Preseason scrimmages can feel like a game, which is exactly why coaches waste them. The score is up on the board, a few parents show up, and suddenly you are coaching to win a scrimmage that does not count. You ride your starters, run your best set over and over and walk away with a nice result and almost no new information.

Scrimmages are not about winning. They are a laboratory. Used well, they tell you more about your team than two weeks of practice. Here is how to get the most out of them.

Decide What You Want to Learn

Go into every scrimmage with two or three specific questions. Write them down. For example:

• Can our press break handle real pressure?
• Which of our three bigs defends ball screens best?
• Does our offense still flow when our best guard sits?
• How do our younger players handle a real game environment?

Share the questions with your staff so everyone knows what to watch. At the end, you should be able to answer each one.

Play Everyone in Real Situations

Scrimmages are the best chance you will get to see bench players against someone other than their own teammates. Give them real minutes, not just garbage time at the end. You might find a player who practices quietly but competes well against unfamiliar opponents. You might also find that someone you were counting on is not ready yet. Both are worth knowing in October.

Test Lineups and Combinations

Try groups you are curious about. A small lineup. Two point guards together. A big lineup that might rebound better. Pay attention not just to individual play, but to how players fit together. Some combinations just work, and you only find that out by putting them on the floor.

Run Your Situations

Many scrimmages let you set up situations. If the other coach is open to it, take advantage. Run your inbounds plays. Practice end of half situations. Put your team down four with two minutes left and see what happens. These moments are hard to simulate against your own team because everyone already knows the plays.

If you need ideas for late-game work, Coaching Late Game Situations has a bunch.

Do Not Show Everything

If you are scrimmaging a team you will play later in the season, keep things basic. Run your base offense and defense. Save special sets, junk defenses and specific counters for when they count. You can learn plenty about your team without giving away your whole playbook.

Coach and Teach During It

Unlike a real game, scrimmages often allow more freedom to stop and teach. Use timeouts to correct, pull players aside on the bench and explain what you saw. Use a quick whiteboard drawing to fix a spacing problem.

This is also a good time to practice how you communicate on the sideline. Your timeout routine, how you talk to players coming off the floor and how you stay composed. Your habits as a coach need preseason reps, too.

Film It

Film every scrimmage. Even a phone on a tripod in the bleachers works. You will see things on film that you completely missed live. It is also a great teaching tool. Players believe what they see on video far more than what they hear from a coach.

Keep the film session afterward short and focused. Five or six clips tied to your scrimmage questions, plus a few clips of players doing things well.

Track a Few Simple Stats

Points scored is the least useful stat in a scrimmage. Track things tied to your identity instead: turnovers, deflections, defensive rebounds, paint touches allowed, charges taken. These numbers tell you whether your team is building the right habits.

Debrief With Your Staff and Team

After the scrimmage, go through your questions with your staff. What did you learn? What needs work? Then turn the answers into your next few practice plans.

With the team, keep it simple. Two things you did well, two things to fix. Make sure players understand that the score did not matter, but the lessons did.

Treat Scrimmages Like a Classroom

As a teacher, I think of scrimmages like a practice test. You want to find out what students do not know before the real test, not after. The goal is not a good grade on the practice test. It is being ready when it counts.

Go in with questions, play everyone, test combinations, film it and use what you learn. Your team will be more prepared for the first real game because of it. For scrimmage evaluation sheets and film templates, check out Underdog Hoops University.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of a preseason basketball scrimmage?

To evaluate players, test lineups, practice situations and find weaknesses before games count. Winning the scrimmage matters much less than what you learn from it.

Should everyone play in a scrimmage?

Yes. Scrimmages are one of the best chances to see bench players against unfamiliar opponents, which helps you make better decisions about roles and rotations.

What stats should coaches track in scrimmages?

Focus on stats tied to your team’s identity, such as turnovers, deflections, defensive rebounds, paint touches allowed and charges, rather than just points scored.