Coaching 101- Possessions and Tempo

 

As coaches, we look at lots of stats to analyze our team’s performance- FG%, Turnovers, Rebound %, Points Per Possession, and more. And we set goals with each of the stats to help teach our players how to analyze why we win and lose games. 

A stat that we may not pay attention to, Possessions Per Game. Two important reasons for us to look at Possessions Per Game:

Are You Who You Think You Are? Is your team playing at the tempo that you want them to play? We want our team to be an uptempo fastbreak and pressure defensive team, and we may think they we are an uptempo tempo. Our Possessions Per Game, we may show we are not an uptempo game. 

How Are Possessions Per Game Changing From Game to Game- If you want to be uptempo, are some teams effectively slowing the game down? If you want to keep the game slow, are some teams speeding the game up? Once you see this, you can look at how opponents are controlling the tempo.

How to Figure Your Possessions Per Game

Field Goal Attempts + Free Throw Attempts/2 + Turnovers - Offensive Rebounds

First, a big thanks to all the coaches who shared their Possessions Per Game. 

Possessions Per Game For 20 Girls HS Teams

50-55 Possessions- 3 Teams   15%

56-60 Possessions- 4 Teams   20%

61-65 Possessions- 7 Teams   35%

66-70 Possessions- 4 Teams   20%

71-75 Possessions- 1 Team.   5%

Lowest- 51.5, Highest- 71.8%, Average- 61.4

Possessions Per Game For 6 Boys HS Teams

50-55 Possessions- 0 Teams

56-60 Possessions- 3 Teams   50%

61-65 Possessions- 3 Teams.  50%

Lowest- 55.7, Highest- 63.0, Average- 59.8

Possessions Per Game For Galesburg Girls Basketball- 1995-9

During this 5 year period, we went to State each year. 

1995- 70.4 possessions

1996- 67.1 possessions

1997- 67.7 possessions

1998- 66.9 possessions

1999- 65.3 possessions

Possessions Per Game For Galesburg Running  “The System”

2010- 82.6 possessions

2011- 75.7 possessions

2012- 82.5 possessions

2013- 79.5 possessions

With the following teams, their totals are from their most recent games. And their possessions for 40 minute have been adjusted as if they played HS’s 32 minutes. 

Possessions Per Game For College Women’s Teams

Tennessee- 77 possessions

Oklahoma- 76 possessions

LSU- 62 possessions

Notre Dame- 62 possessions

Iowa- 62 possessions

Possessions Per Game For College Men’s Teams

Kansas- 52 possessions

Wisconsin- 56 possessions

Purdue- 57 possessions

Michigan State- 59 possessions

Alabama- 63 possessions

Grinnell- 86 possessions