Passing is an act of handing over the ball to a teammate and it is considered as one of the important skills that a player needs to learn when playing the game of basketball. Passing involves communication between two players and it can be done verbally or nonverbally. Passing is often used for offensive reasons but it can also be used as part of defense in order to keep possession of the ball, especially when a player is being heavily guarded by defenders. This means that passing the ball to a teammate will keep the ball in the team’s possession which can be then be used for a shooting opportunity. Below is a list of the many ways to pass the ball:
Chest Pass – this type of pass is performed with the ball held in the level of the sternum while extending both arms forward to make the pass. It is a high velocity pass that is thrown in a straight line mostly parallel to the floor.
Bounce Pass – this type of pass is performed with ball held at waist level. The strength and deflection angle of the ball is dependent on the distance of the recipient. The pass’ overall accuracy is dictated by the speed and trajectory of the ball. Adding some spin to the ball can alter a bit of its trajectory.
Overhead Pass – this type of pass is performed with both hands placed on both sides of the ball. To make the pass, the ball is placed behind the head, and then extending the arms while bringing the elbows down creates the pass.
Behind the Back Pass – this type of pass is performed by cupping the ball with the wrist and fingers and sling into the player’s back towards the recipient of the ball. This pass is usually done in order to fool the defenders.
Alley-oop Pass – this type of pass is performed in a tossing motion near the hoop where a recipient will receive the pass in mid-air and usually performing a dunk shot. The most crucial element for this type of pass to be successful is timing.
Ball passing skills can be associated with communication among team members which is why they are essential to make the game of any team successful. Almost every skill can be perfected through practice and this is also the same with ball passing.
