Basketball Inbound Plays
Inbound plays are the set plays a basketball team runs when it restarts with a throw-in: from the baseline under the basket it is attacking (BLOB), from the sideline (SLOB), or from the end line against a full-court press. Every player is in position before the pass comes in, so a few rehearsed calls turn these restarts into layups and open threes instead of five-second violations and turnovers.
Basketball Inbound Plays in the library
BLOB Plays From the Box Set
Turn baseline out-of-bounds possessions into layups and open jumpers using one box alignment with layered screening options and a reliable safety.
View tactic →SLOB Plays
Build a sideline out-of-bounds package that beats denial pressure, produces a catch-and-shoot three, and creates a rim finish from one shared alignment.
View tactic →Press Break vs the Diamond Press
Advance the ball against the 1-2-1-1 diamond press without panic dribbling, and convert broken presses into numbers advantages at the rim.
View tactic →More basketball skills
| Restart | Where the ball starts | First goal | Typical alignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLOB | Baseline, under the basket you attack | Layup, then an open jump shot | Box (two on the blocks, two at the elbows) |
| SLOB | Sideline, usually near the hash | Safe entry, then a three or a lob | Stack in front of the inbounder |
| Inbounding vs a full-court press | End line after a made basket | Get the ball in and advance without a trap | Guards break opposite ways, a big flashes to the middle |
How to choose an inbound play
Start from where the ball is. On the baseline under the basket you attack, the ball is a few feet from the rim, so a BLOB play should screen for a layup first and a shot second: the box set's screen-the-screener does both from one picture. On the sideline the defense denies everything and nobody is near the rim, so a SLOB play is built to get the ball in safely, then create a catch-and-shoot three or a lob from a stack. After a made basket against a full-court press, the job is to inbound and advance without a trap: a post player inbounds, the guards break opposite ways, and a flash to the middle beats the press. Against a zone, overload one side, send a player to the short corner and screen the middle defender of the back line.
Simple inbound plays for youth basketball
Give young teams one alignment and two calls, not a playbook. A box or a stack, a slap of the ball as the trigger, and the same first two seconds for both calls so the defense cannot read them. Name a safety before the slap: the player who comes back to the ball if everything is covered. Choose an inbounder who is tall and patient rather than your best shooter, and teach them to fake high and pass low. Cutters walk into the screen and sprint out of it. Count five seconds out loud in practice so players learn the clock, and finish every rep by checking who would have been open.
What every inbound play needs
Four things decide whether a set works on game night. A trigger everyone reacts to at once, usually the inbounder's slap. Screens set and held until contact, because an early screener lets the defender slide through. A second option that starts the moment the first is covered, so the inbounder is never left holding the ball at four seconds. And the inbounder's own move after the pass: step in and cut, or drift for the swing pass, because a passer who stands and watches is the easiest player on the floor to forget about.
Frequently asked questions
What is an inbound play in basketball?
An inbound play is a set play run when a team restarts with a throw-in from out of bounds, from the baseline, the sideline or after a made basket. Players line up in a rehearsed shape, react to a trigger such as a slap of the ball, and use screens to free a shooter or a player at the rim.
What is the difference between BLOB and SLOB plays?
BLOB plays restart from the baseline under the basket you are attacking, so they usually screen for a layup first. SLOB plays restart from the sideline, where the defense denies every pass, so they focus on a safe entry and then a three or a lob. Many teams run a box for BLOBs and a stack for SLOBs.
What is a good inbound play for youth basketball?
A box set with one screen and one safety works well for youth teams. The two post players screen for each other, one guard comes back to the ball as the safety, and the inbounder looks at the rim first and the safety second. Keep the same start for every call so young players only learn one picture.
How long do you have to inbound the ball?
Five seconds. Under FIBA rules (Article 17.3.1) and US high school and college rules alike, the inbounder must release the pass within five seconds of having the ball, or it is a violation and the other team gets the ball. That is why every inbound play needs a second option and a designated safety ready before the count runs out.
Sources
Show your team every inbound call before tip-off.
Draw the box and the stack on a real court, animate each call and share the link, so every player knows their spot before the slap.
No card required