General Considerations
By Brad Winters
There is really no excuse for a quality basketball team that is well coached not to be able to make sharp, crisp, and accurate basketball passes without turning the ball over.
All a coach or team needs to do to improve basketball passing skills is practice; yes quality basketball practice! No single offensive skill associated with basketball (except, perhaps, setting and reading basketball screens) is more often overlooked and under-coached than basketball passing.
As is often the case, teams can overcome poor basketball shooting nights with solid basketball defensive play (hustle, rebounding, protecting the power zone, etc.), but no amount of good team offense can compensate for silly turnovers due to sloppy/careless passing.
A team known for weak and lazy passes will most likely be pressured heavily defensively until they demonstrate and prove they can handle the pressure defense and make good passes. Sad to say, teams that can’t make good passes are doomed to failure... Below are some important basketball passing skills that should be taught and emphasized daily in your basketball drills:
 Keep the passes simple. Perhaps this can be better stated as use the pass that is most likely to get to your receiver. The most intricate, difficult pass is worthless if it can’t be controlled or doesn’t increase a team’s chances of scoring.
I’m not saying that there is no place in basketball for fancy passes. There are many cases in which simple chest passes just won’t work, and in such situations the passer is justified in throwing whatever pass he thinks will reach the receiver. However, we’ve all seen cases where players tried behind-the-back or between-the-legs passes in such situations as three-on-one fast breaks, only to throw the ball out of bounds and fail to score. In most cases, the primary purpose of passing is to advance the ball into scoring areas, and passes that cannot be controlled should not be used. The truly outstanding passer may or may not be flashy, but he seldom has passes stolen or deflected, and he can get the ball to his teammates when they’re open.
[Related: Basketball Coach Playbook]
Throw basketball passes the receiver can catch. Make good passes. Few things are more frustrating to a player than to work himself free, only to have a teammate’s pass hit him on the knee or foot or to have an inexperienced teammate dribble up to him and release a hard chest pass directly at his face from point-blank range.
An experienced player will throw soft or hard passes as the basketball play warrants. He can recognize his teammates’ weaknesses in determining the direction, speed, and type of basketball pass to be made.
A player is unlikely to catch a pass if he isn’t expecting it. Part of the responsibility is the receiver’s, of course, since he should have his hands up in preparation to receive passes, but the passer should also be aware that the goal is to deceive the opposition, not his teammates. If the receiver isn’t expecting a pass, it should not be thrown.
In passing to a stationary teammate or to one moving straight at you, you should aim the ball at the receiver’s hips. If passed to the receiver’s head, or even as high as his shoulders, the ball may be fumbled because it must be adjusted before it can be passed again. Hard passes can be handled best if passed to the area of the receiver’s waist.
In passing to a player moving diagonally across the court, you may throw the ball higher, but never throw it above his shoulders. It takes considerable practice to pass accurately to running players at different distances and speeds so that the ball will reach them at the proper point for easy and quick handling. Timing is necessary to be able to judge the speed of the player and to determine how hard the pass should be thrown.
Beginning players should watch where they’re passing the ball, but as their skills increase, they should consciously avoid watching the receiver. Don't telegraph your passes. The reason for this apparent contradiction is that a player’s first consideration is to always control the pass. Not until he can throw his passes with accuracy, regardless of the type of pass required, should he attempt deceptive passing. That is, only when he is confident in his basic skills in passing should a player pursue the advanced passing skills involved in deceptive passing.
Players should resist the temptation to make low-percentage passes. When a teammate is closely guarded, he is usually a poor target as a pass catcher; thus, the ball-handler should avoid forcing passes to him. This is a prime reason for not leaving one’s feet in making passes, since you may be forced into desperation passes in order to avoid coming down with the ball. If you can’t make the pass, don’t throw the ball. And don’t throw crosscourt passes when you have alternatives.
Basketball passing skills provide a means of equalizing shorter players with taller players. Although height can provide advantage for a player, it is not necessary for ball handling skills. Shorter basketball players who have trouble passing over taller players can use speed and deception to maneuver opponents out of position and then can pass over, under, or around their outstretched arms. Skill in basketball passing may be an added advantage for taller players, but it is a necessity for shorter players.
When a post player is also a good passer, he can control the game, taking his best shots and passing to teammates when they are open. All post players must take pride in their ability to pass the ball to open teammates. Constantly stress Ball Sureness to your post players.
Teammates always appreciate a player who will pass to them, especially when the passes lead to an open shot. If you dribble endlessly to set up your own shot or shoot practically every time you get your hands on the ball (ball hog), your teammates will likely resent your actions. On the other hand, they will never complain that you “hog the ball” when your maneuvers and fakes set them up for easy baskets. When you pass the ball to a teammate in the clear, you sacrificed your own chance of scoring and increased his chances of scoring – an act that leads to his appreciation of your unselfishness.
After passing the ball, don’t just stand there – do something. Pass and move! You can set screens for the receiver or other teammates, break to the basket for a return pass, or simply move away from the ball in order to permit the ball handler to work one-on-one. Practically the only thing you can do to hurt your team’s efforts is to stand still and watch the game.
In conclusion, teams reflect what their coach emphasizes in practice. Emphasize good basketball passing skills daily and your team will make sharp, crisp, and accurate passes.
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