Objective
Score against teams that out-size you by turning denial into backdoor layups and turning sagging help into catch-and-shoot threes, with every player able to play every spot.
Setup
Area
Half court
Players
5 offensive players, then 5 denying defenders once the cuts are learned
Equipment
1 ball, Cones at both guard spots, both wings and the ball-side elbow for walk-throughs
Duration
20–25 minutes per install session, one series per week
How it works
- 1
Spread the two-guard front
Two guards start about three feet above the arc, each just outside the lane line. Two wings sit at the free-throw line extended, a stride behind the three-point line. The center starts at the ball-side elbow. That leaves roughly 15 to 18 feet between players and nobody below the foul line, so the rim is open for cutters.
- 2
Teach the one read that runs everything
Any player whose defender has a hand and foot in the passing lane takes one hard step toward the ball, plants on the outside foot and cuts backdoor. The release is the center: he steps to the elbow, catches, pivots to face the rim and delivers a bounce pass into the cutter's stride before the help can rotate from the weak side.
- 3
Run the chin series
Guard 1 passes to guard 2, and 2 swings the ball on to the wing. As the second pass leaves, the center sets a back screen at the elbow (the chin screen) on 1's defender, and 1 cuts to the rim for a pass from the wing. If the cut is covered, 1 clears to the corner, the center pops for an elbow jumper or flares, and the spots refill for another reversal.
- 4
Run the point series
The center lifts to the top of the key and catches the entry there. The ball-side wing reads first: a denying defender means a backdoor cut for the bounce pass, a sagging defender means the center dribbles at him for a handoff. The passing guard screens away for the other guard so a second cutter arrives from the weak side as the first one clears.
- 5
Run the low post series and reset
With a big who can score inside, the center starts on the block and the wing feeds the post. The passer and the nearest guard split off the post, crossing close to him, while the weak side exchanges to keep the helper busy. No layup means the ball goes back out, the shape rebuilds within two passes, and the next read starts.
| Series | Trigger | Main action | Primary scoring look |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chin | Guard-to-guard pass, ball swung on to the wing | Center back-screens the first passer at the elbow | Backdoor layup for the cutting guard, then the center's elbow jumper |
| Point | Entry pass to the center at the top of the key | Wings read their defenders: backdoor or handoff | Bounce pass to a backdoor cutter from the high post |
| Low post | Wing feeds the center on the block | Passer and nearest guard split off the post | Post move, or a pass to a splitting cutter |
| Dribble-at | Ball handler dribbles toward a teammate | Teammate cuts backdoor or takes the handoff | Layup on the backdoor or a downhill drive |
Coaching points
Put your best passer at center; a big who cannot see cutters from the elbow turns the whole system into sideways passing.
Sell every backdoor with two or three steps toward the ball before the plant, or the defender simply follows the cutter to the rim.
Drill the bounce pass from the elbow and the top every practice; it beats the reaching hand that a chest pass cannot.
Players take the open three on the catch but never force a contested jumper, because the next cut is always coming.
Variations
One-guard front for high school teams
Many programs start 1-2-2 instead, with the point guard alone at the top and the center arriving at the high post on the first pass. It is easier to teach but gives the defense one reversal outlet to deny.
Princeton against a zone
Keep the chin action but have the center flash into the gap at the ball-side high post after his back screen. The guard cutting through runs all the way to the rim to pull the bottom of the zone down, then fills the corner for a kick-out three.
Build it in Coach Board
Players learn this offense when they see the lean that triggers each cut. Draw the two-guard front once on a Coach Board court, duplicate it into chin, point and low post boards, and draw the denying defender's position in each. Animate the reads, slow the playback on the plant step before the backdoor, and share all three boards in one playbook link so players review the series before practice.