“Throw Down” Dribble

When a player has the ball but has not dribbled they can use either an “on side” step or a “cross-over” step.

Onside Step

Initially athletes are taught that if they make an “on side” step, the keep the ball on the same side of the body as they are stepping with, and then bounce the ball on the floor ahead of their foot – the ball and the foot they are stepping with landing on the floor at the same time.

Cross-over Step

With a cross-over step, the athlete is taught to swing the ball from one side of their body to the other (as they step), so that it is bounced on the other side of their body.

When moving the ball they should “scrape” the ground, emphasizing to keep it low. However, coaches must make sure they are getting low by bending their knees not just bending over.

“Throw Down” Dribble

With a “throw down” dribble, the player is using an onside step – i.e. they are stepping with their right foot to move to their right (or left foot to move left), however the player starts with the ball on the opposite side of their body.

Rather than move the ball across their body and bounce it on the floor on the other side of their body, the player throws the ball into the ground so that it bounces to the other side of their body.

The “throw down” dribble originated because players were often called for a travelling violation when using an onside step and having the ball on the same side of their body (it is a travel if the pivot foot is lifted before the ball leaves the hand to dribble).

The “throw down” dribble ensures that the ball leaves the hand early.