Florida Passing is a fundamental full-team passing and shooting drill that emphasizes cutting mechanics, crisp passing, shot fakes, and finishing under control. It is a simple drill in structure but highly effective if coached with detail and discipline, forcing players to execute at high speed without sloppiness.

Setup & Organization

Divide the team into two groups. One line starts sideline out-of-bounds at the foul line extended on one side of the court, and the other group lines up directly opposite, facing them. On the left-hand side, the first two players have balls. On the right-hand side, the first player is without a ball but the next two players have balls. The first player without a ball cuts to the foul line, after first taking two steps away to simulate taking a defender with him, then gives a clear hand target and calls the passer’s name. He catches in triple-threat, shot fakes, takes one dribble, and finishes with a layup. He rebounds his own shot and rotates to the opposite line. The passer follows his pass and becomes the next cutter.

Step-by-Step Progression

The drill runs through a series of shot variations. First, 30 makes of a shot fake into one-dribble layup. Then 30 makes of a catch-and-shoot foul line jumper. Next, players move one step further out for one-dribble pull-up jumpers starting from outside the three-point line. The final variation is catch-and-shoot threes. The team must complete each segment with 30 makes before advancing, but if they miss three shots in a row, the score resets to zero for that segment. Players rebound their own shots and rotate across to keep the drill flowing.

Scoring

The team must make 30 shots of each type without missing three in a row. A turnover (travel, walk, bad pass) also resets the score to zero. The complete drill requires 120 total makes as a team.

Coaching Points

Emphasize sharp cutting mechanics, taking the defender away before coming to the ball. Passes must be crisp, on time, and on target. Demand clear communication: passer calls the receiver’s name and receiver calls for the ball by name. Enforce disciplined shot fakes without traveling, clean footwork into every shot, and catching ready in triple threat. This drill only works if every detail is coached relentlessly.

Variations

Instead of a pass, the passer can follow and set a ball screen, creating a 2-on-0 pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop situation. Another variation is using a dribble-at to create a dribble handoff instead of a pass. Coaches can also add required finishes (reverse layups, euro steps) after the one-dribble drive segment.