Skills Checklists for Youth Players

U8 to U14 Player Skills

• Orientation, Motor Skills, Getting Open, Triple Threat
• Dribbling, Passing, Layups, Shooting, Post Play, Rebounding
• Defence, Offence
  • see Youth Defence, Youth Offence

Links below are to YouTube.

Orientation				U8	U10	U12	U14
	Player positions and roles			Y
	Court markings			Y
	Rules			Y	Y
Motor Skills				U8	U10	U12	U14
	Running forwards, backwards (sideways)			Y
	Carioca			Y
	Skipping			Y
	Change direction			Y
	Change speed			Y
	Jumping (e.g. hop, pogo, broad jump)			Y
	High knees			Y
	Jump stop
		Running		Y
		Dribbling		Y
	Ready position (athletic stance)			Y
	Pivoting (front, reverse)			Y
		Inside pivot					Y
	Stride stop (running R-L, L-R)			Y
		Off the dribble
			Inside-outside (face the basket)			Y
			Outside-inside (can pivot away)				Y
Getting open				U8	U10	U12	U14
	Straight cut to the ball				Y
	V-cut				Y
	Blast cut from the corner				Y
	Backdoor cut				Y
	L-cut						Y
Triple threat				U8	U10	U12	U14
	Stance			Y
	Pivot foot & travelling			Y
	First step (cross-step, same-side)			Y
	Pivoting
		Front		Y
		Reverse		Y
	Square up (pivot, jump stop)			Y
	Jab step			Y
	Pass fake				Y
	Shot fake					Y
		One-dribble pull-up
	Sweep (low), rip (high)				Y
	Space pivot				Y
	Tuck back				Y
	Rocker step						Y
	Read the defence				Y
Dribbling				U8	U10	U12	U14
	Stationary Maravich ballhandling			Y
	Right hand, left hand dribbling			Y
	Stationary dribbling
		Pounds
			Middle	Y
			Low	Y
			High	Y
		Crossover (low, middle, high)		Y
		V-dribble (front, side)			Y
			Combine front-side		Y
		Progressions			Y
	RH, LH, crossover
		Walk		Y
		Jog		Y
		Run		Y
	Weave dribble (one hand)			Y
	Speed dribble (right hand, left hand)			Y
		Alternating hands			Y
	Crossover change of direction			Y
	Control dribble (arm bar)			Y
	Lateral dribbling				Y
	Reverse dribble				Y
	Retreat dribble				Y
		Retreat crossover			Y
	Hesitation
		Stutter step			Y
		Stop and go			Y
		Skip hesitation					Y
	Inside-out				Y
		Inside-out crossover			Y
	Between the legs					Y
		Between the legs crossover				Y
	Behind the back					Y
	Wrap dribble						Y
	Spin dribble						Y
	Stepback dribble						Y
	Combination moves					Y
	Drag pullback						Y
Passing				U8	U10	U12	U14
	Toss and catch			Y
	Shorten a pass - step into it, step to meet it			Y
	Receiving a pass
		Ready position, show hands		Y
		Catch with two hands, two eyes		Y
	Chest pass			Y
	Bounce pass			Y
	Overhead pass			Y
	Push pass			Y
	Step around pass			Y
	Pivot and pass				Y
	Off the dribble (jump stop)			Y
	To a moving player			Y
	Backdoor pass				Y
	Baseball pass					Y
	Against pressure				Y
	Outlet pass				Y
		Catch and chin the ball			Y
		Back to the sideline, catch on the move			Y
	Kick pass					Y
	Two hands off the dribble (no stopping)					Y
	One hand off the dribble (snap pass)						Y
	Catch and pass on the move					Y
	Shovel pass						Y
	Post entry pass						Y
		Relocate
		Baseline cut
		Screen away (post split)
	Skip pass						Y
	Lob pass						Y
	High-low pass						Y
	Hook pass						Y
	Pocket pass						Y
	Behind the back pass						Y
Layups				U8	U10	U12	U14
	Form layups (e.g. no-ball footwork)			Y
	Strong hand			Y
		Protect the ball			Y
	Weak hand				Y
	Jump stop				Y
		Up fake, shoot				Y
	Give and go				Y
	Backdoor				Y
	Entry pass (V-cut, or blast cut)				Y
	Power (outside-inside footwork)					Y
	Reverse					Y
	Euro-step						Y
Shooting				U8	U10	U12	U14
	BEEF			Y
	Form shooting (e.g. partner, floor)			Y
	Spot			Y
	Spot-up off a pass
		Hop		Y
		Shooting hand behind the ball			Y
		1-2 step-in				Y
	Off the dribble
		Jump stop		Y
		1-2 step					Y
	Catch and shoot on the move
		Hop			Y
		1-2 step					Y
	One-dribble pull-up					Y
		Hop
		1-2 step					Y
	Free throw					Y
	3-point shot						Y
	Stepback shot						Y
Post Play				U8	U10	U12	U14
	Posting up						Y
	Block and tuck catch						Y
	Drop step						Y
	Front pivot face up						Y
		Turnaround shot					Y
		Up and under					Y
	Spacing on a drive						Y
Rebounding				U8	U10	U12	U14
	Toss, jump, catch, land			Y
		Off the backboard (chin it)		Y
	Pursue the ball			Y
	Tag and pursue					Y
	Box out				Y
Defence				U8	U10	U12	U14
	On-ball
		Stance (low and wide)		Y
			Stick hand to contest a shot			Y
		Maintain a gap (cushion)			Y
		Ball-you-basket		Y
			Force sideline (middle)				Y
		Footfire (hot feet)		Y
		Hip turn			Y
		Drop step			Y
		Slide		Y
		Slide and drop-step (zig-zag)			Y
		Turn the ball				Y
		Slide-run-slide				Y
		Tracing the ball		Y
		"Dead" (trace the ball)		Y
		"Shot" (contest, box out)			Y
		Loose ball		Y
		Jump to the ball			Y
		Ball up ball down				Y
		Take a charge					Y
	Off-ball
		Check-you-basket		Y
		Ball-you-check
			Gap (pistols)		Y
			Deny			Y
			Help position			Y
		Help and recover on a drive			Y
		Help and switch			Y
		Help the helper					Y
		Smash a flash				Y
		Closeout			Y
		Closeout slide			Y
	2 on 1				Y
	3 on 2				Y
	Defending on-ball screens - gap (through)					Y
		Switch				Y
	Defending off-ball screens - gap (through)					Y
		Switch				Y
	Transition (converting)
		Sprint back, pick up checks		Y
		One or more safeties					Y
	Post defence (move on a pass)						Y
	Choke and dig on the post						Y
Offence				U8	U10	U12	U14
	Spacing, floor balance			Y
	Give and go			Y
		Exit cut		Y
		Face cut, backcut			Y
	Pass-cut-fill				Y
	Backdoor cut				Y
	Blast cut from the corner				Y
	Ball reversal				Y
	Spacing on dribble penetration
		Fill behind			Y
		Baseline drive and drift				Y
	Dribble hand-off				Y
		Backcut			Y
	Drive and kick					Y
	On-ball screens					Y
		Side ballscreen				Y
		Middle ballscreen				Y
	Pass and screen away						Y
		Setting a screen					Y
		Using a screen					Y
		Curl, pop, backcut					Y
	Fast break
		Rebound, outlet or push it		Y
		2 on 1			Y
		Fill lanes			Y