Knicks Drill (Rebounding) is a highly competitive rebounding drill designed to teach toughness, proper box-out technique, and offensive rebounding skills. It emphasizes establishing and maintaining contact, pursuing the ball aggressively, and finishing through traffic. This drill creates a physical, game-like environment that forces players to battle for every rebound.

Setup & Organization

The drill is played in a half-court setting. A coach or manager stands at the foul line with a ball. Two lines of defenders begin on the baseline, one at each block. Two lines of offensive players start at the foul-line extended on each side. On the coach’s shot, two defenders step into the paint and two offensive players step to the elbows. The ball is shot, and the drill becomes live immediately.

Step-by-Step Progression

When the shot goes up, defenders must establish early body contact with the offensive players using a forearm to the chest, pivot into them with wide shoulders and high hands, and hold that contact before turning to pursue the rebound. Offensive players fight to win inside position using swim moves, footwork, and anticipation to track the ball. If the offense secures the rebound, they have one chance to finish with a put-back shot. After the possession, the next group steps in quickly to repeat the sequence.

Scoring

Only the offense can score. Securing an offensive rebound is worth one point. Scoring on the immediate put-back attempt (or drawing a clear foul) is worth an additional point. Defenders do not score, but a successful stop occurs when they hold their box-out until the ball hits the floor at least once before collecting it. The team with the most points after two minutes of offense wins. Each team rotates between offense and defense in two-minute segments for a total of four minutes.

Coaching Points

Reinforce that defenders must establish contact first and not just chase the ball. Emphasize discipline by calling fouls tightly to prevent bad habits. Teach offensive players to attack rebounds with anticipation and aggression, using legal techniques to beat box-outs. Stress toughness, but control, to ensure the drill remains competitive and not dirty.

Variations

You can adjust the drill to a 3-on-3 version for more complexity and traffic. You can also change the location of the coach’s shot (wing, corner, or top of the key) to challenge players to read different rebound angles.