Ice the Ball Screen

Skill drill

Defend a side ball screen by 'icing' it — forcing the ball-handler away from the screen toward the baseline.

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

A ball screen on the wing: ball-handler, screener, and two defenders.

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

Look for: On-ball: get your chest above the screen and turn the handler toward the baseline.

Playback options

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

Coach’s notes & group organisation

A ball screen on the wing: ball-handler, screener, and two defenders.

On-ball defender jumps above the screen onto the handler's inside shoulder, so the only path is down the sideline.
The big drops to contain the ball-handler forced down the sideline.
Keep the ball out of the middle.
Recover to your players once the ball is picked 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

On-ball: get your chest above the screen and turn the handler toward the baseline.
Big: drop and build a wall, don't get beaten middle.
Talk early — call 'Ice!' before the screen arrives.

Adapt the challenge

Easier: Walk the coverage with no live scoring.

Harder: Play it live and give the offence a point for any catch in the middle of the floor.

Reject the screen: Tell the ball-handler to reject the screen so the on-ball defender learns to stay above the ball.

Add the corner: Add a corner shooter so the big must contain the drive and still stunt at the kick-out.

What this drill teaches

A team answer to side ball screens. 'Icing' means the on-ball defender jumps above the screen and steers the handler away from it, down the sideline, where the dropping big waits — two defenders herding the ball out of the middle together.

In games: Stops the wing pick-and-roll carving your defence up the middle on game day — the ball gets funnelled to the sideline and baseline, where the help is already standing.

What good looks like

'Ice!' called before the screen arrives
On-ball defender's chest above the screen, turning the handler
Big dropped and walling the sideline drive, never beaten middle

U14: walk the coverage with no scoring — the positioning feels unnatural at first. U16: play it live, punish any middle catch, and add a corner shooter to stunt at.

Equipment

1 ball, half court

Setup

A ball screen on the wing: ball-handler, screener, and two defenders.

Steps

1On-ball defender jumps above the screen onto the handler's inside shoulder, so the only path is down the sideline.
2The big drops to contain the ball-handler forced down the sideline.
3Keep the ball out of the middle.
4Recover to your players once the ball is picked up.

Coaching points

On-ball: get your chest above the screen and turn the handler toward the baseline.
Big: drop and build a wall, don't get beaten middle.
Talk early — call 'Ice!' before the screen arrives.