Basketball Tryout Evaluation Form

The three-point line changed basketball forever—and it changed tryouts too. Twenty years ago, you evaluated guards on mid-range jumpers and post moves. Now you're watching eighth-graders pull up from 25 feet. Your evaluation form needs to reflect modern basketball, not the game your coach taught you.

Below you'll find evaluation forms built for modern basketball. Grab them as PDF, paste into Excel, or print and go. Rating rubrics cover shooting, ball handling, and defense—plus position-specific criteria for guards and big men, sample tryout drills, and a complete station schedule.

Free Printable Basketball Evaluation Form

Rate each player 1-5 across six skill categories. The rating scale definitions below describe specific, observable behaviors—what a "3" looks like versus a "4"—so every evaluator scores consistently.

Skill Evaluation Table

Skill Category	1	2	3	4	5
Shooting	○	○	○	○	○
Ball Handling	○	○	○	○	○
Defense	○	○	○	○	○
Passing	○	○	○	○	○
Basketball IQ	○	○	○	○	○
Athleticism/Attitude	○	○	○	○	○
Notes
Total Score	_______ / 30

Rating Scale Definitions

Watch for these specific behaviors when scoring. A player who "creates space with dribble" earns higher marks than one who simply "controls ball in traffic."

Skill	1 (Needs Work)	2 (Below Avg)	3 (Average)	4 (Above Avg)	5 (Excellent)
Shooting	Poor form. Misses rim often. No range beyond paint.	Inconsistent release. Makes layups but struggles from mid-range.	Solid mechanics. Reliable from 15 feet. Makes open threes occasionally.	Quick release. Consistent from three. Can shoot off the dribble.	Range to NBA line. Makes contested shots. Creates own shot effectively.
Ball Handling	Loses ball under pressure. Can't dribble with weak hand.	Basic control. Struggles against defensive pressure. Limited moves.	Controls ball in traffic. Uses both hands. Basic crossover and hesitation.	Creates space with dribble. Protects ball well. Multiple moves in arsenal.	Elite handle. Breaks down defenders at will. Turnover-free under pressure.
Defense	Poor stance. Gets beat off dribble. No awareness of help responsibilities.	Knows positioning but slow laterally. Reaches instead of moving feet.	Stays in front of average players. Understands help concepts. Contests shots.	Quick feet. Forces tough shots. Rotates well. Active hands without fouling.	Locks down best player. Anticipates passes. Creates turnovers. Vocal leader.
Passing	Telegraphs passes. Poor accuracy. Doesn't see open teammates.	Basic passes work. Struggles with skip passes. Tunnel vision when driving.	Finds open shooters. Accurate chest and bounce passes. Reads basic rotations.	Threads passes in traffic. Hits cutters. Creates scoring opportunities.	Elite vision. No-look and skip passes. Makes teammates better consistently.
Basketball IQ	Lost on offense and defense. Doesn't know plays. Poor spacing.	Knows basic sets. Forgets assignments. Slow to recognize mismatches.	Understands system. Makes decent decisions. Rarely out of position.	Reads defense quickly. Exploits mismatches. Smart shot selection.	Coaches on the floor. Anticipates plays. Makes right decision every time.
Athleticism/Attitude	Low effort. Complains. Gives up on plays. Poor body language.	Inconsistent hustle. Coachable but distracted. Average conditioning.	Plays hard. Accepts coaching. Good teammate. Stays positive after mistakes.	High motor. First to dive for loose balls. Encourages teammates. Focused.	Elite athlete. Tireless competitor. Team leader. Elevates everyone's effort.

Simple Basketball Evaluation Form

Not every program needs a six-category evaluation form. Match your form complexity to your program level and tryout constraints.

When to Use a Simple Form (3 Categories)

Recreational leagues, large tryout groups, and limited time all favor simple forms. A three-category form covering Shooting, Ball Handling, and Attitude can effectively sort players when you have 80 kids and two hours.

Simple forms also work well for draft-style tryouts where the goal is balanced teams rather than competitive selection. You need enough information to create fair teams, not detailed scouting reports.

When to Use a Comprehensive Form (6 Categories)

Travel ball, AAU teams, and high school programs benefit from comprehensive evaluation. When roster spots are competitive and player development is the focus, detailed assessment pays off.

Comprehensive forms also help with player feedback. When you can tell a player specifically that they scored high on shooting but need work on defensive positioning, you give them a clear development path.

Skill Category	1	2	3	4	5
Shooting	○	○	○	○	○
Ball Handling	○	○	○	○	○
Attitude	○	○	○	○	○
Notes
Total Score	_______ / 15

Youth Basketball Tryout Evaluation Form

Youth basketball tryouts require age-appropriate evaluation criteria. Breakthrough Basketball emphasizes(opens in new tab) teaching fundamentals at every level, with progression speed depending on age and experience. What you prioritize in an 8-year-old should differ from what matters in a high school freshman.

8U-10U: Focus on Fundamentals and Attitude

At these ages, players are still developing basic motor skills and coordination. Prioritize coachability, attitude, and willingness to learn over current skill levels. A player who listens and tries hard will develop faster than a talented player who doesn't focus.

Weight your evaluation toward character and basketball IQ rather than pure athletic performance. Look for players who track the ball, stay in defensive stance without being reminded, and hustle on every play.

12U-14U: Add Position-Specific Skills

Players at this level show more differentiation in skills. You can start evaluating position-specific abilities like ball handling for guards, post footwork for bigs, and perimeter shooting for wings.

