How to run flex offense in basketball

Flex Offense - Complete Coaching Guide

Before we get into how to run the flex offense, let’s have a quick look at its history in the game of basketball.

The flex offense was created as a variation to the shuffle offense in the 1970’s by Carroll Williams of Santa Clara University.

There are many coaches that have had success with the flex offense including Gary Williams of Maryland who won the 2002 NCAA championship using the flex offense, Bo Ryan at Wisconsin, Al Skinner at Boston College, Jerry Sloan variations of it during his time with the Utah Jazz, not to mention hundreds of high school coaches across the country.

As you can see, the flex offense has been proven to work at all levels of basketball. It is a staple offense among many high school teams.

Let’s start with the absolute basics.

Since the offense is named after this cut, it’s important that every coach reading this has knowledge of the flex cut before we get deeper into breaking down the offense.

A flex cut is when a player in the corner receives a screen from a teammate leading them into the paint where they can receive a pass for a layup or shot close to the hoop.

You can see an example in the diagram. The player cutting can cut either side of the screener depending on the location of their defender.

It’s important that this cut is practiced often by your players as it’s a massive part of the offense and once the players learn how to read their defender, the flex cut will lead to a lot of scoring opportunities.

The flex offense is a 4-out, 1-in continuity offense that primarily uses down-screens in a screen-the-screener action and the famous ‘flex cut’ to get open layups or jump shots around the high post. It’s primarily a man-to-man offense, but can be used against a zone with some slight adjustments.

It’s a slow-down, patient offense that requires good spacing, ball-movement, passing, shooting, cutting, and screening by all players.

It’s common to see teams reverse the ball to different sides of the court three or four times before creating an open shot at the basket.

Every team from middle school (about age 11) and up can run the flex offense.

Too often I hear “I can’t run the flex offense with my team, my bigs can’t dribble or pass to save themselves!”. My reply usually is something like “When have they had the opportunity to learn how to dribble and pass?”

If your only concern is winning basketball games, then this offense should only be run by a team of players who ALL excel at passing, dribbling, cutting, screening and shooting, as all positions are interchangeable. It’s tough (closer to impossible) to find a team of players that good at the middle and high-school level.

The flex offense doesn’t allow you to give the basketball to your best scorer and let them go one-on-one every trip down the floor while the weaker offensive players are hidden in the corners. Every player must be involved.

Coaches looking to use this offense have to remember that we can’t expect our players to be perfect at all these skills before we implement the offense.

By implementing the flex offense you’ll gradually develop complete players by experience and they’ll learn the fundamental skills of all areas and positions on the basketball court.

With that said, while I think the offense can work for any youth team, there is obviously going to be teams that are more suited to this offense.

1. Teams lacking height – If your team doesn’t have a great low-post player or much height, this is a good offense because it creates constant movement from all players on the floor.

2. Great shooting teams – This is a great offense for a team in which all players can shoot from the outside. If you have players that can’t, it allows the defense to sag into the paint and cut off passing lanes.

3. Teams with a high basketball IQ – All players running the flex offense will develop a higher basketball IQ, but it definitely helps if you’ve got smart players from the start.

Easy to Learn – The reason the flex offense is so popular among high school programs is because it’s relatively simple to learn.

Everyone Develops and Contributes – The flex really is a TEAM offense. Unlike most youth teams, you can’t rely on one player handling the ball for most of the shot clock and the same players shooting each time down the floor. Everyone is involved in the offense.

Positionless Basketball – The flex offense requires all 5 players to be interchangeable. This leads to all players being comfortable playing anywhere on the floor and developing skills and confidence for all positions.

Fatigue the Defense – The Flex offense often takes up a lot of the shot clock in search of an open shot, the defense is forced to guard for long stretches on defense. As they’ll be constantly fighting through screens and continually moving, this can really wear down the opposition.

Control Tempo – When you run the flex offense you dictate the speed of the game. You’ll slow the game down instead of playing a run-and-gun game against a superior team.

Great Mis-Matches – A common defensive tactic against the flex is to switch on all screens. If used correctly, this is fantastic for the offense as it will often lead to mis-matches in dangerous areas of the floor.

Develops Complete Players – It’s all too common in youth basketball to see players limited to their position. The bigs screen, the guards handle the ball, etc. In the flex offense all players must learn and develop all areas of their game. Bigs must learn how to drive, small players must learn how to play in the post, guards must learn how to screen, etc.

Less Dribbling – If there’s one basketball skill that’s overused in youth games it’s dribbling. The flex offense doesn’t allow players to over-dribble. If a player dribbles in the flex offense it’s with a purpose.

Many Entries – There are many entries into the flex offense which disguises it from the defense until you’re already in it.

Predictability – The biggest downside of the flex offense is its predictability. The opposition team will know where you’re going to cut, who you’re going to screen, and what spots on the court you want to get shots from. Although this doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be able to stop the offense as there are many alternate actions to counter with.

Too Many Passes – In youth basketball, the more your team passes, the more chance they have of turning the ball over.

Teams Will Play Zone – One of the easiest ways to defend the flex offense is to simple play a zone defense. If allowed, a lot of teams will switch to this early on in the game and the flex coach must know how to counter.

All Players Must Be Able to Shoot – All of your players must be able to shoot from outside. If they can’t, it’s easy for the defense to sag into the lane and cut off passes that should be easy scores.

