21 (Shooting Game)
Score exactly 21 with free throws and put-backs.
What this drill teaches
Free throws and putbacks with a brain attached. The exact-21 rule forces players to track the score and choose what kind of shot they need — game-style arithmetic under pressure — while every miss demands a fast, controlled putback.
In games: Builds the offensive-rebound reflex — miss, chase, go straight back up — plus the score awareness older kids need in the last two minutes of a close game.
- Players sprinting to their own miss instead of watching it
- Putbacks going straight up under control, not flung
- Players doing the maths out loud near 21
U12: play to 11 and expect the bust rule to catch everyone once. U16: expect deliberate strategy — including missing a free throw on purpose.
Equipment
1 ball per hoop
Setup
Players in a line at the free-throw line, one ball.
Steps
- 1Shoot a free throw — a make is 2 points.
- 2Rebound your own shot and put it back — a make is 1 point.
- 3Keep rebounding and scoring 1-pointers until you miss.
- 4First to exactly 21 wins; go over and you drop back to 15 (or 11).
Coaching points
- Rebound your miss fast and go straight up.
- Do the maths — sometimes you want to miss the free throw!
- Play under control near the rim.
Why kids love it
The scoring twist adds strategy and drama — the comeback and 'bust' moments are gold.
Variations
Play to 11 and shoot free throws from closer.
Only the free throw counts for two — every put-back must be a power finish off two feet.
If your put-back goes in before the next player's free throw, they lose a point.