Chest Pass
A two-handed pass thrown directly from chest height in a straight line to a teammate, the most basic pass in basketball and netball.
Overview
The chest pass is a fast, accurate way to move the ball a short to medium distance to a teammate. Both hands push the ball out from the chest so it travels in a flat, direct line, making it easy to catch.
Power comes from extending the arms and stepping into the pass, with the thumbs finishing pointing down to add snap.
How to do it
- 1Hold the ball at chest height with both hands, thumbs behind it.
- 2Step toward your teammate with one foot.
- 3Push both arms forward to extend toward the target.
- 4Release the ball with a snap so it travels in a straight line.
- 5Finish with thumbs down and fingers pointing at the receiver.
Key points
- Start with the ball held at chest height with fingers spread on each side.
- Step toward your target as you push to add power.
- Thumbs finish pointing down and fingers point at the target.
Where it’s used
Sports that use chest pass:
Related techniques
Jump Shot
A basketball shot released at the top of a vertical jump, letting the shooter get the ball over a defender with a soft, arcing release.
Layup
A close-range basketball shot taken while moving toward the basket, laying the ball softly off the backboard or over the rim.
Free Throw
An unguarded basketball shot taken from the free-throw line, relying on a calm, repeatable routine rather than power.
How it connects
The meaning-bearing relationships that place Chest Pass in the wider knowledge graph — each one with the reason it exists.
Frequently learned together
Taught side by side in the same stage of a learning path.
- Jump ShotBoth are taught in the “Build your technique” stage of the Basketball learning path.
- LayupBoth are taught in the “Build your technique” stage of the Basketball learning path.
- Free ThrowBoth are taught in the “Build your technique” stage of the Basketball learning path.
- Crossover DribbleBoth are taught in the “Build your technique” stage of the Basketball learning path.
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect Chest Pass to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Movement patterns
- PushPressing a load or the body away from the torso — horizontally or overhead — by extending the shoulders and elbows, developing the chest, shoulders and triceps.
- CatchReceiving a moving object and securing it under control, absorbing its momentum by yielding along its path so kinetic energy is dissipated rather than rebounded away.
- PivotA rotation of the body about one planted foot, reorienting the trunk and hips around a vertical axis without travelling to a new location.
- ThrowPropelling an object by releasing it from the hand, driven by a proximal-to-distal kinetic-chain sequence that summates speed from the legs through the trunk and arm to the release point.
- Change of DirectionA planned redirection of the body from one movement vector to another, requiring an athlete to decelerate existing momentum and reaccelerate along a new line between two known points.
Skills
- PassingThe skill of moving the ball to a teammate accurately to keep possession and create chances.
- HeadingThe skill of directing the ball with the head to pass, clear or attempt to score.
- SettingThe volleyball skill of accurately placing the ball for a teammate to attack.
- SprintingThe skill of running or riding at maximum controlled speed over a short distance.
- ShootingThe skill of striking or releasing the ball toward the goal or basket to score.
Equipment
Facilities
- Basketball courtA rectangular hard-surfaced court with a raised hoop and backboard at each end where basketball is played.
- Volleyball courtA rectangular court split by a high net over which two teams rally the ball, played indoors or on sand.
- Sports hallA large indoor hall with multi-sport line markings, used for court sports like basketball, volleyball and badminton.
Learning paths
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Technique
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-07-09
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