Vegas Closeouts is a breakdown drill for our DOC (Dead-On-Catch) closeout mechanics. Short version: sprint, then brake into two-thirds-distance closeouts with choppy steps, both hands high, wide base on your toes—not flat-footed—while mirroring the ball on fakes and staying lower than the offensive player. Our reference: the defender’s head should always be “on the ball.” The sequence layers positioning, footwork, communication, first-dribble containment, and finish-with-a-box-out habits.

Setup & Organization

Use one half court. Place two coaches (or passers) on each wing, each with a ball. Divide the team into two lines on the baseline (one line per side). The first player from each line steps onto the floor to the low-block area on their side. This is a mirrored, two-lane drill that runs simultaneously left and right.

Step-by-Step Progression

On the first whistle, both defenders sprint from the low block to the near elbow. On the second whistle, they slide toward the middle, meet at the nail, and touch hands—this is the starting posture for the DOC closeout. On the coach’s point/cue, each defender sprints to close out to their wing coach: cover two-thirds of the distance, then break down into choppy steps with both hands high, hips down, feet wide, and chest balanced on the toes.

For 3–4 seconds, the coach on each wing gives jab steps and pass/shot fakes. The defender mirrors the ball with high hands and active feet while communicating loudly (“ball,” “shot,” “stay,” etc.), maintaining the rule that the defender’s head stays on the ball and the defender’s level is lower than the offensive player’s. The coach then takes one controllable dribble (middle or sideline). The defender slides to contain that first dribble under control (no crossovers of the feet, no reach). The coach then picks the ball up and simulates a shot; the defender snaps to a live box-out position (hit-seek-get). After the box-out, both defenders exit out to the sideline and return to the end of their baseline lines. Next pair goes immediately.

Scoring

Run in timed blocks (e.g., 3×90 seconds per side) and grade “clean reps.” A rep only counts if the defender hits all DOC standards: two-thirds closeout with choppy steps, both hands high, balanced stance on toes, mirrors fakes without leaving feet, clean first-dribble slide, and immediate box-out on the shot simulation. Compete lines head-to-head for most clean reps; any foul, fly-by, or reach negates the rep.

Coaching Points

Two-thirds distance, then brake: choppy steps, wide base, toes engaged. Hands high on the arrival; mirror the ball, don’t chase the shoulders. Stay lower than the offense; head “on the ball” as a visual cue. No lunges or leave-the-floor on fakes—close the airspace without giving up the driving edge. First dribble: push-step, slide, no crossover of the feet. Communicate early and loud through every phase. Finish every rep with contact, check, and a real box-out.

Variations

Add a real shot after the 1-dribble; make the rebound live to finish the box-out standard. Vary the distance (start at restricted-circle, block, or short corner) to stress different closeout lengths. Call “No Middle” or “No Baseline” to train angle discipline. Add a second dribble for advanced groups (contain to two slides). Swap coaches for players to scale reps. Make it a ladder: three clean reps in a row to rotate out; any miss of a DOC standard restarts the count.