Screening Drill
This drill’s teaches players how to properly screen a player with possession of the ball by emphasizing the need to control the ball carrier’s front wheel and to not get beat. It also helps teach the ball carrier how to out maneuver a screener and to deal with stop and go play without t-boning the screener, all super important skills!
This drill is sans ball to help players focus on the bike handling skills needed to execute a proper screen**. After they master the bike handling needed in screening, the ball is added to give additional challenge and real play scenario.
To practice this drill, have one player act as the “ball carrier” (but without a ball) and the other act as the screener. Set up some cones about half court away, the “ball carrier” is going to try to get to these cones while the screener is going to try to prevent them from reaching the cones by blocking their path. Have the screener tripod in front of the “ball carrier”, their back wheel should be positioned in front of the ball carrier’s front wheel with only a few feet between them to start.
On “ready, go!” the “ball carrier” tried to get around the screener while the screener tries to prevent them from getting past and to the cones. The drill ends when the “ball carrier” gets to the cones. If the “ball carrier” t-bones the screener or crashes into them, they must return to the starting line and begin again.
Once this drill starts feeling easier, add a ball to up the challenge, boom! Repeat, practice, become a master!
Tips and tricks:
“Ball carrier” - remember to use the whole court. Don’t just ride in a straight line up court and towards the cones, you can circle back (“reset”) towards the starting line to try to get the screener out of position or just to give yourself more maneuvering room.
Screener - stay in front of the ball carrier and face the same direction as them.
Remember that screening the ball carrier is about getting in tight on their front wheel so you can control where they ride. If they run into you and dab, that is their fault not yours, and technically would be a t-bone foul on them.
When you can, keep both hands on your handle bars so you can get out of the saddle to pedal faster and for better bike control.
Coaches - it might be worthwhile doing a demo of this drill with some experienced players before having newer players try it. Make sure to go over the rules of t-boning, obstruction, etc., so they have context for the drill.
Give feedback after each time the players run this drill to help them improve their technique. Give live feedback as the drills going on, encouraging the “ball carrier” to reset if they get stuck (getting them to think about the whole court and not just moving straight up court), encourage both to get out of the saddle, etc.
**A couple things to refresh your memory about legal screening… You can only actively screen or block the path of the player who has the ball, if you purposely block the path of another player and they don’t have the ball, that’s called obstruction and is a foul. There’s more to obstruction then there’s room to explain here (like momentary stationary screen, etc) but you can go read more on obstruction, here.