The game of basketball has evolved over the decades. Since Dr. James Naismith threw the first soccer ball through a peach basket, the game has experienced numerous changes. Different eras have had their respective tendencies. Changes in the rules have also created new trends.
The ability to dunk the basketball altered the face of the game in the 1970s. Even though the 3-point basket was part of ABA in the 1960s, it wasn’t until Larry Bird and Magic Johnson’s rookie season in 1979 that the NBA adopted the rule. Once a fashionable trend, today the 3-point shot is an offensive weapon that riddles defenses.
Rules have changed and so have players as well. College and pro players are getting bigger, faster and stronger. This evolution of the game has created new coaching trends in basketball. Youth
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Some coaches adamantly insist that no one takes a shot until a certain number of passes have been made. Basketball fanatics will remember the locker room rant in the movie “Hoosiers”. The coach berated the team for taking any shot before there were at least four passes.
Today’s game has a new trend though. Quick, skilled dribblers operate from the point guard position. These gifted dribblers are coached to penetrate with the basketball. This often times mean dribbling their defender around in circles until they create a clear path.
If they can beat the first line of defense, they either create an opening to score themselves, or find an open player to pass to. The old strategy of passing the ball around the perimeter has given way to a new trend. Drive the basketball to the basket.
Force the Dribbler to the Baseline
The second change in coaching trends for youth players is a byproduct of the first trend. Since players are now coached to push the ball down the center of the lane towards the goal, it is a defensive strategy to force them on the