How to teach screening in basketball

How To Teach Screening & Cutting

Below is an excellent video for teaching your team how to utilize screens in your motion offense.

The specific situation covered in this drill is passing then screening away.

Tim Schuring presents three options for the player receiving the screen.

And as you will see, the teaching is phenomenal. It's one of the best videos out there detailing how to set and attack screens.

Drill Setup:

The drill starts with a player on the top of the key, a player on the right wing, and a player on the left wing.

A fourth player is behind the player on the top of the key. This player is just a designated passer. It could also be a coach or manager.

Both people at the top of the key start with a basketball.

• Rotate counter clockwise / To the right

  After drill is finished, the next group starts. The players who just completed the drill rotate counter clockwise or to the right.

• Get the ball reversed quickly

  As Coach Schuring said, you want to get the ball reversed quickly. By passing the ball quickly, the defense will have more space to cover in less time. This will create a bunch of mini offensive advantages for you.

As Tim Schuring says, if you want open shots, set good screens. By setting good screens, the screener is often the one open for shots.

• Fake cut to rim before screening away

  To get a better angle on the screen, you should fake a cut towards the rim and slightly towards the player with the ball. This will be one to two steps towards the basket.

• Sprint to screen

  By sprinting to the screen, it gives the defense less time to react. This makes you harder to guard. It also makes it harder for the defensive player to get in position quick enough to defend the screen properly.

  Coach Schuring doesn't encourage you to raise your hands to set screens. He wants you to just focus on setting a solid screen.

• Roll or shape up after cutter clears

  After the cutter clears the screen, you (the screener) cuts to the ball or rolls to the basket. By waiting until the cutter clears, this also helps you (the screener) recognize which space is open.

• Immediately square chest to ball on shape up

  If you (the screener) choose to shape up, immediately pivot and square your chest to the passer. This puts you in an ideal position to see both the defense and the ball.

  Before you even receive the pass, this helps you make decisions quicker by recognizing if you should shoot, drive, or pass. Quicker decisions often lead to better scoring opportunities.

• Get one foot below the screen

  By getting below the screen, this helps set up the defender. Now when you cut, the defender has to make a choice to run into the screen or run around the screen. Both situations create more space for you.

• Change speeds and explode off screen

  As Coach Schuring says, it doesn't matter if you jog or walk down. It's just important to change speeds. It's probably even smart, to mix up your approach speed to keep the defender off balance.

  Once you get below the screen, EXPLODE out of the cut. This change of pace makes it very difficult for the defender to react in time. And if they cheat or overplay one direction, you can cut the opposite way.

• Rub your shoulder to hip of screener / Touch screener's calf muscle

  By rubbing your shoulder against the screener's hip, this creates little space for the defender to slide through. This forces them to go around or get caught on the screen.

  Also, by getting low and touching the screener's calf, this makes it harder for the defender to push you off of your cutting path.

• Time the cut so the screener is not waiting

  You want to time the cut, so the screener is not waiting. You want to explode off the screen as soon as the screener tops. This gives the defender less time to react.

• Top shoulder above screener's top shoulder

  You want to get your top shoulder above the screener's top shoulder. By forcing the defense higher, this does two things. It creates more time for the passer to recognize the cut. It gives the passer more space to make the pass. Thus, you will get more opportunities to score when you are open.

• Backdoor cut - trigger to shape up

  As mentioned, when the cutter goes backdoor, this is an automatic trigger for the screener to shape up. That way, you (the screener) can immediately cut to the ball. This forces the defense into a difficult decision. Does the help defender stay with the player who cut backdoor or do they rush out to guard you? It's very difficult to stop both options.

If you want more drills and tips on how to exactly teach your offense to youth teams and high school teams, check out:

The Complete Offensive System with Tim Schuring

The DVDs and eBooks include a step by step process for teaching motion offense, transition offense, secondary break, set plays, out of bounds plays, press breakers, and zone offense.

For those of you who coach 8 to 14 year olds, The Youth Coaching System with Jim Huber is also a great resource. It's a comprehensive coaching system that includes 64 Practice Plans, Offense, Defense, Skill Development, Coaching Philosophy, and More!

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

4 Keys to Setting Great Screens (P.A.S.S.)

by Jordan Petersen, on Jun 6, 2018 4:55:16 PM

This article is the 5th of a series from Jordan Petersen of our partners at Positionless Basketball. Read the others here. We are very fortunate to work with Coach Petersen as he has tremendous experience as a basketball coach, trainer, and player at different levels.

You can also check out different basketball drills from Jordan in the Dish Lab here!

