The crossover is the basic hand-to-hand change of direction: you bounce the ball in front of your body from one hand to the other and go the other way. The keys are a low, quick cross, eyes up, the ball protected, and feet that change direction with the ball. It works best when the defender isn't tight on you; with a defender right in front, the ball crossing in front of you can be stolen. The app watches your body from the front (your stance and the sideways shift as you change direction); it can't track the ball, your fingers or the defender.
Set up the move
Get into a crouched, athletic stance with your knees bent and your head up, eyes forward, not on the ball.
low and balanced, seeing the floor.
Dribble with your fingertips, not your palm, and keep the ball below your waist. Extend your arm and snap your wrist to push it into the floor.
the ball comes back to your fingers fast.
Keep your body between the ball and the defender, with your other arm out in front as a guard. Never push off with it.
Choose the crossover when the defender isn't tight on you. If they're right in front of you, a between-the-legs or behind-the-back dribble protects the ball better.
Take at least one dribble and a step one way so the defender moves with you. Two or three hard dribbles work better. (The bigger sell and hesitation are taught in the Killer Crossover lesson.)
Cross low and quick
Bounce the ball in front of you across to your other hand. Keep the cross low and quick so it stays out of the defender's reach.
a hard, short bounce, not a float.
Keep your hand on top or on the side of the ball, never under it. Carrying the ball or pausing it with your hand underneath is a violation (NBA Rule 10; FIBA Art. 24).
Keep your eyes up through the cross. Don't look down to find the ball in the new hand.
Go the other way
As the ball crosses, plant your outside foot firmly and push off it to change direction. Push through the inside of that foot.
your feet turn with the ball, not after it.
Catch it in the new hand and keep dribbling, with your body and off arm between the ball and the defender.
Read what it opened: pull up, drive the lane, or pass if a help defender comes. Move as fast as you can, but never faster than you can control the ball.
Feel it
A low, quick snap of the ball from hand to hand in front of you. Your eyes stay up, your fingertips do the work, and your feet change direction at the same time as the ball. If the ball switches hands but your body keeps going the same way, it's a dribble drill, not a crossover. The app can watch your stance and your sideways shift; it can't see the ball or whether the defender bit.
Fix-its
- The cross is high or slow Make it low and quick. Do stationary crossovers in 30–60 second sets, pounding the ball hard.
- You cross right in a tight defender's face Save the front cross for when you have room. With a defender right in front, use between-the-legs or behind-the-back.
- Your eyes drop to the ball Pick a spot ahead of you and keep your eyes forward through every rep.
- The ball changes hands but your feet don't Plant your outside foot as you cross and push off it into the new direction (zigzag drill).
- Your hand gets under the ball (carry) Keep your hand on top or on the side; it's a violation under NBA and FIBA rules.
Drill
- Stationary crossovers: one bounce on the right, cross in front to the left, one bounce, cross back. Low and quick, 30–60 seconds.
- 3-dribble crossover: pound the ball hard three times, cross in front, pound three times, cross back. Eyes up, as fast as you can control it.
- Zigzag crossover: two dribbles at a 45° angle, plant the outside foot, cross low and quick and push off into the next angle. Zigzag up the floor with your eyes forward.
- Sideline crossovers: dribble sideline to sideline right-handed and back left-handed, crossing as you go. Do it down and back twice. Spend 5–10 minutes on dribble moves every practice.
- Once it's clean, add it to a chain: crossover, through the legs, behind the back, through the legs, and repeat.
By position
Anyone who dribbles in a game needs a safe crossover with both hands; players at every level use it. How often you'll use it depends on how much you handle the ball. If you bring the ball up against pressure, also own between-the-legs and behind-the-back for when a defender is tight.
Sources
- Coach's Clipboard — Basketball Dribbling and Dribble Moves
- Coach's Clipboard — 1-Ball Dribbling Drills
- Basketball For Coaches — How to Do a Crossover in Basketball (3 Advanced Variations)
- Basketball For Coaches — 6 Basketball Moves You Need to Beat Any Defender
- Basketball For Coaches — 50 Basketball Dribbling Drills
- Jr. NBA — How to Dribble a Basketball
- Coaches Insider / STACK (T.J. Allan) — How to Create a Killer Crossover Without a Basketball (2018)
- NBA — Official Rules, Rule 10 Section II (Dribble)
- FIBA — Official Basketball Rules 2026, Art. 24 Dribbling
Last checked 2026-10-30.