Basketball Spacing and Movement - Moving Without the Ball

By James Gels, from the Coach’s Clipboard Basketball Playbook, @ www.coachesclipboard.net

"I don't think there is anything more important to effective play on the basketball court at either end of the floor than spacing." - Bob Knight

"Offense is spacing and spacing is offense." - Chuck Daly

All good offenses have good spacing and movement. Except when screening or cutting around a teammate, perimeter players should space out about 12 to 15 feet apart. Poor spacing results in bad passes, getting double-teamed, turnovers, and poor opportunities for scoring. You must maintain good spacing from the ball and fill the open spots of the court.

Perimeter players should space out above the 3-point arc. If you are inside the arc for no particular reason, you are most likely "clogging" things up for your teammates, and making it easier for the defense.

Effect of good spacing on the defense

By spacing out, the defense has to cover more territory and will have a harder time giving help and recovering back to his/her man.

• Harder to defend dribble-penetration as it becomes more of a 1-on-1 situation as the help defenders have more distance to cover to give help.
  
• Harder to defend perimeter shooters, as the helpside defenders in the paint have more distance to get back out to a shooter.
  
• Harder to defend post players. Teams that double-team the low post will have a difficult time when players are spaced apart. Good spacing allows for hi-lo passing from one post player to another, when the perimeter players are spaced out on the arc (no helpside defense).
  
• Harder to defend cutters... the lanes are open.
  
• Harder to clog the passing lanes.
  

Various offensive sets and spacing

Let's first look at some common offensive alignments, showing their initial sets and spacing. These alignments change with passing, cutting, screening, dribble-penetration, etc, but the basic concepts for maintaining good spacing do not.

3-out, 2-in offense

With the 3-perimeter, 2 post offense both post players may start low on the blocks, or one may start at the high post and one starts low. As the ball moves, they work together and interchange spots, using both sides of the lane, the high post, and the short corners.

5-out open post offense

The diagram above right from the Read and React offense page shows the spacing for the 5-out offense.

4-out, 1-in offense

The 4-out offense has four perimeter players spaced out on the 3-point arc, with one post player, who can either start low or high (at the free throw line area).

The "low" set, with the post player in the weakside low short corner or block area, allows for spacing for cutters and the dribble-drive. When the ball is swung and post player is ball-side, he/she can post up.



The "high" set, with the post player at the high post, allows for spacing for cutting underneath from the wings, and baseline dribble-penetration. The high post player is also used for UCLA (high post) screens, "pinch-post" hand-offs, back-screens for perimeter players, ball-screen pick and roll action, and perimeter flare-screens.

1-4 offense set

Diagram 2 below shows the spacing for the 1-4 offense, which also clears out the basket area for cuts and dribble-drives from the wings and high post.

Horns offense set

The diagram above shows the spacing for the Horns offense with both post players high at the arc and the two wings in the corners.

2-3 (Princeton) offense set

This diagram shows the spacing for the 2-3 offense.

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Cutting and Spacing

See Cutting and Faking. After passing, don't stand still - cut! Pass and cut and fill another spot on the perimeter.

"Cut with a purpose". Cut hard and try to get open for a pass. Don't just make a lazy cut to the basket. Make a good initial fake, then a hard cut, and have your hands ready and expect to get the pass for a quick score. An adjacent perimeter player will usually fill the spot vacated by the cutter.

If a perimeter player is being over-played (denied) by the defender, he/she should back-cut through and fill another spot on the perimeter. Or make a V-cut, taking the defender inside and quickly cutting back out for the pass. Or curl around a post player inside. Or set a screen.

If the cutter does not receive the pass, he/she should get out to the arc, filling an open spot on the perimeter, and not "get stuck" inside or along the baseline, which clogs things up. The cutter could also screen for the post player inside, or just give the post defender a little "bump" when cutting through.

Passing and Cutting

Five things a perimeter player can do after making a pass:

• Cut to the basket (example: give and go, or back-cut). Backcut if the defender is denying the pass.
• V-cut and pop back outside for the return pass and outside shot.
• Screen for the ball.
• Screen away.
• Use a screen to get open (e.g. flare-screen, or back-screen, or cut inside and curl around a screen).

After passing, on a pass 1-spot away, basket-cut all the way to the hoop before filling out to the perimeter. On a perimeter pass this would be either a front cut (diagram L), or a back-cut if defender overplaying (diagram M).