Screening is one of the most under-taught skills in basketball.  Many players think that only big guys screen. Or, if you're the screener "the play isn’t for you" and "you will not score when you screen." In fact, the opposite is true.  

All players should have the ability and skill to set a good screen. When you look at some of the toughest actions in the NBA and NCAA, shooters are often the ones setting the screens.  When a player sets a screen, many times it frees them up for a shot after popping or diving to the basket because the defense is too concerned about the player coming off of the screen.  

One of the great stats that has come out of this analytical era is the "screen assist." This stat shows the value of being a great screener and gives credit to the player for setting a great screen.  Below I will discuss 4 ways to help you improve and become a great screener.

Pace is important because in an ideal screening scenario, the player setting the screen will arrive at the screen without their defender.  There are a couple strategies that can be used to create this separation between the screener and defender.

The first one and a common saying in many offenses that use ball screens is to "sprint into the screen. "  This blast or sprint to the screen leaves the defender out of position and unable to cover the screen in their normal screen coverage.

Another common saying that has been used in many motion type offenses is to set a "two plane screen."  In a two plane screen a player sets the screen up by cutting one way (or taking a couple steps) and then quickly changing direction toward where the screen will be set. Other ways players can set up a screen is by changing pace or by stepping into their defender to create contact/space and then sprinting into the screen.

The angle of the screen is very important for a player to be able to set up their defender and run them off of the screen. The key to the angle of screens is to create an angle that does not make it easy for the defender to go over or under the screen or makes the defender think or second guess which way he/she should go.  

On pindowns or down screens, I like to say "have your back to the basketball" when setting the screen. This creates an effective angle for the offensive player to curl the screen. Or if the defender goes under the screen the screener can simply turn and make it into a fade screen.  

On ball screens there are many different angles a screener can set depending on the play, offense, coaches preference, or how the defense is playing. The most common screening angles in ball screens are flat, side, back to basket, and step up. A flat ball screen is set in the middle of the floor with the screener's back flat to the baseline.  This allows the ball handler to choose which way he/she will come off of the screen. A side ball screen is set with the screener's chest to the sideline. The key on a side pick and roll is to not set it too high so the on ball defender can easily go under. A back to the basket ball screen changes the angle depending on where the ball is on the floor, but the screener's back is always to the basket.  This creates an angle for the ball handler to drive down hill directly off of the ball screen. A step up is often set after a reversal or from a screener flipping the screen. The screener should have his/her back to the corner to create an effective screening angle.

On flare screens, screeners should set the screen with their back to the direction they would like the player receiving the screen to go.

Something coaches and many officials harp on is "players being set" on screens.  This is a two-way street that requires cooperation from the screener and the player receiving the screen.  

The player receiving the screen must be patient and set up the screen to allow the screener time to get set.  The screener must sprint into the screen and stop by jump stopping or stride stopping. The screener must allow space between stopping and the defender, so they do not get a moving screen call and allow the offensive player to set up the screen.  Once the screener is set they should be in a good, strong stance to set the screen.

Space is one of the most important aspects of any offense and something that should be taught to do and emphasized after screening. Popping or diving are the two most common ways to space after screening with some variation of those depending on how the defense is playing and the offense's skill set. 

Depending on the screeners ability to shoot, how the offense is spaced and how the defense is defending, a screener can pop or space out to the three point line to create more space for the ball handler and to create a longer close out for the defense. Some common situations when offenses pop are when defenses soft hedge, ice, or even on a hard show/trap.

Diving after a screen can create layups for the screener or opens up shooters on the outside after their defender rotates to pick up the diver. Diving to the basket can also punish the defense for switching screens by slipping or if the screener has the ability to post up after the screen.  Diving to the basket often happens if the defense switches, hard hedges, or the screener is a non-shooter. Having the ability to pop or dive to the basket makes the screener tougher to defend and can also open up opportunities for their teammates.

Screening isn't the most glorified fundamental in basketball, but is an important aspect to any offense and one that can free a player up for an open look. Many times when you watch some of the greatest shooters in the NBA like Steph Curry, JJ Redick and Kyle Korver you can see them screening for a teammate and this frees them up for an open 3 point look after popping.  

A great way to teach the screening action is by emphasizing the P.A.S.S. system in workouts and during basketball practices.

You don’t need a teammate to practice your screen as Coach Bre Salley recently demonstrated a couple drills you can incorporate with Dr. Dish to work on screening as well as shooting.

Once again, we'd like to thank Jordan for his contributions to us at Dr. Dish Basketball but also the basketball coaching industry as a whole! Stay tuned for more great stuff coming from Jordan.

For basketball drills featuring the Dr. Dish basketball shooting machines, click here.

