Court time

[Moth]

Do you guys spread out the court time evenly amongst all players

in ABA, no we don't its plain and simple, if you cant do what we need you to do, you dont play ( of course everyone gets oppotunitys though...)

I coach the ABA development team (youth league, under 23 etc) and i split the time evenly in that( except at pg, one kid usually plays 25-30 mins with a youngster getting 10-15 mins behind him), its a development team

[SLICE23]

It doesnt matter what age group and i stress that point !!! you get your best performing 5 on and maybe go to 8 players this is at any elite level.Domestic well different story.

[Skindog the Hawk]

Do you guys spread out the court time evenly amongst all players

We try (as much as possible) to share the court time out in my Div.4 team, however if someone gets hot then we leave them out there ;)

SD.

[Hogsbreath]

In Domestic Comp I give all the kids a good run. In my rep team, close games I go mainly with the best performers in blowouts give my bench a really good run.

[RandyOrton]

I coach Under 13s and Under 14s rep basketball - which is hard after coaching SBL in 2004.

Basically all of my players hit the court every game. They play 4 x 8 minute fully time quarters.

The minimum they get is 8 minutes (basically 1 quarter of the game). If a player is playing well, he may play a lot of the game and the others would rotate. In blowouts basically everyone plays equal (or close to it) time.

In close games, I make it very clear, and my players are very aware, that it's not so important who starts, it's more important who finishes.

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In close games, I make it very clear, and my players are very aware, that it's not so important who starts, it's more important who finishes.

that point has always interests me, In a close game i will always finish with my best ball handlers and shooters (ft).

is it really the best players who finish those games or is it the players who are least likely to screw up?

[RandyOrton]

The players who are going to help you win.

It depends what you need...

If you're defending a lead, you need your defenders and rebounders.
If they're trapping, your best ball handlers.
If you're trailing, you're best quick scorers.
If it's close, your smartest players who can handle the pressure.

[Coachpete]

It doesnt matter what age group and i stress that point !!! you get your best performing 5 on and maybe go to 8 players this is at any elite level.Domestic well different story.

Very interesting topic and the number one cause of stress petween players,coaches and MOSTLY......parents. What slice says above is probably the way most coaches operate. I'm a bit different. A part of my coaching philosophy (which is written on paper and stuck by....coaches, if you don't have a philosophy I recommend you get one) and I quote: "Every player gets to play in every quarter of every game" This is something that I've really worked on and stuck by over the years. It can be hard but it puts the onus on me to work on developing the players in the bottom end of my roster to know that I can have the confidence in them to make a contribution. I'm not talking equal time here....that's not realistic. But everyone gets to play.
This has been a great benefit to my teams. Players want to play for me because they know they'll get to play. I have very few if any issues with parents about court time. The players get better and have a good attitude to their team mates. It's also won me lots of games. A Grand final a few years ago really springs to mind. I had 2 starters injured in the first quarter.....out for the rest of the game. I had 2 more starters pick up 3 fouls each in the first quarter. My 8,9 and 10 players ended up playing 25 minutes each (in a 40 minute game) and 2 of them top scored for us and we won the game. This could happen because they had got to play all season! If you're in trouble in a playoff game and you turn to little Johnny or Susie who hasn't got a minute all season and expect them to get out there and contribute it just aint gonna happen.

[Essen]

Coaching from a high school perspective, I give equal opportunities. At the start of the season everybody will have a balanced court time. But as the season goes on towards the business end, certain players will play more or less minutes based on their form, ability and the game situation.

[SLICE23]

Coachpete is right you need to get a philosophy, i tend to know who my starters are & 6th man & 7th man etc, you give evreyone a goodshot @ it and if a 9 man players better than your starter well you replace them as you would you should understand your teams capability what can each player do or not do.Also you do have different matchups v different teams it takes time, experience etc just hang in there and learn from people you respect.

[Blind Teddy]

Unfortunately court time tends to come down to those who can score and those who can't.
Now I'm not saying that you need 5 players who are free flowing scorers on the court all the time but you will find a minimum of 2 generally on at any one time.
You see you can risk a bad defender and try get an easy match up that say may cost you 10 but you know that they are able to give you 20 at the offensive end.
You tend to go with that than the one who can keep the offensive player to 6-8 but your not sure if you are going to get a return.

