Newsletter #349

Today's Theme... Zoom Action Offense

Zoom action is a relatively new, popular 3-player action that combines two key movements: a down screen (pin-screen) followed by a dribble hand-off (DHO).  This combination often creates double and triple gaps for driving, and other scoring opportunities such as kick-out 3-pointers.  It is used at all levels, pros down through youth.  Some youth coaches believe it is better and easier to teach than the pick and roll.

Basic Zoom Action

Hallmarks of this action are having two skilled creative, smart players (receivers) starting deep in the corners.  Your post player O5 (bigman) is a big part of the action, as O5 will have the ball at the top and create the dribble hand-off.  The wing players are screeners.

Diagram 1.  The basic zoom action is a 3-man action which consists of a pin-down screen by wing (O1) to corner (O3) screen, followed by a dribble hand-off (usually by your post player O5).  O5 dribbles at O3, as O3 sprints hard over the screen and around the DHO (diagram 2) for the hand-off (or pitch).  O3's goal is to attack the paint, as O5 rolls to the hoop, and O1 refills the wing.

After the DHO, O3 has several options:
1. Drive to the hoop and finish... we usually want O3 to get into the paint.
2. Pull-up jump-shot or floater.
3. Pass or lob to O5 rolling inside.
4. Step-back 3-point shot if defender goes under O5's screen.
5. Kick-out pass to either the opposite wing, or kick-back to O1 filling the ballside wing.

So this is the basic zoom action: a down-screen followed by a dribble hand-off action.  The dribble hand-off is mostly executed by your bigman O5.  It is important that the receivers start deep in the corners for spacing, so don't allow them to "creep" up toward the wing (a common mistake).

This zoom action can be used as an offensive continuity scheme. Continuity can occur when O3 drives the paint and kicks a pass out to the opposite wing.  Now you can re-set the zoom on that side (as O5 sprints back to the top for the pass).  Or on the kick-out pass from O3, either O4 or O2 might have an open 3-point shot, or O4 and O2 can run their own 2-man game action (pick and roll).

Or use the zoom action as a simple called play, or as an ad lib action that can be integrated into any motion offense. It can even work against zones. It creates defensive confusion and mis-matches with its multiple moving parts.

See the complete article Zoom Action Offense, with more details and diagrams - getting into Zoom from transition, Zoom options and counters, and Zoom set plays, and a video.