1. Bounce pass
When to use:
At the end of a fast break, when passing to a player in the post, or to a player making a backdoor cut.
Most effective when it begins with a shot fake or pass fake up high.
To pass under the hands of a defender whose hands are up.
It's the slowest of all passes. Never throw a cross-court bounce pass because the pass is easily intercepted.
How to execute:
Passer should aim to bounce the ball about 2/3 the distance between himself and the receiver. For a visual aid, place a piece of tape on the spot where the pass should bounce.
Receiver should catch the ball at the waist.
Pass should be pushed outward, not thrown down.
Pass should start at the waist with arms extending out toward the spot where the ball should bounce.
Pass should never begin from the chest or overhead. This causes the ball to bounce too high.
Hands should follow through about waist high.
2. One-hand push pass
When to use:
To pass under the arms of players or past a defender who is guarding closely.
It can be a direct pass or a bounce pass.
It works best when the passer fakes high and then passes low.
How to execute:
Just like a regular bounce pass, the passer should aim to bounce the ball about 2/3 the distance between herself and her partner.
The partner should receive the ball in the waist area.
The pass should be pushed outward, not thrown down.
To teach this pass, a player needs to have an obstacle to step around. I suggest using a cone or something small at first, which is placed about two feet from the passer directly in between the passer and the receiver.
If passing on the left side of the body, the left hand is used to pass. If passing on the right side, use the right hand.
Crossover step - Passer steps around the obstacle with the foot opposite the passing hand to protect the pass with the body. The ball is passed around the obstacle to her partner.
Side step - A quick push pass can also be done with a short side step using the same foot as the passing hand. The short step creates enough distance for a safe passing lane.
The problem most young kids have is being strong enough to throw this pass with one hand, especially using the non-dominant hand. Don't worry if the pass is weak at first. It's a new skill that will improve with time.