Going Through the Motions – One of the hardest things for players to learn in the flex offense is when to go for the score. Players can get so caught up in where to move and pass next that they forget the main objective of offense is to put the basketball in the hoop.

The first thing you must learn is the basic flex offense continuity. This is the core of the offense and all entries, counters, corner options, sets, and variations will develop from this.

The basic flex continuity is designed to get open shots from two areas on the court:
1. A layup off the flex cut.
2. A jump shot from around the high post.

During the basic flex offense, there are 6 spots on the court that should always be filled by a player.

There must always be two players at the top of the key, there must always be two players on the wing, and the last player should be on either low block depending on where the basketball is and which part of the offense the team is up to.

When teaching the offense to a new team, I highly recommend placing 6 flat cones on the court in these 6 different spots.

The offense begins with two players at the top of the key, two wing players, and a low-post player on the strong-side of the court.

• The offense starts when the player with the basketball (1) passes across court to (4).

• This pass triggers the flex cut from (3) who is screened by (5).

• After (5) screens for (3), (1) now sets a down-screen for (5) (screen-the-screener action) to pop to the top of the key.

• (1) steps out and (3) becomes the new post player.

Important to remember: The flex cutter (3) can cut either side of the screen set by (5) depending on how the defense is playing them.

This is half a rotation. Let’s switch the ball back to the other side of the court so that you make sure you understand it…

• (4) makes the guard-to-guard pass to (5) which triggers the flex cut.

• The new post player (3) screens for (2) to make the flex cut to the ball-side block looking for an easy layup.

• (4) now down-screens for (3) who pops up to the top of the key looking to receive the ball for the open shot.

• We’re now back at the very start of the flex offense and have had many great opportunities for an open shot.

The reason this action is so effective is because the defender of the player flex cutting will find it extremely difficult to defend it on their own. Most of the time they will need help from the defender of the player setting the flex screen to stop an easy layup.

While this person is helping stop the flex cutter, they’re being screen as the player they’re defending is cutting to the top of the key or flashing to the ball. This forces the defense to make a decision… do I help on the cutter or do I stay with my player?

These are very tough actions to stop. Especially because these actions can be run 3 or 4 times on a single possession until a breakdown in the defense occurs.

Now that you know the basic flex continuity, let’s look at how to get into the flex offense. One of the best things about the flex is there are many ways to disguise it from your opponents.

I recommend your team use one of the entries below after a time-out or out-of-bounds to easily flow into the flex offense.

Throughout the game it’s easy enough to run straight to the flex positions. Players must communicate and be aware as they’re sprinting down the court so they set up quickly.

There’s two ways of entering flex through the low 1-4 entry. By passing to the post player or passing to the wing. Let’s take a look at both…

Low 1-4 – Post Option
This entry starts with both bigs on the block and two wing players. The point guards brings the ball down the middle of the floor and picks a side to dribble to. When the point guard dribbles to a specific side, the opposite post player cuts hard to the top of the key and receives the ball from the point guard. Now we’re in flex.

Low 1-4 – Post Option

Low 1-4 – Wing Option
The entry starts in the same way. The point guard brings the ball down the court and picks a side of the floor. The opposite post player flashes high but is covered so instead the point guard passes to the wing. When this happens, the ball-side post player comes up and sets screen so the point guard can UCLA cut to the block. If the pass isn’t on to the point guard the wing players passes to the top of the key and we’re in flex.

Low 1-4 – Wing Option

Using this entry the four off-ball players start in a box format. As the point guard is dribbling down the floor the two players beginning on the high post step out and the point guard passes to one of them. After passing the point guard immediately cuts through to the ball-side corner. As the point guard is cutting, the weak-side high post sets a down-screen for the player on the weak-side low post to pop out and receive the basketball. Now we’re in flex.

Box Entry

There’s two ways of entering flex through the high 1-4 entry. By passing to the post player or passing to the wing. Let’s take a look at both…

High 1-4 – Wing Option
We start this entry in a high 1-4. The point guard passes to either wing player and then makes a UCLA cut off the ball-side post player to the block. If the pass is on, make it. If not, the basketball is rotated and we’re now in flex.

1-4 High – Wing Option

High 1-4 – Post Option
Instead of passing to a wing player one of the post players step out off the high post and receives the pass. This triggers the other post player to cut to the ball-side low block and the point guard steps into their position. The pass is immediately made back to the point guard and we’re in flex.

1-4 High – Post Option

Here are a couple of plays if you want to get into the flex offense straight away from the baseline out of bounds.

BLOB Play 1

In the first BLOB play, players line up as shown in the diagram. Both low players set diagonal screens and the post player cuts to the block while the guard cuts to the wing to receive the basketball. After making the pass the inbounder cuts off the post player screen to the top of the key. The guard steps out and the basketball is rotated. We’re now in flex.

BLOB Play 2

Players begin in a low 1-4 set. When the inbounder slaps the ball the closest post player uses his body to shield the defense and receive the lob pass over the top. When this is made the other post player cuts to the top of the key as well. We’re now set up for flex as the guard-to-guard pass is made at the top and the inbounder steps in the court to set the flex screen. Now we’re in flex.

Here is my favorite play if you want to get into the flex offense straight away from the sideline out of bounds.

SLOB Play

Players start in a box set. When the inbounder slaps the ball the closest high player down-screens for a guard to pop to the top and receive the pass. When this pass is made the other high post player fakes to receive the pass and receives a back-screen from the low weak-side player. If the lob to the ring isn’t on, then the screener steps out to receive the ball and the cutter goes to the wing. We’re now in flex.

