Basic Basketball Screens

coach, can you give me a drill on screening?

Rogelito,

We will be adding more screening drills to this website soon. In the meantime, check out the screening drills included in our free Winning Drills eBook. If you don't have the eBook yet, you can get it here:
http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/freebooks.html

Once you open the eBook, you'll find screening drills on pages:
25, 57, 59, 71, 73, 75, and 135

Hope this helps!

Jeff Haefner
BreakthroughBasketball.com

I WANT THIS DRILLS IN REAL PICTURE CAN U HELP ME

i like it so much .

This really helped me understand the rules of screening. Do you have any info on when a screen is done players call out switch?

Excellent explainations of the different basic screens. I coach young girls, so this will help me to exlplain the screens in a very simple form.

Hi Amy,

I'm not sure which viewpoint you want, so I will give you both defensive and offensive view points on switching on screens.

Switching on Screens (Defense)

You may want to switch if two guards are setting screens for each other and the defensive players have equal ability. That way a disadvantage is not created. If most of your players have a similar height and have a similar athletic ability, you may want to switch on screens.

If a post player sets a screen for their guard player or vice versa and you switch on this screen, this creates a disadvantage. Your guard defensive player is guarding the opposing team’s post player and your defensive post player is guarding the opposing team’s guard, which can create a huge disadvantage. Any smart team will know how to take advantage of that situation.


Switching on Screens (Offense)

If you notice the defense is switching on ball screens, the screener should try to pin the defensive player on their hip, pivot to open up to the ball, and roll to the basket. Often, this is wide open.

If a switch occurs away from the ball, the same thing should happen. The screener should try to pin the new defensive player on his hip, pivot to open up to the basketball, and maintain good position for an entry pass.

thank you

What kind of screens can you set against a zone defense?

Coach,
I've heard people like Hubie Brown talk about a 'dribble pick'.

I have never learned this technique - can you explain? How do you do it, when and why?

thanks
Chris

Coach Ronnie

You can set the same kind of screens against a zone as you do against a man with 2 adjustment.

The first adjustment is timing. Because a zone moves with the ball, setting a screen too early will be ineffective because the defense will not be in the same place when the ball arrives. The screen should be made at the time the ball can be delivered, maybe even when the ball is in the air. It is not as hard as it sounds, it just takes an awareness of when to pass the ball.

The second adjustment is to screen an area instead of the player. Since coverages change with ball movement, the defensive player who is defending a player when the ball is in one place, won't be defending with the ball in another area. For example, if you have a player on the block who you are going to bring to the wing, screening the player defending on the block will not be effective. You need to screen in the area on the wing where your player is going to cut to.

To be an effective screening team against a zone, you need to think as a zone coach, understand how the zone moves and what the coverages are and then screen, at the proper time, the areas where you want your offensive players to be effective.

If I can be of help, feel free to contact me

Don Kelbick
Contributing Editor, Breakthrough Basketball
www.DonKelbickBasketball.com

My homeschool group is doing Basketball in PE. This is guys and girls together, and everyone is working really hard, but our coaches lack even the most basic knowledge (by their own admission) and could use some quick pointers. Any help?

You can look at our fundamentals page at this link: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/fundamentals/basketballfundamentals.html

more important than timing when it comes to screens against zone defenses is POSITIONING.Once a screen is given and is checked{or in frequent cases the defense is disturbed or distracted],the offense is given the opportunity to make the defense guess and once the defense doubts it becomes blinded and through positioning on areas of the floor open shots or great opportunities develop.Another very effective weapon against the zone defense are the jump passes{seems very awkward but very very ffective.

the piston is sweet

Another easy way to help kids understand getting themselves square to the person they are screening is to tell them to point their rear-end wherever they want their teammate to go. This forces the shoulders to be square to where their teammate is going.

you guys are great am getting better at basketball because of you thanks.please hbey me download some of yourebooks.

I like this site i am playing a basketball game tomorow and had no clue what to do thanks for the help Seriously!

Playing two on two, I pass the ball to my teamate, he is standing still, I run towards the basket passing by my teamate then he follow behind me. Is this a moving pick ? One member of our group seems to think so.

