---
title: "Triangle Offense: Sideline Triangle, Options & Reads"
description: "The triangle offense forms a corner-wing-post sideline triangle with a two-man game opposite. Learn the spacing, entries, post split, reversal and blind pig."
url: "https://www.coachboard.app/library/basketball/triangle-offense"
sport: "Basketball"
category: "Tactic"
level: "advanced"
dateModified: "2026-09-24"
---

# Triangle Offense — Basketball Tactic

The triangle offense is Tex Winter's read-based system in which three players form a sideline triangle (corner, wing and low post) while the other two play a two-man game on the weak side, spaced 15–18 feet apart.

The triangle offense, also called the triple-post offense, is a read-and-react half-court system that Tex Winter developed from ideas of his college coach Sam Barry at USC and refined as a head coach, including at Kansas State. Three players form a sideline triangle of corner, wing and low post, two play a two-man game opposite, and every pass triggers a menu of options instead of a called play.

It became famous as the offense of Phil Jackson's Chicago Bulls, who won six NBA titles, and his Los Angeles Lakers, who won five, with Winter serving on Jackson's staffs in both cities. The spacing is the point: each pass is short enough to be safe, and each defender stands too far from his teammates to help without giving up a cut or a shot.

## 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
- **Level:** advanced (U16+)

## 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.

**Triangle offense options and the defensive cue that triggers each**

| 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.

[Basketball coaching app](https://www.coachboard.app/sports/basketball) · [Start 14-day free trial, no card](https://my.coachboard.app)

## FAQ

### Why isn't the triangle offense popular anymore?

The triangle offense faded because it takes years to learn and relies on post entries and mid-range reads, while modern teams build around pick-and-roll and three-point spacing. It works best with players who stay in the system for several seasons. Its pieces survive: post splits, pinch-post actions and read-and-react cutting still appear in many offenses.

### Why is the triangle offense hard to install?

The triangle offense is hard to install because it runs on reads, not plays. Every player must know every spot, recognize the defense's overplay and pick the right option instantly. Teams need weeks of repetition, a post who passes well and players willing to share the ball, which is why few high schools run the full system.

### What is the blind pig in the triangle offense?

Blind pig is the triangle offense's counter to a denied reversal pass. The weak-side big flashes to the high post, catches from the top, and hits the denied wing, who cuts backdoor behind his defender. It turns aggressive denial into a layup and is a standard part of the triangle's reversal series.

## Related

- https://www.coachboard.app/library/basketball/princeton-offense.md
- https://www.coachboard.app/library/basketball/4-out-1-in-motion-offense.md
- https://www.coachboard.app/library/basketball/flex-offense.md
- https://www.coachboard.app/library/basketball/mikan-drill.md

---

[Basketball coaching app](https://www.coachboard.app/sports/basketball) · Animate and share this tactic with your team: https://my.coachboard.app