The basic continuity involves the top two players passing back and forth in search of open players to pass to for the shot.

We must give the players the option to pass to the corner if they need to.

As the constant guard-to-guard pass is predictable, a common method of opposition coaches to stop the flex offense is to completely deny this pass. If you don’t have corner options, then as soon as this pass is denied your flex offense will come to an immediate stop!

There are many variations you can run off the pass to the corner. I’m going to share with you 5 options. My advice is to pick 2 or 3 of them to use for your team and have a code word for each that is called out on every pass to the corner.

Don’t try to implement all 5 options or your players will never learn. It would be more beneficial for your team to master 2 or 3 options.

Quick Note: On the corner pass the post player should always post up for 1-2 seconds to see if the entry pass into the post is open. Perimeter players must hold their position for these 1-2 seconds.

This is the easiest action to learn and an action I’ve seen young teams run but doesn’t produce a great scoring opportunity. Rather, it’s just to release pressure and then get back into the basic flex offense.

After passing the ball to (3) in the corner, (1) cuts through the key to the opposite baseline as the other two perimeter players rotate towards the basketball before getting back into flex.

The problem with this option is that there’s no opportunity to pass to the cutting players since (5) is already on the post and there will be too many defenders. But it is an option to use for young teams.

Another easy option is as soon as the ball is passed to the corner by (1), (5) steps up and sets a screen for (1) to UCLA cut to the block. If the corner player doesn’t pass to (1) on the UCLA cut then (3) can pass to (5) as they pop out and we’re back in flex. On the opposite side of the court (4) sets a down-screen for (2) who cuts to the top of the key.

Instead of passing to the corner the player with the basketball can dribble to the corner to get out of trouble. As the player is doing this they call out a key word like ‘dribble!’ and the corner player curls around the low post and pops out to the top of the key for the pass. Now we’re back in flex.

The player that passes the basketball to the corner becomes the screener on the play. First, (1) sets a cross-screen for (4) who replaces (1)’s spot, and after (4)’s defender has made it around the screen, (1) immediately sets a down-screen for (2) to cut and replace (4)’s position. After both screens (1) ends up in the opposite corner. Now we’re back in flex.

In this option both high players (1) and (4) set a staggered screen for the weakside corner player (2). (2) uses this staggered screen and cuts all the way to the ball-side looking for a shot. (1) steps back and becomes a high player while (4) becomes the corner player. Now we’re back in flex.

As the ball is passed into the corner, both ball-side players cross-screen for both weak-side players. Both screeners must hunt the defender and set a solid screen. If the cutter through the lane isn’t open the ball is passed back to the top and we’re now in flex.

Due to the 4-out, 1-in setup of the flex offense and all the screening and switches that take place, it’s a great offense to get the basketball into the post and let your players go to work.

When your team is already in the offense, I encourage players to keep an eye on the inside match-up and if it’s to our advantage then toss the ball inside and let the player go to work.

The best time to pass into the post is after a pass to the corner as we don’t like passing the ball into the post player from the top of the key.

To stop the defense collapsing on the post player and trapping the post, I’ll share with you a few options that will force the perimeter defenders to stick to their players and will allow your post player to go one-on-one.

As you’ll see in the next two options, nothing needs to be called out after a feed into the post. It’s the passer that dictates which option will be used so the perimeter players must read what they do and adjust.

On the feed into the post from the wing player, unless the post player makes an immediate move, the passer cuts through to the opposite wing and all perimeter player rotate one spot around.

The passer can cut either side of the post player and the post player should look for the short pass/hand-off if it’s open.

Cutting around the perimeter forces all defenders to stay with the offensive player they’re guarding.

If they don’t, this is a great opportunity for a back-door cut and easy pass to score.

On the feed into the post the passer chooses to screen the ball-side guard at the top of the key. This keeps the closest defenders to the post occupied playing off-ball defense at the risk of allowing an open outside shot.

The ball-side guard should come off the screen looking for a catch-and-shoot from the post player and the screener can open up to the ball looking for the shot or back-cut to the ring depending on how the defense plays the screen.

If the screener does opt to take the back-cut option, the two weak-side players rotate around as the cutter fills the weak-side corner.

There are a few common tactics coaches use to attempt to stop the flex offense. We’re going to go through the two most common tactics and give you ways to work around them.

This is the main tactic coaches use to stop the flex offense in it’s tracks. If the offensive team can’t make the guard-to-guard pass (which triggers the flex cut and down-screen), then the offense stops. Luckily for us, there are a few alternatives.

1. Backdoor Cut

If the guard-to-guard pass is being overplayed then the player can execute a back-door cut.

The back-door cutter must explode towards the ring and not hesitate. Players should never fake the back-door cut.

When this happens the player in the corner rotates up and receives the basketball while the cutter takes their place in the corner.

2. Dribble Exchange

If the guard-to-guard pass can’t be made, another option is to simply exchange spots by the player with the basketball dribbling up and around while the player being denied banana cuts underneath.

This exchange triggers the flex action.

Some coaches like to screen across but I’d rather stay away from the congestion and have found it just as easy to simply exchange positions.

One of the best ways to defend the flex offense is by switching screens. This allows the post player to stay close to the basket and the guards to play defense on the perimeter.

