Plays in Basketball - The Coaching Fundamentals

There are many different plays in basketball that an offense can run. Some of them are drawn out plays while others take only a few seconds to develop. All plays in basketball are designed to get a player a good shot at the goal which will hopefully result in a basket. Let’s take a look at a few great plays in basketball that are quick and easy to execute.

The Pick

The Pick is also known as a screen in basketball. For this play a member of the offense tries to block the defender of another player so that the offensive player will be open. The pick can either be for a ball handler or it can be to get a player open to receive a pass.

The Pick and Roll

The Pick and Roll builds off The Pick.

For this play, an offensive player sets a screen for the ball handler. The ball handler dribbles by the screen and tries to scrape his defender off using the screen. As soon as the ball handler goes by and the screen is complete, the player setting the screen rolls off and goes to the basket. If both defenders try to follow the ball, the screener will be left wide open. The ball will then be passed to that player and he/she will have an easy basket.

The Cut

The Cut is one of the very simple plays in basketball and it involves a move to get a player open for a pass. All that happens on this play is that a player fakes like he/she is going one way and then that player quickly switches directions and runs the opposite way. This should get the player free from his/her defender long enough to receive a pass.

For example, if the ball is on one of the wings and there is a player that wants to get the ball at the top of the key. That player can start at the top of the key and dart toward the basket. At about the foul line, that player should stop and sprint right back to the top of the key where he/she can receive the pass.

The Backdoor Cut

The Backdoor Cut builds on The Cut.

For this basketball play, a player will start near the basket and fake like he/she is going to run to the perimeter. Then the player will stop and sprint back to the basket to hopefully receive a pass for an easy score.

This play can also be run with the help of a pick. Another player can set a pick out high and allow a teammate to cut backdoor along the baseline.

The Backdoor Cut is most effective when it’s run from the weak side. This means the ball starts on one wing and is passed to the high post. A player from the opposite side from where the ball just was (the weak side) then makes a back door cut.

The Stack Plays

The Stack Plays use both picks (screens) and a backdoor cut.

These plays begin with the ball handler at the top of the key and two players on each side of the lane – two players out high (along the foul line) and two players down low (just in front of the basket). These four players should form a box.

The first stack play involves both players down low beginning to run out to the wing. One player will stop and cut backdoor. The ball is passed to the player on that side that is standing on the foul line. That player should immediately look to make a good pass (usually a bounce pass) to the player making the backdoor cut.

For another, slightly more complicated play, two players on one side of the box will set screens and the player down low on the opposite side will run across the lane and receive a pass on the outside. Meanwhile, the player out high on the other side (away from the screens) will fake like he/she is going outside and then that player will make a back door cut and sprint to the basket.

The player who now has the ball on the outside can take a shot or can look to make the pass to the other player who just made the backdoor cut.

Many Plays in Basketball

Of course there are many other plays that can be run. There are more stack plays and many other plays that begin with different formations. Most of these plays build off each other. This is good because as the defense adjusts to one play, another play can be used to keep the defense off balance.

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