Small-sided games have become a staple for UCLA’s Coach Cori Close. This week, I’m sharing four of Coach Close’s favorite 2v2, 3v3, and 4v4 SSGs, each designed to improve both offensive spacing and defensive awareness in your players.
2v2 Cone Handoff
After 1v1 finishing games, this would be the very next game I’d play if you ran any variation of 4-Out, 1-In offense. Learning to read help as a ballhandler and decide whether or not to finish, playing off two feet, and passing without having a deflection or steal are some of the most important skills for players learning advantage basketball. This game addresses all three of those.
4v4 Chase
When I say that SSGs can be as simple as breaking down parts of your offense and playing 3v3 or 4v4, this is exactly what I’m referring to. Especially early on, 5v5 can cause players to slow down and make poor reads simply because there are too many factors for their brains to analyze.
The solution isn’t rocket science. Remove one or two players then build back to 5v5.