Passing in Basketball – An in Depth Analysis
No matter how talented and capable individuals a team has got,if they don’t cooperate each other and don’t play together as a unit,the team will not achieve success consistently.Similar is the case with basketball,where individuals trusts on each others abilities.When a player believes that he is not in a position to score a goal himself, he passes the ball to his teammate for making better scoring opportunity for his team.
Importance of Passing
- Passing is an effective way to keep the ball away from the defender.
- The fastest way to advance the ball up the court.
- Creates more scoring opportunities than dribbling.
- Especially useful in a situation when ball handler is heavily guarded.
- Helpful in boosting up the morale of a team.
Basic Technique
- Place both hands on the sides of the ball and spread fingers around.
- position thumbs behind the ball.
- Keep the ball at chest high with elbows held close to the body.
- Take a step forward,extend both arms to pust the ball away from yourself and aim to guide the ball towards the teammate.
Tips and Tricks of Passing
- It is preferable to use both hands in passing but one handed pass can also be used if required.
- In passing,use fingertips not the palm of your hands.
- Look the teammate briefly towards whom you decide to throw the ball,just before making a pass.
- Select a teammate who is open and ahead of you and has a better chance of scoring.
- Aim the spot where you want your teammate to receive the ball,it is preferable to make a pass some where between the shoulders and waist level of receiver.
- Pass should travel directly,quickly, accurately and infront of the receiver.
Tips and Tricks for Receiver
Catching the ball is more difficult than throwing,if a receiver could not catch a ball then all the hard work goes in vain.Here are few tips for the receiver to improve catching:
- Always consider yourself a potential receiver.
- Make eye contact or some gesture to tell the passer that you are ready for a pass.
- Make your body relaxed and balanced while receiving a ball.
- Concentrate on the ball from the moment the passer releases it till you collect.
- Move forward and extend you hands to catch the ball,with your fingers pointing up and thumbs close to each other.
- As soon as the ball make a contact with your fingers,slightly bend yor elbows and bring them inward close to the chest.
Basic types of Passes
There are three main types of passing,as described below:
Chest Pass
Chest pass is the most effective and accurate pass,often used in open court.It takes the ball up the court faster than any other pass,as it is guided directly to a receiver in a straight line.The ball is passed from passer’s chest to the chest level of receive so it makes it easier for a receiver to handle the ball,also allows very short time for defender to anticipate.
Bounce Pass
This pass is mostly applied in tightly guarded situation.The ball is passed at ground level with great force which makes it harder for a defender to intercept and it is aimed toward the knee or waist area of the receiver.This is the slowest among all the passes and works well for short distances.
Over Head Pass
This pass is intended to get the ball over to a closely marked defender,towards the receiver.It may become difficult to execute when the defender is tall in height.
Other Variations in Passing
There are numerous further variations in passing,used according to the situation for better effect such as:
Behind the Back Pass
Passer releases the ball behind the back with the flick of the arm,towards the intended receiver.Usually applied in tightly guarded situations to make a defender confuse.
Base Ball Pass
In this pass,a similar technique is used as in base ball,the pass is made with one hand and it is effectively used to throw a ball at long distance,but accuracy may suffer.
The Push Pass
Push pass is used to get the ball through to a closely guarded defender and to take the ball quickely up the court.Ball is kept at shoulder level and pushed forcefully with the power of elbows.
The Hook Pass
In hook pass,the ball is held above the head,throwing arm is extended and the ball is released forward,especially effective for a player who is heavily guarded .
The Jump Pass
The pass is made when the passer jumps in the air,before his feet touches the surface again,usually deployed when the player is open.
Off the Dribble Pass
While dribbling the ball,player suddenly pushs the ball towards a teammate instead of bouncing the ball down to the surface again,it is known as off the dribble pass.
Blind Pass/No Look Pass
It is an extremely risky pass to execute as it is attemped without looking at the target,player looks in one direction and throws the ball in othrer direction.It is rarely used and mostly discouraged by the coaches.
Related posts
- Dribble - Explore all Aspects of Basketball Dribbling
- Offensive Tactics and Strategies in Basketball
- Basic Basketball Skills - A Practical Guide
- Defensive Strategies and Tactics in Basketball
- Types of Jump Shots in Basketball
Comments are closed.