Offensive Actions
Breakout - When a player grabs a rebound and cannot immediately outlet the ball because she is being pinched by the defense; she will pivot to the inside and tale a low “breakout” dribble to the center. This allow us to start the fastbreak quickly.
Outlet - This is a pass that starts the fastbreak. We want to make this pass as far down the floor as possible. The point guard should fill the high outlet.
Push the ball - This means to move the ball up the floor in a fastbreak situation. It can be done by the pass or the dribble. If someone is ahead of you in an advantage situation, she deserves the ball. If the wings are being defended the guard want to “push” the ball hard on the dribble to the middle.
Spot up - The offensive player finds an open area on the floor and sets herself for a shot. We like to spot up in the corners and attack spots as it gives us good spacing.
Square - Sometimes called triple threat or “sit in your chair” on offense. We want to do this every time we catch a ball. It means playing with your knees bent and the ball in an attacking position. For a right handed player she will rip square on the left side of the floor and sweep square on the right side. This allows her to use the left foot as a permanent pivot foot. It is opposite for a left handed player.
Rip square - This is used against tough overplay defense. The player “squares” by taking her outside leg (right for a right hand player) and driving it to the basket. It is a 180 degree pivot on your left foot (for a right handed player). It creates space to relieve the pressure. We want to pivot to the middle so that we see the greatest amount of the floor.This is sometimes called a “pocket to pocket” pivot. This is because we put the ball in our pocket when we pivot to protect it.
Sweep Square - This is a drop pivot on the outside foot (this is still the left foot for the right handed player).Take your right leg and drop it backward. It is used to create space to relieve pressure. This can also be called a swing step. If a defender is close you still would put the bal in your pocket.
Duck and dive - An action by the weakside players when a shot is taken or on dribble penetration. The low player ducks to the dotted circle while the high player dives to the basket or drifts to the corner. This creates problems for the defense when trying to box out.
High Low - When the ball is passed into the high post the low post duck to the dotted circle. Hold your seal. We also look for the opposite pass, a low high when the ball is in the low post.
Utah - When a player passes to the post she goes and screen for the next outside player. She then looks to face up or slip the screen. This can be run by a wing screening for the guard
Guard to wing Utah - The guard screens for the wing after passing to the post.
Types of passes
Swing or Reversal - When the ball is quickly reversed from one side of the floor to the other. Quick ball reversals are one of the most difficult things for a team to defend. We want ‘swings’ in all of our offenses. It is important that the reversal spot and trail spot are filled to allow this to happen. The pass should be made off the outside hip.
Skip - The ball is thrown with an overhead pass from one side of the floor to the other, without going through the top. It is used most often against a zone defense.
Lob - Used by an outside player to a post who is being fronted and their is no backside help. The passer shoots the ball to the post who is facing the baseline side. The post seals the defender with her hip and does not move until the ball is directly over her head.
Step around bounce - This is the best pass to enter the ball to a post player. The outside player fakes high and then steps around the defender and bounces the ball to the post. The post presents both shoulders to the passer and holds her seal.
Entry pass - This pass is used to start an offense. It is usually a guard to wing pass. The guard most often will use a flick pass with the outside hand. The guard will pass to space and the wing will run through the ball.
Offensive Cuts
There are three types of offensive cuts that an offensive player can make: a basket cut, ball cut and a spacing cut.
Basket cuts - These are cuts that are directed at the basket. We want these to be aggressive cuts looking to receive the ball to score.
Jam - Used to post up. The player plants her top foot between the defenders feet, sits down and does a drop pivot In the post hold your seal. This can also be used by a wing as a ball cut to get open on the wing.
Flash - This is also called a “duck in”. The player in the low post takes her bottom foot combined with a upward ripping action of her inside arm she jumps to the dotted circle. Hold your seal. It is part of a high low action when the ball is in the high post. You can also flash cut vs. a zone.
Give and go - When the ball is passed to another player the passer makes a hard cut to the rim. We want to stop at the basket and sit on something (your defender or a another player vs. a zone). There are two types of give and go cuts:
Pass and cut - If the defender is playing tight or if does not jump to the ball on the pass, we pass and make a hard straight cut to the rim.