[Mr Book]

In answer to the topic - No

I tell all my players i promise them no time as I believe every player earns it on how they train and perform WITH THE TEAM.

I only run 8-9 players in a game too as I believe any more than that and you start dealing with chemistry issues from constant changes.

Lastly I find we have stretches where the team on the floor performs well so they stay there and that sometimes take a large chunk of minutes away. I wont sub just for the sake of minutes and my best players have soemtimes only played 7 or 8 minutes as others are playing better.

Coachpete, i tryed out your everyone plays every quarter policy ( except in 4th where i had to rest players who were to play ABA aswell), i tihnk it made us alot more productive.. when i am coaching a junior rep team I'll be using this technique..


cheers CP

[Wallitron]

I find it really hard to get everyone on the court every quarter. My basic philosophy is to use the 1/3 2/3 rule. This basically entails that the starting 5 gets to play no more than two thirds of the minutes, and the rest get at least one third.

Of course in a game it's hard to do, and this season I have 2 players that need to play a little more than two thirds, but the basic principle still works.

All the players need some time on the court to apply what they've been practicing. If you can't apply what you've learned, what's the point?

[Moth]

"Every player gets to play in every quarter of every game"

An interesting philosophy but I was wondering isn't it also troublesome as it could disrupt the flow your team has. eg your team is making a nice run then you substitute a few key players who are contributing to the run because of the policy and lose momentum

also would the 'better' players who would get minutes regardless of the policy get frustrated at being subbed on and off and not getting that continuous court time to get the rhythm

if you are makinbg that good of a run, 1 sub shoudnt effect it alot.. and then make anotehr sub etc, so you keep the momentium going, and keep the legs fresh, and get everyone into the game..

[Franklin]

In my son's team, equal time. But they are 10 year olds.

Started in a school carnival last year: only had 2 regular players, the rest just were school mates. Lost the GF by 1 point ... and my one rep player fouled out :(

Now they all want to play so we put a team in the local comp.

I have 8 players and so, to keep track of the subs I use a notebook (I have crap shrt term memor ....)

SO, ppl prob think "what a tosser: u12s with a notebook, what's he doing, drawing up plays?") But the kids are better at keeping track of who has court time than me!

My philosophy: share time and have fun. In the next GF, I may play my rep player more.

And maybe as the kids get older, things will change?

[Coachpete]

"Every player gets to play in every quarter of every game"

An interesting philosophy but I was wondering isn't it also troublesome as it could disrupt the flow your team has. eg your team is making a nice run then you substitute a few key players who are contributing to the run because of the policy and lose momentum

also would the 'better' players who would get minutes regardless of the policy get frustrated at being subbed on and off and not getting that continuous court time to get the rhythm

Never really have the problems you mentioned. I would rarely sub more than 2 players at once and usually it's 1 so flow isn't disrupted that much. We play a very up tempo style.....full court man in D for most of the game and a very quick transition in offence. Most of the time it's players putting their hand up for a sub rather than me having to pull someone out

"Every player gets to play in every quarter of every game"

An interesting philosophy but I was wondering isn't it also troublesome as it could disrupt the flow your team has. eg your team is making a nice run then you substitute a few key players who are contributing to the run because of the policy and lose momentum

also would the 'better' players who would get minutes regardless of the policy get frustrated at being subbed on and off and not getting that continuous court time to get the rhythm

Never really have the problems you mentioned. I would rarely sub more than 2 players at once and usually it's 1 so flow isn't disrupted that much. We play a very up tempo style.....full court man in D for most of the game and a very quick transition in offence. Most of the time it's players putting their hand up for a sub rather than me having to pull someone out

we play very similar.. our guys hate it when they get subbed off, they show ti too, we dont mind though, it shows us jsut how much they want to play, and when they get on, they take their oppotunites..

[SLICE23]

This issue is always a problem especially parents ( whens little johnny getting on or what does little johnny have to do).
All you can do is set a program for development & explain to players ANd if there juniors the parents that it is on a performance basis both on O & D.it seems to work with me.

[Moth]

Do any coaches out there encourage their kids to 'waste time' or "milk the clock". Assuming there is no shot clock of course and you have the lead.

[Hogsbreath]

Do any coaches out there encourage their kids to 'waste time' or "milk the clock". Assuming there is no shot clock of course and you have the lead.

I learn't the hard way when I tried to coach my team to milk down the clock to protect a lead and they completely went into their shell. The other team were scoring at will.