Basketball coaching hacks: how to score goals for beginners

Even if you are a novice basketball player, we will not give you a training plan, but we will tell you why the ball flies anywhere but into the ring and into your hands. It's all about technique: even with regular training and perseverance, novice adults and children often make simple mistakes. It's a shame, let's fix it. Below are 11 life hacks on how to hone your technique to increase the likelihood of a goal for your team.

Basketball Shot Rules for Beginners

1. Hands up

In pursuit of the attacker, raise your hands, even if you are standing with your back to the pass, and even more so if the ring is in front of you. Your raised hands will increase the chance of intercepting the ball from the opponent by 2 times. Don't overlook this little thing!

2. Make shield rolls

Even Tim Duncan did not neglect them! A square is drawn on the basketball backboard. If you are standing opposite the ring, then aim at the middle of the upper part of the square, if you are standing on the side, then at the corner. If you hit this square, then the ball is at 90% of cases will fall into the ring. The law of physics and no cheating!

3. Look at the ring, not at the ball

Practice driving the ball with your hand, not your eyes, develop tactile control. Your eyes should be on the hoop while dribbling and be aware of the position of your body in relation to the hoop. Then you will be able to take the correct posture, and the throw will be effective.

4. Dribble with the balls of your fingers only

The palm should not touch the ball, only the pads of the fingers. Dribbling should become familiar to you, like an extension of your hand. Then you can change its trajectory at any time and you will have more chances to score goals. Practice with the ball constantly.

5. Throw with one hand

If you throw the ball with two hands, you reduce the chance of hitting the basket. All the efforts of the throw are in one hand (in the right for right-handers, in the left for left-handers). The other hand only holds the ball, the leading one holds it with the fingers, not the palm.

6. Do not jump when protecting the ring

Jumping is the main mistake of rookie defenders. To intercept the ball and block the shot, simply stick out your hands. When you are in a jump, the attacker will easily bypass you.

7. Don't look back

When you dribble, don't look back, but dribble and aim for the ring, focus on shooting (or passing to another player on your team).

8. Bring the throw to automatism

Incorporate the most basic basketball techniques into your training plan and bring the shot to automatism. Throw first from a distance of half a meter from the ring, gradually increasing it. Learn to throw the ball so that it hits the hoop without touching the edge.

Throw the ball with all fives and jump

Throwing Rules:

• Head in the center of the body - if tilted, accuracy is lost.
• Look at the ring: mentally build a trajectory. If you are far away, the ball flies in a curved curve with a maximum height of 2 meters above the hoop.
• A strong hand is in front and throws, a weak hand is on the side and directs, only holding the ball. The elbow of the throwing hand must be in line with the ring.
• The ball must rest on the fingers without touching the palm. The fingers are as far apart as possible and grab the ball.
• Throwing arm bent 90 degrees, forearm perpendicular to the floor. If you bend less, then you get not a throw, but a throwing of the ball horizontally.

The main thing in the throw is the position of the body and its balance. Place your feet apart and parallel to each other: it is important to orient them in the middle of the basket. Then the direction of the body during the jump will coincide with the direction of the throw, and the ball will fly straight into the ring. When the feet are uneven, the ball flies in the wrong direction or does not reach (although the throw was normal).

Take a deep breath and release as you exhale.

How to hold the ball and shoot in basketball

How to throw correctly: straighten your arm, point your wrist up, and with your hand set the ball to rotate in the opposite direction from the flight. The ball should seem to "roll" off your fingers.

9. Copy masters and play as a team

Watch professional basketball games and try to copy the movements of your favorite players in training. And be sure to conduct game sparring - this will allow you to develop more techniques.

10. Do not throw in a straight line

The higher the arc of the ball, the greater the chance of a goal and the less chance of blocking by the opponent.

11. Do not throw the ball from a full height stand

This is the biggest newbie mistake!

Before the throw, bend your knees slightly and at the moment of the throw, straighten your body, making a jump. You need to straighten up and push off the ground at the same time. When squatting, keep the elbow of the throwing arm close to the body and towards the ring.

The jump will give momentum to the ball and will allow you not to make sudden movements with the brush.

***

And to be a long-term player, do not forget about your health: take care of your joints and muscles, use tapes, do a warm-up. And be sure to strengthen your arms, legs and shoulder girdle, develop coordination. Regular exercises on uneven bars and horizontal bars will help you with this.

How to learn to play basketball from scratch

“School 2.0” is the best educational project in the history of Russian basketball, which has collected in one material all the basic skills that are needed for those who want to jump like Michael Jordan and throw a three-pointer like Steph Curry. We literally chew on you how to play basketball and become cool. Lots of videos are included.