Pass, fake and cut - If the defense jumps to the ball and then follows the passer expecting her to set a screen; we want to fake first by walking away from the pass and then cutting back hard to the rim.
Laker cut - When the ball is passed to the post or the corner, the player who makes the pass will make a give and go cut to the basket. The other perimeter players rotate to fill the vacated (I-cut)
On the pass to the post the cutter can either make the high Laker cut through the elbow:
or the low Laker below the post.
Backdoor - This a cut to the basket to relieve pressure. The offensive player cuts behind the defender to the rim. There are two types of backdoor cut.
Backdoor off a pass fake - In the process of making a ball cut, if the passer and cutter realize that the defense is playing to tight; the passer fakes a pass and the cutter goes to the rim. This could be a wing player, a player cutting to the top or a post.
Backdoor when dribbled at - Anytime an outside player is dribbled at this is a key to go backdoor to the rim.
Note: When passing to an outside player going backdoor we want the pass to be made before she reaches the key.
Ball cuts - Cuts used by players one pass away from the ball. Ball cut when the passer looks at you.
Bump cut—this is the main bal cut we want to execute. When the player with the ball looks at the cutter she cuts straight to the ball. When she reaches the point where she wants to receive the ball she makes a 90 degree cut to the wing or top to receive the pass.
Jam - Used by a wing player to get open on the wing. The offensive player walks her defender to the basket. She plants her top foot between the defenders feet, sits down and does a drop pivot. Sit on the defender and then pop to the wing.
V-cut - The offensive player walks her defender up or down (walk her down if she is below you, walk her up if she is above you). She then plants her inside foot and cuts back to the wing. This is also used when cutting off a screen.
L-cut - The offensive player walks the defender down to the block. She then cuts straight up the foul lane to the elbow. The final step is a cut to the wing.
360 - When tightly guarded the offensive player cuts to the basket. Once the defender chases, the offensive player circles back to the wing.
Pop - This is post cut from the high post to a spot outside the 3 pt line. This is used to stretch the defense. It opens up a reversal pass and to clear the key area for other cutters.
Spacing cuts - This are cuts made to relieve pressure and to keep the floor spread to keep the help defense occupied.
Flatten to space - This is the most important concept for cutter who have just cut to the rim. When the posted player leaves the key after sitting on someone she wants to run a flat cut to space. This move create space to ball cut into.
Bury - When the guard passes to the wing she cuts to the ball side corner. This prevents the defending guard from sagging to help on the post. It sets up a triangle on the ball side.
Bury Away - This is when the guard passes to the wing and cuts to the opposite corner.
Baseline Drift - When the an offense player drives to the basket along the baseline, the wing player on the opposite side slides to the corner to relieve pressure and be available for the pass. One can drift to the short corner or to the block on the help side.
Fade - Similar to a backdoor except that the wing player cuts to the ball side corner. This is used when a backdoor is not open because the post is filled.
Shallow cut - This is used to release pressure when a wing player is overplayed when trying to receive a wing entry pass. She will circle to the top as the guard dribbles to the wing. A backdoor cut is not an option because there is a post on the ball side.
“I” Cut - This is a cut that is hard to classify. It is part spacing cut because it is used to relieve pressure, but it is a ball cut. What ever the case it is the most important cut to help an offensive player who has gone dead with the ball. When a player is trapped someone must step behind the player to relieve pressure. “I”cuts occur on baseline drives, on passes to the post and traps in full court pressure.
The following are special types of I-cuts. We are looking to score off of these first. Relieve pressure second.
Kentucky cut - When the guard penetrates to the wing the offensive wing player will circle behind the guard when her defender helps on the drive by the guard. Excellent way to look for a 3 pt shot.
Post Kentucky - When a player drives baseline the post looks to step out behind the player to relieve pressure and a scoring opportunity.
Russia cut - When the wing penetrates to the middle the offensive player on the top will cut behind the wing.
