- Drills
- Basketball
- For 12 to 14 year olds
Basketball drills for 12, 13 and 14 year olds
What 12 to 14 year olds can practice at home: drills the app opens at this age, games to make them fun, and the ball, basket and weekly limits USA Basketball sets for 12 to 14 year olds.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
USA Basketball groups young players in three bands, 7-8, 9-11 and 12-14; its rules and limits change at each one.
At 12 to 14
The age at a glance
- The game
- A size 6 ball for girls and a size 7 (29.5 in) for boys, a 10 ft basket, an 84 or 94 by 50 ft court, a 19 ft 9 in three-point line and a 15 ft free-throw line.
- Defense
- Every defense is allowed, with a 30-second shot clock.
- Practice
- Practices of 60 to 90 minutes, two to four times a week, and games of 28 to 32 minutes, twice a week.
- Rest and hours
- One rest day a week, and no more than 10 hours a week of organized basketball; near that limit, no second organized sport at the same time.
- At home
- SSTracker keeps one home session for this age within 60 minutes and plans at most 5 days a week. The 10-hour limit is for organized basketball; on a week near it, use fewer home days.
36 drills
Drills for 12 to 14 year olds
Every drill here is one the app opens for 12 to 14 year olds, at the level for the age. Each page has the steps, a diagram where the setup can be drawn, three ways to make it a game and a practice log to print.
Athleticism
Ball Handling
Defense
Passing
Rebounding
A week to start with
A free week of basketball at home
- 1Ball handling: Two-Ball Dribbling15 min
- 2Shooting: Five-Spot Shooting15 min
- 3Defense: Mirror Slides15 min
Questions parents ask
Basketball for 12 to 14 year olds: questions and answers
How long should 12 to 14 year olds practice basketball?
Practices of 60 to 90 minutes, two to four times a week, and games of 28 to 32 minutes, twice a week. One rest day a week, and no more than 10 hours a week of organized basketball; near that limit, no second organized sport at the same time. SSTracker keeps one home session for this age within 60 minutes and plans at most 5 days a week. The 10-hour limit is for organized basketball; on a week near it, use fewer home days.
What size basketball and basket do 12 to 14 year olds use?
A size 6 ball for girls and a size 7 (29.5 in) for boys, a 10 ft basket, an 84 or 94 by 50 ft court, a 19 ft 9 in three-point line and a 15 ft free-throw line.
What defense do 12 to 14 year olds play?
Every defense is allowed, with a 30-second shot clock.
Free for families and teams
Save this plan to your child or team, free
Sign up and the free basketball week for 12 to 14 year olds opens in your child's planner, kept to healthy limits for the age, with progress your child sees against their own start. Coaches can send the same drills to the whole team as homework.
14 days free for a family, no card · Running a team is always free
Does your child's coach know about this?
An email from you to the coach, with the words ready. Nothing is tracked and nobody is rewarded.