Passion for basketball usually begins with the ball hitting the basket. Do not deprive yourself of this pleasure, learn to score from under the basket, then from two steps ... But after that, you should think about what elements to master in order to become a “correct” basketball player. We won't let you get bored - we won't fill all basketball practice with boring stops and turns. But in general, you can’t do without it, because the correct work of the legs, the habit of standing firmly, not mincing, not taking extra steps, quickly and correctly changing the direction of movement is an absolute must for a basketball player. Plus, of course, dribbling and passing.

In general, to start the basketball path, “School 2.0” recommends exercises to develop the following skills during basketball training:

1. Shooting
2. Footwork
3. Transmission
4. Maintenance

Do two or three dozen workouts, combining the exercises from the following list, and you will notice real progress. Start each workout with 2-4 minutes of quiet running and such a joint warm-up:

Exercises are performed one after the other without stopping.

1. Shoulder warm-up. Stand up straight and stretch your arms out to the sides. Make circular movements with straight arms 10 times forward, then 10 times back.
2. Pelvic warm-up. Put your hands on your belt, feet shoulder-width apart. Perform rotations in the hip joint, as if twisting a hoop, 10 times in each direction.
3. Back workout. Bend your elbows and press to your chest, feet shoulder-width apart. Do rotations in the lower back 5-10 times in each direction.
4. Knee warm-up. Stand up straight, feet together. Squat down a bit and put your hands on your knees. Then perform rotational movements with your knees, helping yourself with your hands. Do 10 times in each direction.
5. Ankle warm-up. Put your hands on your belt. Place one foot on the toe slightly behind you. Resting on your toes, do 10 rotations in the ankle joint in each direction, then change legs.
6. Squats. At the end, do 5 deep squats, keeping your heels on the floor and stretching your arms in front of you.

Shooting

Get used to throwing correctly right away - with one hand (the other can only hold the ball), with reverse spin. The forearm is perpendicular to the floor, the arm straightens completely, the hand “closes”. Listen to how the ball blows up the net - it's a thrill.

1. Shooting stand

1. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, ball in hand.
2. At the signal, take a throwing stance, and at the next signal, return to the starting position.
3. Ready to throw: legs bent, back straight, slightly tilted forward. Throwing hand behind the ball (not sideways!), the second hand holds the ball in front-side.
4. Raise the ball to shoulder level.
5. Repeat 10 times with right and left hand.

2. Single-handed throw on the spot

1. Get into the throwing position. The ball lies in one hand at the level of the head, the elbow is directed forward, the second hand does not help.
2. Squat down a little and with simultaneous extension of the legs and elbow, throw the ball up in front of you. Stay in the final position until the ball hits the floor.
3. Repeat 10 times with right and left hand.

3. Throw with one hand into the hoop from one meter

1. Stand under the hoop with the ball in your hand at shoulder level. The other hand does not help!
2. Sit down and simultaneously extend your legs and arms, make a throw around the ring. Keep the final position of the straightened arm and closed hand until the ball hits the floor.
3. Try to hit the ball in the corner of the rectangle drawn on the shield, then the ball will be in the ring.
4. Throw from different positions. 10 times with the right and left hand.

4. Medium throw

1. Stand at a distance of 3-4 meters from the ring and take a throwing stance. Sit down and with the simultaneous extension of the legs and arms, make a throw around the ring. Keep the final position of the straightened arm and closed hand until the ball hits the floor.
2. Throw from different positions.

1. Stand a few meters from the ring. Make yourself an autopass, take a small jump forward, catch the ball, take a shooting stance, and hit the basket.
2. Perform the exercise 10 times with your stronger arm.

5. Two steps - throw

1. Stand three meters from the ring. Take two steps from the spot and throw the ring.

1. Get on the three-point line. Take a couple of hits with the ball, then two steps and throw the ring.

1. From the three-point line, make yourself an autopass. Then catch the ball, take two steps and shoot the ring.
2. Try to hit the ball in the corner of the rectangle drawn on the shield.
3. Repeat 10 times with right and left hand.

6. Two steps - low shot

1. Get on the three-point line. Take a couple of hits with the ball, then two steps and throw from the bottom of the ring.

1. Stand three meters from the ring. Take two steps from the spot and throw the ring from below.

1. From the three-point line, make yourself an autopass. Then catch the ball, take two steps and shoot the ring.
2. Try to hit the ball in the corner of the rectangle drawn on the shield.
3. Repeat 10 times with right and left hand.

Footwork

Glue your feet to the floor. No extra steps! Otherwise - "jog", whistle, give the ball to the opponents.