Screens
There are two basic types of screens. Ball screens and screens away from the ball.
Screens away from the ball
Down screen - The screener goes from the top and screens for a cutter below herin the corner or wing. The screener is nearer the wall than the cutter and has her back to the ball when setting the screen.
Back screen - The screener goes from the key area to screen for a player outside of her. Her back is to the basket when setting the screen.
Diagonal screen - The screener goes from the high post and screens for theopposite low post.
Screen across - This is also called “screen away”. This is where the screener goes and screens for a cutter on the opposite side of the floor. This is also called a “Bulldog”.
Flare screen - The screener comes from the wing area and screens for a player closer to the wall. The cutter usually runs a fade cut and the screener faces up to the top.
Shuffle cut - A high post player steps out and sets a back screen for a cutter from the shooter spot, who cuts to the basket. This is also called an up screen
Flex cut - A player in the post steps out and sets a backscreen for a player in the corner or on the wing. This is immediately followed by a down screen for the first screener. It is also called screen the screener.
Louie - This is another screen the screener action. A good shooter in the low post ball side screens across the key. She then receives a down screen and cuts to the shooter spot.
Stagger screen - This is another multiple screen. The cutter runs off consecutive screens. This usually occurs along the baseline or from the baseline to the top.
Invert - In our normal screening situation the posts are on the inside the wings are outside. We switch positions allowing different screens to occur.
Pin down - The player on the outside screens in for the player closer to the center. After screening the screener posts. This works best vs soft defense.
Roll back - When a cutter goes off a back screen, she stops in the middle and comes back to the same side. The screener comes back in and sets a pin down.
Stack - A double screen set by two players. Can stack high or low. Once the cutter uses the screen the stack can a) one player split and spot up the other post or b) one curl and the other post.
Ball Screens or Picks
High screen - A post player steps out to set a screen for the guard. The guard attacks the wing. The post can roll or spot up or roll. This is used to start the offense.
Indiana - Wing player steps up to set a screen for the guard. The screener can roll or spot up. This is used to start the offense.
Double - The post runs pick and roll with the player coming off the wing. This is used to start the offense.
Nasty - A player sets a screen on the ball. The ball handler goes off the screen. A third player sets a backscreen or flare screen on the screener’s girl. The ball handler has the option of looking for her own scoring opportunity, to hit the roller coming off the screen or hitting the face up by the screener.
Slip the screen - When the defender of the screener hedges too soon, the screener cuts to the basket imediately.
Cuts off screens
Whenever a screen occurs two cuts take place; one ball cut and one basket cut. The cutter decides her cut first. The screener reacts to the cutters action.
Face up - Once the cutter uses the screen the screener rolls back to the ball if the cutter went to the basket or to the basket if the cutter goes to the ball. It is imortant to step to the ball.
Straight cut - The cutter comes off the screen to the ball. The screener faces up to the basket.
Curl - When the defender follows the offense player off the screen the cutter goes tight off the screen to the basket. The screener faces up to the ball.
Gut cut - When the defender goes over the screen the cutter cuts behind the screen to the basket. The screener faces up to the ball.
Fade - When the defender cheats over the screen early the offensive player changes direction 180 degrees and cuts to the open space. The screener faces up to the ball. This is also called a ”push move”. This is the only screen where there is no ball cut.
Switch and go - When the defense switches the player screening cuts to the basket and the cutter runs a straight cut. We also call this a SLIP. When inbounding the ball it is important to look for slips when the defense switches or hedges.
Baseline runner - The cutter runs the baseline using staggered screens. This is also useful vs zone defenses.
Zone Terms
Seal and release - A post player seals the defender in to create a shot for the shooter. Once the defender fights past her she goes and post on the next player in the zone.
Dribble pull - The ball handler dribbles the ball taking the zone defender with her. A second offensive player rotates into the hole created.
Dribble push - The ball handler dribbles at an outside player. She then cuts through to the other side. The other perimeter players are pulled along.
Away - We position 3 players on the weakside of the zone. The offense starts with two players and is reversed to three. We bury one player in the helpside corner.