Small-Sided Game·Starter·U14+

3v3 Plus One Advantage

Train the read after an initial advantage with a numbers edge.

Players

4 offense vs 3 defense

Court

Half court

Time

10 min

Equipment

Balls

Description

Offense starts in a 4-out alignment; defense in shell. On miss/turnover/score, the three defenders transition the other way 3-on-3. After each possession, swap roles.

The constraint

Offense plays 4-on-3 in the half court; on defensive rebound, transition to the other end 3-on-3.

CLA principle

Pre-built advantage forces players to keep it (not create it), training rotation reading.

Coaching points

Drive only when it improves the advantage — otherwise swing.
Skip passes punish weak-side help.
Defense talks early or the rotation breaks.

Common mistakes

Settling for the first open shot instead of the better one.

Trains these principle reads

Jump to the interactive diagram — the reads this drill trains are pre-highlighted.

Create, Keep, Extend the Advantage
Keep the Advantage (0.5)
Shoot, pass, or drive within half a second of catching.
ShootDrivePass
Open interactive diagram
Create, Keep, Extend the Advantage
Extend the Advantage
Chain a second and third action before the defense resets.
First sideSecond sideThird side
Open interactive diagram
Reads Over Rules
If-Then Triggers
Every action has a small set of shared reads everyone knows.
The triggerCorner liftsWeakside 45 cut
Open interactive diagram
Connection & Timing
Pass Ahead, Not Around
The ball moves faster than any defender.
Around (slow)Ahead (fast)
Open interactive diagram