1. Jump stop

1. The exercise is performed on the spot. Make yourself an autopass, catch the ball with two hands and at the same time do a two-foot jump into a basketball stance.
2. Determine the axial (supporting) leg and perform turns on this leg forward and backward.
3. Then imitate the following sequence of actions:
   take the ball in your hands, being completely in the air;
   land on both (!) feet at the same time;
   make turns around the same (!) leg.
4. Repeat the exercise 10 times: 5 times turning on the right foot and 5 times on the left.

2. Walking stop

1. The exercise is performed on the spot. Make yourself an autopass, catch the ball with both hands and stop at the same time with two steps into the basketball stance.
2. The axial (supporting) leg will be the one with which you took the first step - on this leg, perform turns forward and backward.
3. Repeat the exercise 10 times: 5 times turning on the right foot and 5 times on the left.

3. Zigzag without a ball with a jump stop

All changes in the direction of movement are made by a clear turn around the near leg - even through the “face”, even through the “back”. This is very important in basketball!

4. Zigzag without a ball with a stop in steps

It is performed in the same way as the previous exercise, but the stop at the cone is one-two, not a jump.

Transmission

Mastering the culture of passing will not only earn you the respect of your playmates, but it will also give you a lot of fun. Maybe even more than hitting the ring.

1. Passing with two hands into the wall

1. Stand 3-5 meters from the wall. Pass the ball into the wall with both hands from the chest.
2. Hold the ball with both hands from the sides and direct it to the wall with a wrist movement. As a result, the arms at the elbows should straighten, and the hands should “close”.

1. Move further back to make longer passes. At the moment of such a transfer, one leg takes a step forward. Catch such a transmission from the floor.
2. Repeat the exercise 15-20 times.

2. Passing with one hand into the wall

1. Stand 3-5 meters from the wall. Pass the ball into the wall with one hand from the shoulder.
2. Hand behind the ball, thumbs up. Carpal movement.
3. Repeat the exercise 15-20 times for each hand.

3. Lying One-Hand Pass

1. Lying on your back, pass with one hand up.
2. Repeat the exercise 15-20 times for each hand.

Dribbling

Great basketball dribbling is the key to all doors. Not to mention how effective it is.

1. Palms on the ball

1. Take the ball in your hands and move it from hand to hand, hitting it with your palms.
2. Start slowly and then speed up. 15 seconds slow, 15 fast.
3. Repeat 1-2 times.

2. Ball on fingers

1. Quickly toss the ball with your fingertips from one hand to the other: raise and lower in front of you;
   sit down and get up;
   raise and lower in motion.
2. Perform each exercise 2-3 times for 15 seconds.

3. Ball around the body

1. Move the ball from one hand to the other as quickly as possible: around the body;
   around the head;
   in a basketball stance around the leg;
   in a basketball stance figure eight around the legs.
2. Do 5 reps each side.

4. Low dribbling on the spot

Low ball dribbling in different positions:

1. Basketball stance, feet parallel. Dribble to the side of your foot. Free hand in defense position.
2. Sit on the floor and dribble the ball from your side, bringing the ball closer or further away.
3. Repeat 15 times with each hand. Do 2-3 sets.

5. Medium dribbling on the move

1. Medium dribbling of the ball (height to the waist) on the move. Do it at speed.
2. Make a turn, leaving the ball in place and picking it up with your other hand.
3. Dribble two courts with each hand.

6. V-dribbling in front of you

1. Stand in a basketball stance.
2. Dribble with one hand in front of you in a V, with your right and left hands in turn.
3. Repeat 15 times with each hand. Do 2-3 sets.

7. Crossover

1. Move the ball in place in front of you from one hand to the other.
2. First do the exercise for each stroke.
3. Then - for every third hit.
4. After translation, touch the floor with your free hand.
5. Repeat 15 times with each hand. Do 2-3 sets.

8. Underfoot transfers

1. Transfer the ball between the legs from one hand to the other.
2. Translate every third hit with the ball.
3. After translation, touch the floor with your free hand.
4. Repeat 15 times with each hand. Do 2-3 sets.

That's it for starters. Of course, it would be nice to learn how to fly - in the sense of jumping high without a trampoline. But that's another story. If you only jump, you are a jumper. And if you have mastered these exercises, you are almost a basketball player. Then you can already learn to play in a team, in real contact conditions.

Why Andrey Kirilenko created School 2.0:

And remember,

"School 2.0"

will introduce you to people who you want to follow an example from: winners in whom at first no one believed; music and film stars going crazy about basketball; heroes who, thanks to sports, managed to overcome themselves.

School 2.

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