Here’s a few ideas on how you can counter the switching defense…

1. Duck in on flex screen

On the flex cut, O5 will screen X3 and X5 will be forced to help out on O3 to prevent the open layup.

When this happens, O5 should seal off on X3 and duck in with high hands to receive the pass.

This forces X5 to deny O3 and O5 at the same time or the offense will get a layup in the paint.

This tactic leads to a lot of fouls and free-throws.

2. Isolate on mis-matches

This is important to remember… When the opposition is switching on all screens the offensive team gets to pick who guards who.

Depending on who their weaker players are, take the time to work out how you can get your best players in positions they’re comfortable in being guarded by the oppositions weaker players.

This requires pre-match planning and knowledge of the other teams’ players.

3. Down-screen own player

When running the down-screen action of the flex, have the player setting the down-screen screen their own player instead.

Depending on how low they follow the perimeter player down, you can set a down-screen or a flare screen for the shot. When the player fights through, quickly flash to the ball.

4. Be patient

A simple tip but very important. After a couple of ball-reversals you can be sure the defense is going to make a mistake. Two defenders will get confused and accidentally end up on one offensive player. It happens all the time!

Your players must be patient and wait for this to occur and then be ready to make the most of it when it does happen!

5. Start with point guard in the post

As teams will usually begin in their match-up before they start switching, consider starting with your point guard in the post instead of the post-player. That way when players switch you’ll end up with one of your post players posting up the oppositions point guard.

As you can see in the image, we’ve immediately ended up with the defending point guard trying to stop our post player in the paint.

Ask anyone that’s played against the flex offense, you might know where the screens are coming from, but they’re still very difficult to guard. If the defense cheats, there are many options for the offensive player to counter that we’ve talked about in the article.

In my opinion all players that run the flex offense will come out better players with a much higher basketball IQ.

The only trap you must be aware of is that your players don’t become robots in the offense. Screening where they’re meant to screen and passing where they’re meant to pass without ever looking at the basket or even considering attacking.

If you can keep them in attack mode and seeking potential scoring opportunities, this can be a fantastic offense for all levels of basketball beyond middle school.

The Dynamic Flex Offense With Video

By Joe Haefner

Home > Coaching > Basketball Offense > The Dynamic Flex Offense With Video - Basketball Continuity Offense

The Flex Offense is a very effective offense that is based on a continuity pattern. All 5 players get to play all 5 positions, which is excellent for player development.

With the flex offense, you will have great spacing, player movement, and ball movement. With the constant passing, cutting, flex screens, and screen the screener actions, the flex offense can be a nightmare for defenses to guard. Part of the reason the flex offense is so popular and so effective, is because it's based on a screening action that is very difficult to stop, even when you know it's coming.

The flex offense is also highly adaptable and effective if you add counters and motion principles. This will cause the defense's head to spin because they will never know what is coming. On one possession, you can see flex pattern, counter, counter, flex pattern, flex pattern, flex pattern, counter, flex pattern, counter, and so on.

The Flex Offense is also very popular at the college and NBA levels. In the last few years, the Bulls, Hawks, Jazz, Magic, and Heat all ran variations of the flex offense. At the college level, Maryland and Gonzaga have popularized the flex offense. Each team has a unique way to run the offense and so can you.

You can view the diagrams and video of the flex offense below.

Basic Flex Motion - Guard to Guard Passes

When a guard to guard pass is made, the player on the low block sets a flex screen for the player in the corner which is followed by a down screen by the passer for the player setting the flex screen.

Any time this guard to guard pass is made, this action occurs. You could run the flex offense simply by passing guard to guard continuously. You will see this in this action over the next few diagrams.

Flex Offense - Corner Pass Option

Within the flex motion, whenever a pass is made to the corner, the passer sets a down screen for the opposite wing. With proper timing, this flex action will often turn into a double-staggered screen as you will see in the diagrams below.

Related Pages & Helpful Resources

Using the Flex Offense Versus a Zone Defense
Flex Offense Drills - Screen the Screener Shooting Drill
3 Essential Flex Offense Plays From the 1-4 High Entry Set
Flex Offense Plays - Strong Side Ball Screen Off Corner Pass

Recommended DVDs:

The Hybrid Flex Offense with Don Kelbick This DVD set includes the basic flex pattern, how to introduce hybrid options and motion counters, how to teach the flex, 8 alternate entries to disguise and initiate the flex offense, how to handle all defensive situations such as pressure and switching, 5 highly effective scoring options out of the flex offense, and flex drills to develop the offense. This DVD is 80 minutes long and neatly organized ... (more info)

What do you think? Let us know by leaving your comments, suggestions, and questions...

Flex Offensive: The Complete Training Guide

Flex Offensive: The Complete Training Guide

July 27, 2016 by Coach Mac

Flex Offensive - Origins

Before Understanding How to Play Flex Offensive Let's take a quick look at his history in basketball. Flex attacks were created as random variations in the 1970s by Carroll Williams of Santa Clara University. There are many coaches who have had success with the flexible offense, including Gary Williams of Maryland who won the 2002 NCAA championship, Beau Ryan of Boston College, Jerry Sloan with his variations of the flex offense in his time with the Utah Jazz, not to mention hundreds of coaches with high schools throughout the country. As you can see, the flexible offense has worked at all levels of basketball. It is one of the main offenses among many high school teams.

