Level Up Basketball reported instructions for setting up the WABC obstacle dribbling drill, which requires a ballhandler to move through a series of defenders positioned within a cone channel.
According to Level Up Basketball, a single player starts with the ball at the entrance, while defenders occupy positions sequentially down the lane. The WABC Level 1 Coaching Manual specifies that the dribbling version of this drill requires a wider channel than the non-dribbling variant to give players adequate room.
Coaches must adjust the distance between stations so the ballhandler has enough space to read each defender independently. Defenders execute lateral slides across the width of the channel and must stop moving as soon as the attacker clears them. The ballhandler continues toward the next defender or the exit line marked by the final pair of cones.
As the ballhandler approaches a defender, they must scan the space on either side before making a move. If a defender slides directly into the driving path, the attacker may need to use a retreat dribble to create separation.
“If your path is blocked, keep your dribble alive while retreating and look for another opening,” Level Up Basketball said in its training guide.
The WABC Level 1 Coaching Manual classifies the retreat dribble as an integral part of the gauntlet exercise.
Once the ballhandler crosses the final pair of cones, they must return the ball by jogging along the outside channel flanking the cone rows. Meanwhile, the defenders return to their initial starting positions.
“Once the channel is clear and defenders are in position, send the next player,” Level Up Basketball outlined for the rotation.
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