If your defender is denying you the pass, fake high and back-cut hard for the pass (diagram N).

Dribble-penetration and Spacing

When a player dribble-drives, other perimeter players rotate and fill the open spots according to the rules of the offense that your coach is using. Perimeter players should "space-out" to open spots on the perimeter for a kick-out pass.

Like cutting, when a perimeter player dribble-drives, usually an adjacent perimeter player will fill his/her vacated spot on the arc. If the dribble is stopped inside, this player filling the vacated spot is usually open for a pass back outside. See diagrams B and C below. As O1 dribble-drives, O4 rotates to the vacated "safety" spot and may be open for the next pass and 3-point shot.



Dribble-drive from the top. Also notice (in diagrams B and C above) that when the point guard drives, the wing player slides down to the corner for an open kick-out pass (if his/her defender gives help inside on the dribble-drive).

Wing baseline dribble-drive. When the wing dribble-penetrates along the baseline, three things should occur:
1. The opposite perimeter player slides down to the weakside corner for a possible pass from the dribbler.
2. The post player(s) I-cut to the elbow. The I-cut allows for spacing for the dribbler and also often gets the post player open for a pass from the dribbler.
3. The adjacent top perimeter player fills the perimeter spot vacated by the dribbler.

Diagram I below shows the 4-out baseline dribble, with the post opposite. O2 fills the vacated spot, O5 I-cuts to the weakside elbow and O4 drops down to the weakside corner. Diagram J shows the same thing, only with the post player ballside. O5 I-cuts up to the ballside elbow.



Diagram K below shows the 3-out, 2 posts baseline dribble. O1 fills the vacated spot, O4 and O5 I-cut to the elbows, and O3 drops down to the weakside corner.



Wing dribble-drive into the middle (elbow). When the ball is dribbled toward the middle, the opposite weakside perimeter player(s) should spot up on the arc at the wing or corner areas for a kick-over pass. The low post player should space out to the short corner area, or the opposite block (see diagram Q below).



Also see Mavs Drill for Post Rotation on Guard Dribble-Penetration.

Dribble At, Back-cut...
Unless you executing a dribble hand-off (weave screen), if the ball-handler is dribbling at you, back-cut to hoop (diagrams U and V).

Screening and Movement

See Setting and Using Screens. Another thing that a player without the ball can do is set a screen. After screening, seal the defender and cut, roll, flare, slip, pop, etc. When the defense switches the screen, it's often the screener that gets open. A perimeter player could lateral screen, flare-screen, down-screen, or ball-screen and roll inside or pop back out.

Post players can ball-screen and run the pick and roll (or a pick and pop). They can back-screen for perimeter players. They can lateral screen for another post player (if playing 3-out, 2-in).

Perimeter players and Movement

Things a perimeter player can do when he/she doesn't have the ball:

• If the defender is sagging off, pop out to spread the defense.
• If the defender is denying the pass, back-cut through to the hoop and then fill outside.
• Ball-handler dribbling at you, backcut inside, or run a simple weave-screen action.
• Fill the open spot when a teammate cuts inside.
• When someone dribble-penetrates, relocate.
• Screen away, and pop out.
• The most important rule is to keep moving.

Post players and Movement

Things post players can do:

• Post-up - try to get open for the pass inside. See "How to Become a Good Post Player" to learn how to get open.
  
• Screen for the opposite post player.
  
• Set a ball-screen and run the pick and roll.
  
• If you are playing with two post players, work with your opposite post player. Screen for each other. Play "hi-lo", one at the high post and one inside, moving and rotating in these spots as the ball moves. For example, if the ball is on the opposite wing and you see that your teammate is being full-fronted in the low post, cut to the ball-side elbow for the pass, and then dump the ball inside from there.
  
• React correctly to dribble-penetration (see above). I-cut on the baseline dribble; go short corner on the dribble from the top.
  

Keep moving! It's hard to guard a team that has five players who are all moving intelligently.

Always be aware and know where the ball is. Be alert to help a teammate trapped and in trouble. Be ready to jump in after loose balls, and be ready to rebound. Hustle will get you extra shot attempts and points.

Remember, often it is not the person initially with the ball who scores. Instead a good pass to you cutting, or coming off a screen, is where the score comes. So work hard on offense when you don't actually have the ball.

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