What is Flex Cut? Let's start with the absolute basics. The offense was named after this snatch, it is important that every coach reading this article has knowledge of the flex snatch before we delve into this offense. A flex charge is when a player in the corner receives a screen from a teammate and rushes into the penalty area where he can receive the ball to attack the basket. You can see an example in the picture. The player rushing to the basket may use either side of the screener depending on where the defender is located.

It is important that these rushes are practiced frequently by your players during practice, and once players learn to read their defender, the flex rush will lead to more basket-taking opportunities.

Overview Flex Offensive

Flex offense from a 4-player perimeter, 1-inside setup forms a continuous offense that primarily uses down screens and a screen for the screener, an action famously named "flex screen" to get open shots from under the basket (layups) or jump shot near the high center position. It is primarily an offense against personal defense, but can be used against the zone with minor adjustments. This is a slow attack that requires good placement, ball movement, passes, shots, passes, rushes, setting and screening of all players. It is common to see teams throwing the ball three or four times back and forth before creating an open shot to the basket.

Who can use Flex Assault? Each high school team (11 years old and over) can work with flexible offense. Too often I hear "I can't run flex with my team, my big ones can't dribble or get past to save themselves!". My response is usually something along the lines of - "When else would they have the opportunity to learn how to dribble and pass?" If you're only concerned with winning basketball, then your offense should only be launched with a team of players who all excel in passing, passing, dribbling, rushing, screening and shooting, and all positions are interchangeable. It is difficult (closer to impossible) to find a team of players who do it well or perfectly in high school or high school. Offensive flex doesn't allow you to give the ball to your top scorer and let him play one on one every attack while the weaker players of the attacking team are hidden in the corners. Every player must be involved in the attack. Coaches wishing to use this offense should remember that we cannot expect our players to be perfect in all of these skills before we implement the offense. By implementing a flexible offense, you gradually develop the complex skill and experience of the players, and they will learn fundamental skills in all areas and positions on the basketball court. With that said, I think offense can work well for any youth team, but obviously there will be teams that are more suited to this offense.

1. Teams without tall players. - If your team does not have qualified, or at least high centers, then this is a great offense, because it creates a constant movement of all the players on the court.

2. Teams with excellent snipers. - This is a great offense for a team where all players can shoot with a good % from the perimeter. If you have players who can't shoot from long to medium range, then it allows the defense to go into the paint and cut off the passing lanes.

3. High basketball IQ teams. - All players playing flexible offense will develop a higher basketball IQ. Implementing this offense certainly helps if you have smart players from the start.

Benefits of Flex Offensive

Easy to learn - The reason for the popularity of flexible offense among school programs is that it is relatively easy to learn. Everyone develops and contributes – the flexible offense is truly a TEAM offense. Unlike most youth teams, you can't rely on one player with good ball control for most of the shot hours and the same players shooting down to the floor every time. Everyone participates in the attack. Basketball with almost no playing positions - flexible offense requires all 5 players on the court to be interchangeable. In order for all players to be comfortable playing anywhere on the court during the game, they practice by playing and developing their skills and confidence in all playing positions.

Defensive fatigue - Offensive flex often shoots many shots in the last seconds of possession looking for an open shot, the defense is forced to defend for a long time. They will constantly struggle against rushes, passes and screens, constantly moving, and this can really wear them down.
Game Pace Control - When using flexible offense, you dictate the speed of the game. You can slow down the game and not play run-and-gun against a superior team.

Uneven screen changes.- A common defensive tactic against Flex is to switch all screens. When used correctly, this is a fantastic asset to the offense, as it often results in height disparity in dangerous areas of the floor.

Develops Versatile Players. - It's all too common in youth basketball to have players with limited skill in their position. In agile offense all players must learn and develop all areas of their game. Big players need to learn how to pass, small players need to learn how to play center, defenders need to learn how to screen and so on.

Less Dribbling. - There is one basketball skill - the skill that is abused in youth games is Dribbling. Flex offense will not allow players to use extra dribbling. If a player dribbles in a flexible offense, then only with a specific purpose.

Disadvantages of flexible attack

Predictability - The big disadvantage of flexible attack is its predictability. The opposing teams will know where you're going to rush, who you're going to screen, and where you're going to throw. Although this does not necessarily mean that they will be able to stop your attack, as there are many alternative defense countermeasures.

Too many transmissions. - In youth basketball, the more your team passes the ball, the more chances the opponent has to intercept the ball.

The opposing teams will play the zone. - One of the easiest ways to defend against a flexible offense is a simple zone defense. If this is allowed, then many teams in the game will switch to the zone and the flexible coach must know how to counter this defense.

All players must be able to shoot from different positions. - All your players must be able to shoot from medium and long positions. If they can't do that, then it's easy for the defense to retreat into the penalty area and close off the passes that allow for easy scoring.

Going through movements. - One of the hardest things for players to know in flex offense is when to execute the throw. Players can get so wrapped up in where to go and what to do next that they forget the main goal of the offense, putting the ball in the basket.

Offensive Flex Setup

The first thing you need to learn is the basics of continuity of the flexible offense. The core of the offense is penetration to the basket, a variety of screens and play patterns that will develop and improve your offense. The continuity foundation of the flexible offense is designed to get open free throws from two areas on the court:
1. Throws from under the basket after jerks.
2. Jump shots from a high center position.
During the main flexible attack, there are 6 spots on the court that must always be filled by the player. There must always be two players at the top of the 3-point line, there must always be two players on the wing, and the last player must be on any bottom center position depending on which side the ball is on.

