Box Out Basketball Drills: How to Box Out in Basketball

Boxing out refers to the protective rebounding position a basketball player takes around the hoop to block an opposing player. Box out drills will prepare young players to visually deduce how a missed shot will bounce off the rim or backboard. Repetition of these kinds of basketball drills, especially at the youth basketball level, teaches players court awareness and body position. These important aspects of gameplay can not only improve the odds for ball possession, but they will also translate to other basketball skills, like dribbling and passing.

Basketball is a physical sport, and officiating personnel judge the level of legal contact. Physical contact with your opponent is necessary to perform an effective box out. However, this contact cannot be aggressive. To avoid a foul while boxing out, you can stand your ground in a low, athletic stance with the player sealed to your back. You can extend your arms outward to increase the amount of space you can defend, but you should refrain from hooking your arms backward or grabbing the opposing player with your hands. If you are in a stable box out position and your opponent tries to jump on you or over you to grab the ball, there is a chance that this player will draw an “over the back” call from the referee, who will award your team possession of the ball.

Consider practicing these three boxout drills to improve your rebounding and defensive rotations:

1. 1. Box out from a man-to-man defense: You can run this drill with an even number of players on both sides. The coach or other designated shooter will shoot the ball with the intent of missing the basket. Each player jockeys for position around the other players, giving them the best chance of rebounding the ball.
2. 2. Box out from a zone defense: This drill levels up the complexity of the man-to-man box out drill. A zone defense rotates from sideline to sideline to pressure the position of the ball handler. In this defensive rotation, the weak-side defenders take up positions to assist their teammates in the post. After a player shoots the ball, every other player must find an opponent to box out; therefore, this drill improves communication and floor awareness.
3. 3. Box out for a free throw: This drill is the most simplified box out variation, but it is still important to practice so that all players understand their roles. The free-throw shooter takes their place behind the free-throw line and attempts two shots (such as they would after a foul occurs on a shot attempt). The first free throw shot is a dead ball, but the second shot is available for a rebound. One of the defenders should box out the shooter once the ball makes contact with the basket. All other players can attempt to box one another out to access the ball.

Basketball rebounding is an important skill to learn on both ends of the court—that is, whether you are playing offense or defense. An offensive player can beat out defensive players and attain possession of a missed shot from a teammate. If a power forward or other post player receives the offensive rebound, they might have a second shot opportunity or an easy layup. These second-chance possessions can pay dividends throughout the game, and the team with more offensive rebounds has a distinct scoring advantage.

At each level of play between high school and the NBA, shooters increase their three-point field goal percentages exponentially. To combat this higher shooting accuracy, defensive players must close out and contest the perimeter shot. A defender can transition from this closeout to a box out position to seal off the shooter from gaining access to the ball on a long rebound. Strong defensive rebounding will limit second-chance possessions for the opposing team and allow the defensive team to score in a fast-break transition.

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