I now call a time out and tell them to have patience but continue to score. Would never ask my team to say run a minute off the clock to protect a 2 point lead.

Unless you include this in thraining (which is hardly unlikely) better keep the game plan to what they know how to do.

with a nice lead and not too much time left, im a big fan of playing 5 out motion, if they want to sit in a zone, let them..

when they come out to defend, pass, cut and hit the cuter and get a layup.

[Wallitron]

I find it really hard to get everyone on the court every quarter. My basic philosophy is to use the 1/3 2/3 rule. This basically entails that the starting 5 gets to play no more than two thirds of the minutes, and the rest get at least one third.



Errrg. I may have made a blunder today with my court time allocation today. A couple of my players didn't get time in a very close 4th quarter. I may have been justified in the case of one player, because they've missed some recent training due to illness.

In the case of another player, I think she wasn't suited to the size and speed of the opposition. I thought she was given an opportunity to contribute in her limited time, but was very upset at the end of the game.

The margin between the two teams was less than 5 points in the final quarter, and the final margin was two points. It's certainly put a dampener on the hard fought win.

In the philosophy of playing each player in every quarter, how may minutes would your 10th player get as a bare minimum?

Also, how would you normally start a game? Is it your best five? Or do you try and have two balanced units?

I'd like to get some ideas on subing strategy. What's a good balance for number of minutes in the game at a time, allowing the individual and team to get in rhythm, but not get fatigued?

Has anyone ever questions your philosophy? Should I be sticking to my guns, or did I over value the importance of one win?

What's more enjoyable, self doubt after a loss, or self doubt after a win? :)

## Name MIN
08 * Glen Chapman 39:28
09 * Daniel Green 26:46
06 Tarron Green 30:44
14 Nick Such 26:31
07 * Aaron Nagas 20:24
10 * Kane Macready 26:00
13 * Josh Gill 44:24
05 Michael McVicar 5:00
11 Scott Nicoll 8:00
15 Mark Thomas 12:43


thats our court time from our aba game last night..
everyone got to play when the result was still in the air

what ya's tihnk of that spread

[Wallitron]

what ya's tihnk of that spread

I think that looks fine for an ABA game. As 9 and 10 guys, you wouldn't expect to always get court time at that level, and probably never more than 10mins.

My team is under 16's, where there is a greater expectation of evenly spread court time.

[SLICE23]

Thats great but for juniors 12s 14s 16s whether c/ship or not court time will always be a issue and i guess unwritten rule (parents heads) eveness is demanded so it comes down to juggling and do the best as you can.impicat simple rules no matter what age they are so they can be competitive and earn their courttime.

[Coachpete]

Still on this subject and my philosophy. we're 4 and 0 to start the season. I've had a different player top score in every game and evry player has scored in every game.........just another benefit of letting them play :wink:

CP, next week all the coaching jobs here for teh junior rep teams are opened up, so im going to apply for one or two...

im tinhking i wil def use that system you have going

[Coachpete]

Woo hoo....another convert. If this keeps up the parents of Australia will have to find something else to whinge about :lol:

Seriously though I wish you all the best

[the_referee]

in representative central junior league (C.J.L) in u/12 and u/14 all players must take the court each half referees dont have to worry about it its up to NSW basketball

[redice]

Moth wrote:
Do any coaches out there encourage their kids to 'waste time' or "milk the clock". Assuming there is no shot clock of course and you have the lead.


I learn't the hard way when I tried to coach my team to milk down the clock to protect a lead and they completely went into their shell. The other team were scoring at will.

there is one thing i hate, i have to say, and that is people milking the clock, slowing down play etc etc
they have shot clocks for a reason
basketball is an uptempo game
sure, take your time to score, but if you dont score, you wont win
in my humble opinion anyway, so i believe you should always be looking at scoring
with kids, you shouldnt even mention slowing the game, as they learn to play under pressure if it is close, or the other team is making a run
use your time outs if you are concerned, if you are wise, you will have them for when you need them

I was a assistant on a Under 18 boys team, in a tournament with no shot clock we would run 5 out, when we had a lead late in the game... if teams wanted to sit in a zone, then we would just stand with the ball at the bottom of the circle.. but if they played man, then we passed and cut, and penetrated into the gaps.. but if they didnt be aggressive on defnce, then we milked the clock....