Basic continuous Flex attack

The attack begins with two players at the top of the 3rd point line, two players at the edges and one at the position of the lower center from the ball.

• The attack starts when the ball carrier (1) passes the ball to 4. This pass causes a flexible dash (3) into the penalty area using a screen (5). (4) may pass the ball to (3) under the basket. After screening (5) for (3), (1) sets a screen down for (5) (screen to screener) so that (5) opens up to receive the ball. (1) goes to the edge, and (3) takes the post position.
• Important to remember: the flex dash (3) can go either side of the screen set (5) depending on the reaction of the defender. IF IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO PASS THE BALL (3) to the low center position, then this is half of the attack. Pass the ball back to the other side of the court (5).

(4) passes the ball to (5) who makes a dash up. (3) puts a side screen for (2) who makes a dash to the basket and can make an easy layup from close range after passing (5) ). (4) now screens down for screener (3), who, using the screen, opens up to the 3-point line and can take a free throw after passing the ball from (5). Now we come to a new beginning of the flex attack with the opportunity for free throws from the formation of 4 players on the perimeter and 1 inside.
Why is this simple action so effective? The reason why this action is so effective is that it will be extremely difficult for the defender of the player who is rushing to the basket to defend himself after the screen. Most of the time they will need help from the screening defender to stop an easy basket grab.

While this defender is helping to stop the run to the basket, his player charges up and is free to receive the ball for an open shot. Does this force the defense to make a decision... do I help the rushing player or do I stay with my player? These are very difficult steps to make the right decision. Moreover, these actions can be performed by attacking 3 or 4 times in one possession of the ball.

Flex attack started.

One of the nice things about the Flex attack is that there are many ways to disguise it from your opponents. I recommend that your team use one of the following formations after a time-out or during a throw-in. Throughout the game, it is quite easy to use this offense from pre-trained positions. Players must communicate and be aware of what formation and which side they will play in order to enter this attack without wasting time. Starting from a 1-4 formation: 1-4 Down There are two ways to enter a Flex attack from a 1-4 formation down. Through passing the ball to the center player or passing to the wing. Let's take a look at both... Down - Pass option to post. This attack starts with an initial 4-1 formation with transitions to a 2-3 formation. 01 advances with the ball to the 3-point line and decides which side to pass the ball to. When the point guard dribbles to a certain side, the center on the opposite side makes a dash up and receives the ball from the point guard. Now we are at the beginning of the Flex attack. After passing the ball to 4th, 5 sets a side screen for 2, and 1 screens for screen 5. Passing 2 under the basket or 5 to a 3-point is possible.

1-4 Down - Option to pass to the outer. In the diagrams below: The beginning is the same. 1 dribbles the ball to the right. 4 makes a dash up, but 1st's pass follows 2nd's on the edge. When this happens, 5 cuts up and puts a screen in the back for 1. 1 cuts down (UCLA cut). If pass 1 is not possible, 2 passes ball 1 to the 3-point line and we continue the flex attack.

Starting from Box

In the diagrams below: 4 players form a box. As ball carrier 1 approaches the 3-point line, both centers take two steps forward and point guard passes the ball to one of them. After the pass, the point guard instantly makes a dash into the corner from the side of the ball. At this time, the center from the weak side (4) puts a screen down to the 2nd player in the position of the bottom center. 2, using a screen, dashes up to receive the ball from 5. Now we are on the offense of Flex.

Start 3: High 1-4
There are two options for starting the attack from a high 1-4 setup. Through the transfer to the center or wing player. Let's consider both…
High 1-4 – Variation through winger. Declarer passes ball 2 to edge and cuts down (UCLA cut). using a screen behind 5. A pass from 2 to 1 is possible. If the pass is not possible, then 5 passes the ball to 4 and 1 sets a side screen for 2, and 5 screens down for 1 and we enter flex.

High 1-4 – Variation via post
In the diagrams below: Now 1 passes the ball to one of the posts in the high center position (5). 4 diagonally dashes to bottom center position. 5 passes the ball to 1. After passing the ball to 1, 4 screens 2 and 5 screens down 4. 1 can pass the ball to 2 under the basket or 4 to the 3-point position.

Start 4: Throw-in at the endline
Here are a couple of formations for the throw-in at the endline.

Throw-in pattern #1

2 side screens 1 and 4th screens 5th. 3 can pass the ball to 5 or 1. The ball is at 1. 1 can pass to 5. 3, after passing the ball to 1, uses screen 4 and opens to the 3-point line. 1 passes the ball to 2, 2 goes on to 3.

Throw-in formation no. 2

From formation 1-4. When the thrower slaps the ball, the nearest post uses his body to hold the defender and open up to receive the ball. 4, having received the ball, immediately passes it to 5, who made a dash up. 3 screens 2 and 4 screens 3. We are on offense flex.

Start 5: On a throw-in on the touchline.

This is my favorite scheme, through which we start the flex attack on a throw-in from outside. Players start the face-off from a box formation. When the thrower hits the ball, the nearest post screens down to 1. 2 passes the ball to 1. At this time, 4 screens behind 3. Then 1 passes the ball to 4. 5 screens 2 and 1 screens 5. 4 can pass the ball 2 for the basket or 5 for the 3-point line. We are on the attack flex.

