--- title: "11-Man Drill: Continuous 3-on-2 Fast Break" description: "The 11-man drill is a continuous full-court 3-on-2 fast-break and conditioning drill: two defenders stop the break, outlet, and a new trio attacks back nonstop." url: "https://coachboard.app/library/basketball/11-man-drill" sport: "Basketball" category: "Drill" level: "intermediate" dateModified: "2026-07-09" --- # 11-Man Drill — Basketball Drill The 11-man drill (often written 'eleven man') is a classic full-court transition and conditioning drill that keeps three attackers running at two defenders in an unbroken loop. The name comes from the staffing: three attack, two defend at each basket, and wing players wait on both sidelines, so the instant one break ends another launches the other way — eleven bodies keep the machine turning. It is really two drills fused into one. Offensively it rehearses the 3-on-2 break — wide lanes, ball in the middle, attacking the front defender and reading his commitment. Defensively it drills the tandem stop and the outlet that starts the next break. And because nobody truly rests, it doubles as the day's conditioning without a single sprint that isn't also a decision. ## Objective Train the 3-on-2 fast break, the tandem defensive stop, and the instant outlet in one continuous full-court loop that conditions the whole team as it teaches transition both ways. ## Setup - **Area:** Full court - **Players:** 11 (3 attackers, 2 defenders at each basket, 4 wings on the sidelines) - **Equipment:** 1 ball, bibs to mark the two defensive pairs - **Duration:** 4–6 minutes continuous, then rest - **Level:** intermediate (U12+) ## How it works 1. **Set the eleven positions** — Place two defenders at each basket and one wing player on each sideline near both ends — eight players stationed — then start a group of three on a baseline with the ball. Three attack, two defend, and everyone else waits to fill in. 2. **Attack the 3-on-2** — The three attack the far basket's two defenders as a standard fast break: ball in the middle lane, two runners filling the wings wide, reading the front defender and finishing in three passes or fewer. 3. **Stop and outlet instantly** — When the defense stops the break or the ball comes off the rim, the rebounder outlets to the nearest sideline wing and the ball is pushed straight back the other way — no walking it up, the outlet is immediate. 4. **Build the new break of three** — The two sideline wings at that end release on the outlet and the rebounder fills the middle lane, forming a fresh trio that now attacks the two defenders waiting at the opposite basket. 5. **Rotate offense into defense** — Two of the three players who just attacked stay at that basket to become its new defenders; the third peels off to a sideline wing spot. The loop repeats end to end, so every player cycles through attacking, defending and outletting. 6. **Run to time or a make target** — Go for a fixed block — four to six minutes is plenty — or to a target number of clean 3-on-2 finishes. Require a made basket or a genuine defensive stop before the ball can turn the other way, which keeps the reps honest. ## Coaching points - Fill the lanes wide and sprint — the drill only conditions and teaches if the three run a true fast break instead of jogging into a half-court set. - Outlet the instant you secure the ball; a slow outlet lets the retreating defense set and turns a fast-break drill into a walk-up. - Keep the ball in the middle third on the break so one defender cannot guard two attackers up a sideline. - Talk on every change of possession — the two players staying back must call who has the ball and who takes the rim before the next break arrives. - Because rest is minimal, hold finishing standards under fatigue; sloppy late layups are the reps worth stopping to correct. ## Variations - **Pressure the outlet** — Add a rule that the trailing attacker must sprint back to pressure the outlet pass, sharpening both the outlet under pressure and the transition-defense mindset in the same rep. - **Score to win** — Award points for 3-on-2 finishes and for defensive stops and run to a target total, turning the conditioning loop into a competitive game with a scoreboard. - **3-on-2 into 2-on-1** — After each break, only two defenders release, forcing a 2-on-1 counter on the way back and layering a second numbers situation onto the loop. ## Build it in Coach Board Set eleven tokens on a Coach Board full court — two defenders at each end, four wings on the sidelines, three on the ball — and animate one full cycle: the 3-on-2 down, the outlet to a wing, and the new trio forming and attacking back. Watching the tokens rotate from attack to defense to wing makes the confusing rotation click, and you can share the clip so players know where to be before the whistle. ## FAQ ### Why is it called the 11-man drill? Because it takes eleven players to run continuously: three attackers, two defenders at each basket, and four wing or outlet players stationed on the sidelines to fill in. With everyone positioned, a fresh 3-on-2 break launches the other way the instant one ends, which is what lets the drill flow without stopping. ### What does the 11-man drill teach? It combines the 3-on-2 fast break, the tandem defensive stop, and the outlet pass that starts the next break, all under real fatigue. Attackers learn to run wide lanes and read the front defender; defenders learn to protect the rim two-against-three and rebound-and-outlet, so it develops transition on both ends at once. ### How long should you run the 11-man drill? Four to six continuous minutes is typical, or a set number of clean fast-break finishes. Because there is almost no rest built in, it works as the day's conditioning as well as a transition drill, so most coaches run one hard block rather than dragging it out until the quality drops off. ## Related - https://coachboard.app/library/basketball/transition-3v2-2v1-drill.md - https://coachboard.app/library/basketball/17s-conditioning-drill.md - https://coachboard.app/library/basketball/3-man-weave.md - https://coachboard.app/library/basketball/4-corner-passing-drill.md --- Animate and share this drill with your team: https://my.coachboard.app