Action is the foundation of all sets. Without action all the patterns and continuity is not possible. The goal with action is to create flow. When in flow, teams seamlessly “flow” from action to action creating a very smooth looking offense. Cutting and screen timing become of the utmost importance. The details matter.
On-Ball Actions
- Pick-and-Roll: Ball handler uses a screen to create space; screener rolls to the basket.
- Pick-and-Pop: Screener sets a pick and pops out for a jump shot.
- Ghost Screen: Screener fakes setting a pick and slips away.
- Flat Screen: Set on the perimeter with the screener’s back to
the baseline. - Drag Screen: Transition screen set by a trailing big for the ball handler.
- Spain Pick-and-Roll: Back screen on the roller’s defender during a pick-and-roll.
- Stack Pick-and-Roll: A stack is two players standing next to each other, with one player closer to the baseline and one player closer to half court. Common locations include the low block or the top of the key.
- Ram Screen: an offensive action in which a player receives a screen and then sets a ball screen
- Flip/Twist: A flip ball screen is when the screener switches the direction of his ball screen or twisting the angle.
- Euro Ball Screen: an empty side ball screen on the wing
- Horns Set: Two bigs at the elbows, allowing various pick-and-rolls, handoffs, or cuts.
- Step Up: A step-up or “knicks” screen is a wing ball screen set with the
- screener’s back to the baseline allowing the ball handler to drive towards the baseline.
- DHO: Dribble hand-off
Off-Ball Screens and Movement
- Floppy: Shooter uses staggered screens to get open for a shot.
- Stagger Screens: Two or three consecutive screens set for a shooter to move off-ball.
- Elevator Screen: Two screeners close the gap as a shooter runs through for a shot.
- Down Screen: an off-ball screen for a player to cut from the baseline towards the top of the key.
- Flare: Off-ball screen frees a shooter moving toward the perimeter.
- Cross Screen: an off-ball screen for a player to cut horizontally across the court and towards the ball handler
- Rip: a back screen (traditionally, rip referred to a back screen set by a guard for a big)
- Chin: a back screen for a player to cut from the weakside slot to the basket
- Rub: a brush cut; a cut/moving screen a player makes to obstruct the path of a defender (but without making contact with that defender, and thus not a moving-screen violation)
- Gaggle Action: Also known as “split screens”. Shooter runs through multiple screens to pop out for a shot.
- Screen Your Own: a tactic against switching defenses in which an offensive player screens his own defender, preventing his defender from switching onto the cutter
- Pin Down: Another term for down screen, alternative definition = rescreen after a down screen, pinning the screeners defender.
- Chicago Action: Pin down screen into a dribble handoff to free a shooter. Also known as Zoom.
- Fade: A fade is when a player turns down a screen and instead fades away from the action.
- Brush Screen: movement in which an offensive player cuts so that he (and/or his defender) get in the path of a different defender, functioning like a screen but never making contact and thus not a moving-screen violation
- Slice: Slice is a cut or screen from the opposite corner through the lane (sometimes off of a screen) to the top of the key or wing.
Cuts and Motion Concepts
- Iverson Cut: Wing player cuts across two high screens to get open.
- Zipper Action: Vertical cut using a screen to catch the ball near the top of the key.
- Split Cut: Two players near the post cut in opposite directions after a post-entry pass.
- Barkley: to dribble from the perimeter into the low block for a post-up, as players like Charles Barkley, Mark Jackson, and Gary Payton used to do
- Duck-In: a post move in which an offensive player moves into the paint and uses his inside foot to seal his defender
- Shallow/Wave Cut: A shallow cut is made in front of the ball to a new position next to the ball handler. Wave is a cut to create a double gap
- Stampede Cut: an offensive tactic in which a player on the perimeter is already running to the hoop as he catches a pass and continues driving to the basket
- UCLA Cut: The UCLA cut is off of a high post back screen at the elbow. The cutter
cuts from the slot or top of the key down to the block. - Get: an offensive action in which a player passes to a teammate and then follows his pass for a handoff
- Boomerang: Similar to stampede, a pass to a teammate followed by an immediate pass back so that the original ball handler has a live dribble to attack his defender (usually, a mismatch after a switch)
- Throw Back: On a throw back action, the ballhandler uses a ball screen and throws
back to the guard replacing the big man. - High/Low: Hi/Lo is an action involving the high and low posts. Typically, the low post player makes a reverse seal for the hi/lo pass.
Transition and Hybrid Actions
- Pistol Action: Combines handoffs, pick-and-rolls, and quick ball movement on the wing. 3 player action.
- Double Drag: a two-person staggered ballscreen for the ballhandler to dribble towards the middle of the floor (drag screens are traditionally set in transition)
- Delay Offense: 5-out setup with a center initiating handoffs and passing at the top of the key.
- Miami: combination action where the ball is entered to the high
post, a shuffle screen is set by the point guard, and the shuffle
screener then gets a dribble handoff from the high post player.
Post and Baseline Actions
- Post Split: Perimeter players screen and cut around a post player after an entry pass.
- Baseline Out-of-Bounds (BLOB) Actions: Quick scoring opportunities from the baseline using screens and misdirection.
- Baseline Stagger (Pin): Baseline single or double staggered screen(s) shooter fills corner.
- Picket Fence: Shooter runs through a 3 person fence for a shot (on the baseline).
- Hammer Action: Drive baseline with an off-ball screen to free a corner shooter.
Every coach will define offense differently, I feel the need to break down offense into multiple categories for different situations. The first is transition, which is live ball transition from defense to offense. This is where primary break action occurs, which is typically false action or a motion concept to create an advantage. If advantage is not created flow into next action or secondary action. Secondary action is almost always false action to get the defense moving, and will take place anywhere from 10-18 seconds into the shot clock. *Remember this is live ball transition. Once secondary action is taken away the exit play (under 12 second) occurs. This can be anything from a high ball screen to a Princeton split screen. Live Ball Transition is unscripted reads and Live Ball Half Court is scripted execution.
Order of Break – Live Ball Transition (Primary, Secondary, Exit), Live Ball Half Court (Set, 1st Option, 2nd Option, Exit Play), or Dead Ball Half Court (Quick Hitter or ATO).
The second type of offense which we will be covering is dead-ball half court offense or ATO (after timeout) offense. Half court offense is still about creating advantages and mismatches however it is done in a more methodical patterned way. Here are a few of my favorite quick sets or exit plays (which is different than traditional half court offense).
Exit Plays
- Horns Twist: Variation with twisting screens to add multiple layers of action.
- Corner Offense: an alignment that features three players on the strong side—a big at the Elbow plus a guard in the corner and in the wing—plus another big at the weakside Elbow and forward near the weakside slot. Triangle formations, backdoor cuts, and post-ups to create spacing.
- Princeton Offense: Read-and-react cutting and spacing, initiated with a high-post entry.
- Flex Offense: Baseline “flex cut” followed by a screen-the-screener action.
Complete Half Court Offense Breakdown
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