Flex Offensive Corner Variations

The main continuity is assumed to be two top players passing the ball back and forth looking for open players to receive the pass and shoot. We must give the players the opportunity to receive the ball in the corners if necessary. Since constant passing from defender to defender is predictable, a common method for opposing coaches to stop a flex offense is to block the passing line between them. If you don't have the ability to pass the ball into the corner, your flexible offense will come to an immediate stop! There are many options for how to pass the ball into the corner. I'm going to share 5 options with you. My advice is to pick 2 or 3 of them and use for your team and have a code word for each. Don't try to implement all 5 options because your players will never learn them. It will be more beneficial for your team to master 2 or 3 options.

Quick note: When passing the ball to the corner, the post must always be ready to receive the ball within 1-2 seconds, and the perimeter players must always be ready to pass the ball to the post within these 1-2 seconds.

Option 1: Pass and break in
This is the easiest action to learn and act on. I have seen young teams doing this but not creating a big opportunity to take the basket. After passing the ball (3) into the corner, (1) cuts into the opposite groan, simultaneously two other perimeter players open towards the ball before returning to the flex. The problem with this option is that there is no way to pass the ball to the first incoming player. to the player, since (5) is in a low center position, and the transfer is simply not possible. But this option can be used with continued use for young teams. 3 passes the ball to 4 and 4 passes to 2. When the ball receives 2. 4 screens 3 and 4 screens down to 5.

We have entered the flex attack.

Option 2: UCla jerk. Another simple variation, once (1) the ball has passed into the corner, (5) moves up and screens UCLA for (1), which opens up towards the basket. If passing (1) is not possible, then (3) passes the ball (5) and we are back in Flex.

On the opposite side of the court (4) sets up a down screen for (2) who charges upwards and can receive the ball for a free throw or an attack.
Variation 3: Dribble start

Instead of passing into the corner, declarer advances with the ball into the corner to get out of trouble. We do this in the case when the transmission line to (3) is blocked. Declarer calls a keyword like "dribbling"! And (3) curls the post and jumps to the top of the 3-point line to receive the ball. Now we are back in Flex.
Option 4: Single shutters

The player who passed the ball into the corner becomes the screener for play. First, (1) sets up a cross screen for (4), which replaces (1) in declarer's position, and then (1) immediately sets a down screen for (2) to replace (4) in his position. After both barriers (1) is located in the opposite corner. Now we are back in Flex.
Option 5: Staggered barrier. (1) passes the ball (3). In this variation, players (1) and (4) set up a staggered screen for the player on the weak side of corner (2). (2) uses this screen and opens to receive the ball and shoot. (1) retreats and takes position (4). While (4) opens into a corner. Now we are back in Flex.

Option 6: Horizontal screen
If the ball is passed into a corner, both players on the side of the ball (1) and (5) put a side screen on the teammates on the weak side. Both screeners should catch the defender and put up a solid screen. If the players breaking into the penalty area are closed, then the ball is passed to the top of the 3-point line. Now we are back in Flex.

Passing the ball to the center
From the formation of 4 players on the perimeter and 1 inside, a flexible offense begins and all the screening and switching that occurs creates a perfect situation to pass the ball to the post player in the positions of the bottom center, and let your post players continue their work. When our team is on offense, I encourage the players to keep their eyes focused on the position of the bottom center, if it is in our interest, pass the ball inside and let the player use the 1 on 1 game situation. The best time to pass the ball to the post is to pass to the perimeter player into the corner, followed by a pass to the center. In order to stop the post from defending and countering the trap, I will share with you several options that will force the perimeter defenders to stay with their players, and this will allow your post to play 1-on-1. As you will see in the example of the next two options, nothing should be called to continue the attack after the ball has been passed to the center. This transfer dictates which variation will be used, so the perimeter players must read the reaction of the defense and decide what to do and adjust.

Option 1: Dash to the basket and rotation on the perimeter
After a pass to the post from the perimeter, if the post does not move immediately, the passer will dash to the basket on the opposite side. All perimeter players move to the right one position. The sender may dash from either side of the post and wait for a short pass or hand-off if open.

Perimeter dashes force all defenders to stay with the attackers they are guarding. If they don't, then there will be a great opportunity to rush behind the back and get and score the ball easily.

Option 2: The barrier for a player playing
after transmitting the ball to the central player, transmitting (3) puts the barrier playing upwards on the 3-point line. (1), using a screen, opens to position (3) to the touchline. The screener, after setting up the screen, makes a dash to the basket and can
receive the ball from the post.

How to Counter Defensive Tactics
There are several tactics that coaches use to try and stop a flex offense. We're going to go through the two most common tactics and give you ways to get around them.
1. Blocking a pass between two perimeter players
This is the main tactic that coaches use to stop a flex offense. If the attacking team fails to make a pass between the two perimeter players (which causes a flex dash and down screen), then the offense is abandoned. Lucky for us, there are several alternatives.
1. Dash behind defender

If the first pass between players on the perimeter is blocked, the attacker to whom the pass is blocked must make a dash to the basket behind the back of the defender blocking the pass line. In the diagram above, X4 overrides the transfer to (4). (4) dashes behind his defender and may receive the ball from (1). If the pass is not possible, X2 can insure the pass to (4) from his side, then (2) makes a dash up to the center of the court and receives the ball from (1).

