pair. After both possessions, swap handler and screener roles. Waiting pairs enter between possessions after the ball and players are reset.

Coaching cues

Hedge with a wide stance — show, don't foul.
On-ball defender must go over the top of the screen.
Big: recover to the roller as soon as the guard is back.

Adapt the challenge

Easier: Big only shows softly (a 'soft hedge') while learning.

Harder: Add a corner shooter so the guard recovers to the ball and the big recovers to the roller.

Call it live: Shout 'hedge' or 'switch' as the screen arrives so the pair must swap coverages on the fly.

What this drill teaches

An aggressive ball-screen coverage built on trust. The big jumps out to stall the ball-handler (the hedge) while the guard fights over the screen — then both sprint back to their own jobs. Two players covering three jobs only works if they talk.

In games: Gives your team a way to take the ball out of a hot guard's hands on game day — and builds the screen-defence communication habits every coverage needs.

What good looks like

Big showing wide and high without fouling or grabbing
On-ball defender going over the top, never ducking under
Big sprinting back to the roller the moment the guard recovers

U14: use a soft hedge and expect the roller to be forgotten — that's the lesson. U16: hard hedge, live play, and swapping coverages on a called 'hedge' or 'switch'.

Equipment

1 ball, half court

Setup

Ball screen at the top: ball-handler, screener, two defenders.

Steps

1Screener's defender steps out hard to briefly stop the ball-handler (the hedge).
2On-ball defender fights over the screen.
3Once the on-ball defender recovers, the big sprints back to the roller.
4Contain the ball, then re-match up.