Objective
Build a read-based half-court offense where spacing keeps every pass available and every defensive overplay opens a rehearsed counter.
Setup
Area
Half court
Players
5 offensive players; full 5v5 once each option is learned against dummy defense
Equipment
1 ball, Cones for the corner, wing, low post, top and weak-side elbow-extended spot
Duration
25–30 minutes per install session over several weeks
How it works
- 1
Form the sideline triangle
The point guard passes to the wing and cuts to the ball-side corner, either inside (looking for a give-and-go) or outside the wing (a possible handoff). The post drops to the ball-side block, so corner, wing and post form the triangle. The weak-side wing rotates to the top and the weak-side big sits at the elbow-extended area. Players hold 15 to 18 feet apart.
- 2
Get into it when the wing is denied
If the pass to the wing is denied, the point guard dribbles at the wing, who cuts backdoor or clears through to the far corner, and the triangle forms on whichever side the ball ends up. Reversing the ball to the top and the weak-side wing does the same job on the other side.
- 3
Option 1: post entry and split
The first look from the wing is always the post. After the entry, the two strong-side perimeter players split the post, the passer cutting first and the corner second, crossing off each other. The post can hand off to either cutter, go one-on-one, or kick out to whoever relocates.
- 4
Option 2: corner pass and two-man game
When the wing passes to the corner, the post steps out to back-screen for the wing, who cuts through. The post then ball-screens for the corner player, and those two play screen-and-roll, pop or slip while the weak side clears the help away.
- 5
Option 3: reversal and blind pig
If the post is fronted, the wing passes back to the top, who reverses to the weak side for a two-man game (handoff, pick-and-roll or pass and cut) with the big. When the defense denies that reversal pass to the wing, the weak-side big flashes to the high post, catches from the top, and the denied wing cuts backdoor for the bounce pass: the blind pig.
| Option | Defensive cue | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Post entry | Post defender plays behind or on the side | Wing feeds the post; passer and corner split the post |
| Corner pass | Wing denied the post feed, corner open | Post back-screens the wing, then ball-screens the corner |
| Reversal | Post fronted | Ball to the top and weak side for a two-man game with the big |
| Blind pig | Reversal pass to the weak-side wing denied | Big flashes high, wing cuts backdoor for the bounce pass |
| Solo cut | Corner defender sags toward the post | Corner clears baseline, post goes one-on-one |
Coaching points
Spacing is the offense: at 15 to 18 feet, one defender cannot guard two players, but passes stay short enough to be safe.
Teach the options as responses to what the defense takes away, never as a script to be run in order.
The post player must be a willing passer, because the split cuts only score when the ball finds the cutters.
Install one option per week and scrimmage it before adding the next, or players stall trying to remember the menu.
Variations
Solo cut
When the corner defender cheats toward the post, the corner player runs the baseline to the weak side, clearing the strong side for a one-on-one post-up with no help nearby.
Triangle principles inside another offense
Most high school coaches borrow pieces rather than the whole system: the sideline triangle as a post-entry set, the post split as a quick hitter, and the blind pig as a counter to denial in any motion offense.
Build it in Coach Board
The triangle is a menu, and players need to see which defensive move selects each option. Lay out the sideline triangle and weak-side pair once in Coach Board, duplicate it for the post split, the corner two-man game and the blind pig, and draw the defender's denial in each clip. Slow the playback so the 15 to 18 foot spacing is visible, then share all three in one playbook link.