2. Change of position with dribbling

If a pass on the perimeter between (1) and (4) is not possible, the player with the ball with the help of a dribbling changes positions with a partner (4).
2. Defending Changes at All Screens
One of the best ways to defend a flexible offense is by switching at screens. This allows the post players to stay close to the basket and the perimeter players to play defensively on the perimeter. Here are some ideas on how you can counter switch defenses...
1. Dive when defending a flex screen
When flex screen is set to X 5.9015 In this case, X5 will be forced to help defend against O3 in order to prevent an open shot from under the basket. When this happens, O5 should cover X3 and make a high-arms dash (dive) into the center of the
area. This causes X5 to block the pass to O3 and O5 at this time is free to receive the ball from (4) and pocket an easy ball. This defensive tactic results in a lot of fouls and free throws.

2. To transfer the ball to the right player at the right time with unequal shifts of
This is important to remember, ... When the enemy changes with all the barriers, the attacking team should quickly determine who is protected against whom. Depending on which of their opposing players is weak defensively, find a time when he is defending against your strongest attacker and pass the ball to him. The same situation occurs when a tall player changes with a small one and vice versa. This requires planning and knowledge of the players on the other teams.
3. Starting with our bottom center point guard

Some teams may mimic the match-up area defensively before they begin to switch screens. In that situation, you can apply the option, starting the attack with our point guard on the post position. Thus, when the defenders start to switch, in the end, in this situation, when changing, (X1) should defend against our (5), and the center defense will guard our point guard. As you can see in the diagram above, (04) can pass the ball to (05) under the basket when the opposing point guard is defending against it.

4. Be patient. Simple advice, but very important. After a couple of postbacks, you can be sure the defense will make a mistake. Two defenders will get confused and accidentally end up with one attacker. It happens all the time! Your players need to be patient and wait for this to happen and then be prepared to reap as much benefit as possible when it happens!

Conclusion: Ask anyone who has played against a flexible offense, they should know where and from where screens will be placed and how difficult it is to defend against them. If the defense is ready or cunning, then there are many options for the attackers to apply the desired variation, as we discussed earlier in our article. In my opinion, all players who play flexible offense become better players with much higher basketball IQs. In a trap, they must read the situation and make decisions ahead of time. By screening, they are ready to open up and receive a pass; when screened, they are ready to open up, receive the ball and complete the attack without resistance. You must be aware that your players have not become offensive robots. If you can keep them in attack mode and look for potential basketing opportunities, then this could be a fantastic offense for all levels of basketball in high school and up.

Mac Trainer
Try it and you will succeed!!!

V. Melnichuk translated 19.08.2016

Offense is the basic part of basketball, which allows you to score points and fight for the desired championship in the match. In an official basketball game lasting 40 minutes, each team makes an average of about 100 attacks per match. There are various variations of basketball offense, however, in this article we will focus on the basic concepts and basic classification.

There are two main offensive tactics in basketball: positional and fast. Their difference lies in the speed of the attack. A quick attack is more typical for the NBA, where the game is more based on the individual skill of the players, while in European basketball it is more common to carry out long positional attacks. However, one cannot be categorical in this division, since throughout the game, both in Europe and in the USA, many swift and positional attacks are implemented.

Fast break implies a lightning transfer of the ball to the opponent's half and an immediate attack with the possibility of one or two quick passes. Teams choose this technique of attack in different cases. Most often this is due to lagging behind the opponent on points and lack of time. In addition, the individual skill of the players and the advantage in speed can force the coach to use the “hit-and-run” tactic.

Positional attack , on the contrary, includes a calm transfer of the ball to the opponent's half, placing players, applying combinations or individual actions. In fact, a positional attack is considered more competent, deep in a basketball way. Note that the higher the level of a team's play, the more "positional" its offense is. However, the coach of the team may change the scheme on purpose. Throughout the game, most attacks take place precisely in a positional manner. This is due to the fact that the opponent has time to return to the defense and most often starts a tight defense from his own half, and also because it is quite difficult to physically play a match in a constant rhythm of a fast attack.

Positional attack in basketball is a bit like waging war. each player performs certain, however, carefully coordinated actions. The five attacking players distribute their functions as follows:

• first number (defender, point guard). This player takes a position at the top of the court, usually in the center near the middle of the field. His task is to get the ball out of his own half when moving from defense, to command a certain combination, to find a partner with a pass or to make a throw.
• second number (attacking defender). This position also provides for the game at the top. The functions of the second number are to develop an attack, participate in combination or individual attacking actions of the team.
• third, fourth number (forwards). Forwards take positions in the corner of the court, with the possibility of being located in the center, under the ring, when playing with a double center. The most common option is to have "light" and "heavy" forwards on the court, where a more massive player helps to attack from the center, and a lighter one focuses on throws and passes.
• fifth number (center). The center, as a rule, plays under the ring, in the area of ​​​​the three-second zone. The center usually consists of massive and tall players who, due to physical data, can fight for rebounding in attack, perform throws from under the ring, and cut off defenders during screenings.

This arrangement of players is the most popular and generally accepted. However, there is a lot of variation in positions depending on the style of the players, the specifics of the defense and the goals pursued by the team. The main variations of the traditional arrangement include the “light” and “heavy” fives on the court. In the first case, the team releases more mobile players instead of a center and, possibly, a “heavy” forward. With this approach, there is an emphasis on the performance of high-speed combinations, passes under the basket and long-range shots. The reverse side of the coin is the game of "heavy" five. In particular, it uses the advantage in height, weight and accentuated play under the ring at the expense of "big players".

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