- Drills
- Basketball
- For 7 to 8 year olds
Basketball drills for 7 and 8 year olds
What 7 to 8 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 7 and 8 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 7 to 8
The age at a glance
- The game
- A size 5 ball (27.5 in), an 8 ft basket, a 50 by 42 ft court, no three-point line and a 14 ft free-throw line. USA Basketball recommends 3-on-3 on a half court and equal playing time.
- Defense
- Player-to-player defense only: no press and no double-team.
- Practice
- Practices of 30 to 60 minutes, once a week, and games of 20 to 28 minutes, once a week.
- Rest and hours
- Two rest days a week, and no more than 3 hours a week of organized basketball.
- At home
- SSTracker keeps one home session for this age within 30 minutes and plans at most 3 days a week. The 3-hour limit is for organized basketball; on a week near it, use fewer home days.
29 drills
Drills for 7 to 8 year olds
Every drill here is one the app opens for 7 to 8 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.
Shooting
Defense
Passing
Rebounding
Athleticism
A week to start with
A free week of basketball at home
- 1Form shooting20 min
- 2Athletics: Hopscotch Footwork15 min
- 3Ball handling: Figure Eight Wraps15 min
Questions parents ask
Basketball for 7 to 8 year olds: questions and answers
How long should 7 to 8 year olds practice basketball?
Practices of 30 to 60 minutes, once a week, and games of 20 to 28 minutes, once a week. Two rest days a week, and no more than 3 hours a week of organized basketball. SSTracker keeps one home session for this age within 30 minutes and plans at most 3 days a week. The 3-hour limit is for organized basketball; on a week near it, use fewer home days.
What size basketball and basket do 7 to 8 year olds use?
A size 5 ball (27.5 in), an 8 ft basket, a 50 by 42 ft court, no three-point line and a 14 ft free-throw line. USA Basketball recommends 3-on-3 on a half court and equal playing time.
What defense do 7 to 8 year olds play?
Player-to-player defense only: no press and no double-team.
Free for families and teams
Save this plan to your child or team, free
Sign up and the free basketball week for 7 to 8 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.