Balance current performance with development potential. A player with excellent shooting form but inconsistent results may outperform a player with poor mechanics who currently makes shots. Once you've identified your top players, a strong player profile can help them get noticed by high school and college coaches.

Recommended Category Weighting by Age Group

Age Group	Physical Skills	Basketball IQ	Character
8U-10U	20%	30%	50%
12U	30%	35%	35%
14U	40%	35%	25%
High School	50%	30%	20%

Green highlights show the highest priority category for each age group. Character matters most at younger ages; physical skills dominate at the high school level.

Basketball Guard Evaluation Form

Basketball positions demand distinct skill sets. A point guard needs different abilities than a center. Use position-specific evaluation when you've identified candidates for specialized roles.

Guard Evaluation (Point Guard, Shooting Guard)

Guards run the offense and initiate plays. Evaluate ball handling under pressure—can they advance against a full-court press? Watch court vision: do they find the open shooter before the defense rotates? Assess perimeter shooting: can they knock down open threes and pull-up jumpers?

Leadership matters more for point guards than any other position. The best point guards make teammates confident with their passing and composure. Watch how guard candidates react after turnovers and how they communicate during dead balls.

Big Man Evaluation (Power Forward, Center)

Big men anchor the paint on both ends. Post moves matter—can they score with their back to the basket? Rebounding requires positioning and effort: watch who boxes out and who ball-watches. Shot blocking should be controlled: does the player challenge without fouling?

Screen setting separates good big men from great ones. HoopTactics notes(opens in new tab) that evaluating "closely related skills" in breakdown drills reveals who sets solid screens versus who slips early. A center who creates open shots for guards adds value that doesn't show up in scoring stats.

Guard Skills

Skill Category	1	2	3	4	5
Ball Handling	○	○	○	○	○
Perimeter Shooting	○	○	○	○	○
Court Vision	○	○	○	○	○
Speed/Quickness	○	○	○	○	○
Leadership	○	○	○	○	○
Notes
Guard Total	_______ / 25

Big Man Skills

Skill Category	1	2	3	4	5
Post Moves	○	○	○	○	○
Rebounding	○	○	○	○	○
Shot Blocking	○	○	○	○	○
Screen Setting	○	○	○	○	○
Finishing at Rim	○	○	○	○	○
Notes
Big Man Total	_______ / 25

Basketball Tryout Drills and Plan

Basketball tryouts demand organization. With shooting, ball handling, defense, and scrimmage time to evaluate, you need a station rotation that keeps players moving and evaluators focused. Build your schedule around the skills that matter most for your program.

Before Tryouts

Meet with your coaching staff to align on rating standards. What does a "4" look like for ball handling? Shared definitions mean shared standards—everyone scores a "4" the same way.

Arrive early to configure your court. Test ball rack positions, mark court areas for drills, and walk through the rotation schedule. A disorganized tryout leaves players standing around and evaluators scrambling.

Sample Tryout Drills

These drills reveal basketball skills that don't show up in scrimmages. Each drill targets specific abilities you need to evaluate.

Drill	Duration	Purpose	What to Watch
Three-Man Weave	5 min	Passing accuracy, conditioning, court vision	Groups of three run full-court passing drill without dribbling. Watch for crisp passes and communication.
1-on-1 Full Court	8 min	Ball handling under pressure, defensive effort	Offensive player must advance against live defense. Reveals who can handle pressure and who competes.
Shell Drill	10 min	Help defense, rotations, communication	Four defenders rotate against four offensive players passing around perimeter. Exposes defensive awareness.
Transition 3-on-2, 2-on-1	10 min	Fast break decisions, finishing in traffic	Continuous fast break drill. Shows who makes smart decisions at game speed.

During Tryouts

Assign specific evaluators to specific stations. One evaluator watches shooting, another tracks defensive effort. Each evaluator sees every player on that specific skill, creating consistency that multiple evaluators covering everything cannot match.

Game situations expose what drills hide: how players perform under pressure, who communicates, who disappears when the game gets tight. Watch body language after turnovers. Notice which players organize the offense during timeouts. These observations matter as much as skill ratings.

After Tryouts

Stack the scorecards and hunt for trends. Which players scored consistently across evaluators? Where did your team disagree? Disagreements often highlight players worth discussing further. Digital tools like Striveon turn handwritten scores into sortable data—filter by position, compare across evaluators, and export rosters in minutes instead of hours. Explore Striveon's evaluation features for faster roster decisions.

Provide feedback to players who ask. Specific criteria give them clear paths forward. "Your shot is consistent but you need to improve your defensive rotations" helps more than "work on your overall game." Learn how Striveon helps track athlete development beyond tryouts.

Sample Station Schedule

Example schedule for evaluating 50 players in 2.5 hours with 4 evaluators and 1 full court.

Station	Duration	Players/Group	Skills Tested
Check-in & Warm-up	15 min	All	Registration, dynamic stretching, layup lines
Ball Handling	15 min	8 at a time	Stationary moves, full-court dribbling, pressure handling
Shooting Stations	20 min	4 at a time	Spot-up shooting, off-dribble, free throws
Defensive Slides	10 min	6 at a time	Lateral movement, closeouts, help rotation
3-on-3 Half Court	20 min	6 at a time	Spacing, decision-making, individual defense
5-on-5 Scrimmage	40 min	10 at a time	Game sense, communication, clutch performance