Improve Your Passing With The Argentina Passing Drill

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Home > Coaching > Drills > Passing > Pass and Switch

Passing is a challenging skill to teach. It involves so many variables - distance, footwork, vision, balance, etc.

Argentina passing is a fun drill that goes beyond traditional two-person passing drills. This drill comes from 12 Skill Development Practice Drills From Nick LoGalbo.

Players like it because it's a whole team drill. It involves a little chaos which makes players think instead of just mindlessly passing.

Coaches will like it because you get to work on communication, footwork, and conditioning in addition to passing.

Drill Purpose (All Ages)

This drill is meant to simulate high-speed, game-like situations to help players improve passing speed and accuracy. It's also a lot of fun for players because it's fast-paced!

Note: This drill is set up for 8 players. If you have more players, use more court space.

Instructions

Each player has a partner:

1 - 2
3 - 4
5 - 6
7 - 8

Players 1 and 2 will start with a ball.
Player 1 and Player 2 will pass the ball to their right.
After passing the ball, they sprint to exchange places with their partner.

The drill should keep moving quickly, and all players will immediately pass the ball to the right, then switch with their partner. As both balls go around the court, players must sprint and beat the ball.

Points of Emphasis

Continually tell your players...

Make accurate passes.
You can mix up what type of passes you ask players to throw.
Move as quickly as possible without sacrificing form and accuracy.
When passing, step toward your receiver.
Catch, pivot, and pass without traveling. You can require players to use different types of pivots.
When catching, extend your hands and step toward the pass.
As in shooting, the ball should have backspin on it. This is accomplished by following through on every pass.

Coaching Tips:

You can spice things up and add a bit of motivation by:

Giving them a reward if they don't drop the ball after two minutes and get X number of passes completed.
Or making them run if they drop the ball.
Consider adding an additional basketball.
Use a change call. When you call change, players must immediately start passing to their left instead of their right.
Have players call out the name of the person they are passing to.
Players should make physical contact with teammates (high 5) when passing them on the court.

Make Passing A Priority!

Too many coaches leave passing to chance. They don't emphasize it and then complain when their teams pass poorly. Use Argentina Passing to prevent that from happening to your team.

Consider replacing traditional sprints with this drill. Your players will still get their conditioning in while simultaneously improving at this crucial skill.

Kill two birds with one stone!

Do you have any questions or suggestions for this drill? Let us know by leaving your comments...

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Comments

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Alan Dryburgh says:
8/13/2007 at 6:27:55 PM

What is the significance of the inwards pointing arrows in the 2nd diagram? is this where the players in question should be looking/facing or what? I don't see any suggestion of player movement and therefore presume they remain static with only the balls moving.

2 replies

Jeff says:
8/13/2007 at 6:44:02 PM

Hi Alan,

To answer your question, the solid lines signify where each player will turn and sprint to the other side (just after passing the ball). The dotted lines signify where the passes will be made. This is a fast paced drill where the balls keep moving around the rectangle and each pair of players keep sprinting across the court as the ball is passed around.

I think if you look at it again it will make sense, but it would be clearer if we added another diagram to illustrate the player movement. We just used one diagram to display lots of movement. We'll try to get another diagram drawn up tomorrow to make it clearer.

Thanks for the feedback!

Jeff

1 reply

Alan says:
8/13/2007 at 6:57:04 PM

Jeff,

Thanx for the speedy reply. You must be up late ;-) [I am writing this mid-morning of 14Aug in New Zealand].

I get it now. Maybe the extra diagram isn't necessary, maybe just another para between current para's 4 and 5 or an added sentence in para 4 along lines "The other players do the same, i.e. after their pass 6 and 5 exchange places, as do 3 and 4."

Alfred says:
8/13/2007 at 10:20:44 PM

Hi Alan,

Well, Jeff diagrams are clear, some are better with text and some are btter with diagrams.

Jeff, thanks for your time and effort. Many coaches appreciate your stuff.

Cheers

Alfred

Wim Cluytens says:
8/14/2007 at 5:14:18 AM

The drill and the drawings are clear enough.
We sometimes do what we call "the Czechian star":(some 50 years ago Spartak Prague was one of the topteams in Europe.)
It is a funny drill for teaching movement and footwork.
An even number of players around one of the circles.Two balls in the hands of two oppsite players.On a signal they give the ball to their neighbour and they change places with the oppsite player just like in the above passing drill.When moving fast in the circle they must keep their head up and try not to touch one of the other players.Always hand the ball over faster and faster (it is not a real passing drill but excellent for quick feet and movement)You can give to the left or to the right of course

Dennis Haefner says:
8/14/2007 at 8:30:51 AM

Would it be better if the players were in a big circle rather than a rectangle? That way it would be more symmetrical and everyone would have the same distance to run.

zach says:
8/14/2007 at 8:48:41 AM

Please mention that their are two balls,and that all players will paas ball to right then switch with partner.

Rommel Avila says:
8/14/2007 at 9:05:24 AM

it's fun' it's great! i'll try this to my team... thanks

Don Kelbick says:
8/14/2007 at 9:35:19 AM

It doesn't as well work in a circle. It is difficult to find your partner once you get going. Having players run an equal distance is not a priority. Life is not fair. As a matter of fact, I often put postmen in the corners so they have to run diagonally. Also, with 8 or more players we run this full court.

As we progress with conditioning and confidence, we go up to as many as 4 balls. Remember the object is for the cutters to beat the ball. Players really seem to enjoy the challenge. It has been a great conditioner without punishing the players.

Don Kelbick
Editor-BreakthroughBasketball
DonKelbickBasketball.com

wim Cluytens says:
8/14/2007 at 9:59:49 AM

Dennis:this is what I meant by putting the players around the circles on the court

amanj says:
8/18/2007 at 2:43:15 AM

dear sir :
its good drill and best drill feast time i hearing because one reselt for motivation for player to focus and speed more and concetration during work out .u can speed than more than enough to work three ball
* * * *

sylva says:
8/19/2007 at 9:47:42 AM

I know this drill very well.It´s used very often and it´s very popular in Czech republic.

nwabunwanne stephen says:
10/31/2007 at 8:37:26 AM

i love basket ball and i want to make nba please. advice me and on passing and switches that will help me.

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