I think that would be a judgment call by the referee. If it works, keep doing it. If that ref calls it a foul, stop doing it.

hey this really helped me on learning how to screen i am in 7 th grade and my coach was getting mad at me for not knowing how to do that THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!! love....ME ALYSSA

i liked it, but it think real pictures would help loads...

BB,

This link answers your question:
http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/offense/trapping-ball-screens.html

um can u tell me what the lines on the court stand for? and what offense and deffense is? thnk you

oh and upload some real pictures so i can understand more tnx

is a screen the same as a pick n roll ? I always get confused when im on the court doing screen drills .

Pat, they are not the same.

A pick and roll is an option off of a ball screen. After the ball screen is set, the screener will roll to the basket.

what is a pick

is a pick like a screen in basketball

i have no idea how to play basketbal im new at it,and all my teammates get really made when i dont know what to do ,can you guys give me everything you know about basketbal.........!!!! thanx so much

I am looking to clear something up concerning picks that are being set in a 5th grade youth girls basketball league. We have a team in our league that is setting illegal and dangerous picks in my opinion. This team has girls setting picks with their arms crossed but raised with their elbows facing out. They are also getting in this postion and literally chasing my guards around looking to set a "pick". I obviously know that these girls are supposed to be stationary when they set these picks, but is it also illegal to have your arms raised out from your chest and have your arms in this position when they are on the move to set the pick. I had a "couple" of calls from the ref concerning this, but he is old school and believes that girls at this age should just play. How will these girls ever learn if not properly taught? I have had a couple of my girls get absolutely wiped out by a few of these dangerous picks. Can you clear up for me what is leagal and Illegal? What do I tell my girls to do in this situation. Do I have to have some of bigger girls flatten one of these ladies setting their illegal pick if nothing is done by the ref. We wil be playing this team again.

Thanks fo the help

Hi Scott,

I understand the ref's position on just letting the girls play. Depending on the age level, you could call a violation every 3 seconds and the girls would never learn how to play.

However, it is important to teach girls not to lead with their elbows on screens. Otherwise, someone could get injured.

I would never have a girl retaliate. That will give the girls the wrong message.

Calmly approach the referee and express your concern. If the screens are so bad that kids are getting hurt and the referee is not doing anything, don't play.

I'm 9th grade player, and my coach gave me a paper on the basics of basketball. In one place the paper says, "Don't pass too fast - make sure you look inside before swinging the ball on the outside"
What do the words "inside" and "outside" refer to?

Sorry for double posting, but I forgot to ask, what is the difference between a perimeter player and a post player?

Can you help me understand WHEN to screen...I am not very good at diagrams and I am trying out for my Middle School team in 12 days. I haven't played on a team since second grade. Could you tell me what coaches look for most in players trying out for their team?

Thanks,
Summer

Hi Summer,

When you should screen is probably determined by your coach. Every coach has different offenses with different options. I would ask your coach.

Coaches typically look for players with these qualities, not necessarily in particular oder:
- Good attitude
- Always hustles
- Makes lay ups
- Plays defense
- Takes care of the basketball
- Unselfish - shares the basketball and makes their teammates better
- Athletic ability
- good rebounder
- Aggressive
- Plays smart
- Plays to their strengths. Does not try to do what they are not good at.

These are some of the main things that coaches look for, but there are other things as well that I can't think of right now.

You don't have to be able to do all of these things to be a good player. I don't know of too many players that can. You could be a very good rebounder who hustles all of the time and that could get you a lot of playing time. Or you could be a point guard who takes the of the ball, hustles, and plays great defense.

What should i do to prepare my self for basketball tryouts in 12 days if i havent played on a team since the second grade?

Thanks
Summer

casbasketball.blogspot.com
Find out more about the magnet motion offense system of basketball at casbasketball.blogspot.com you can also find the latest nba and other basketball news and features
Make it a point to play everyday before the try outs.when the try outs come ou just have to ply team basketball and be relaxed on the floor dont worry too much about scoring.

Great information, coach. I think the last word in the bullet on "Set up the defender" should be "foul" instead of "player."

What are some good basic plays for a zone offense?

What are some good basic plays for a zone offense

what are the basic basketball drills that we can do to develop a good inside screen skill??
we just need for our physical education class..thanks!

my names Selina Marie Aycoth(: the only reason im on this website is because im wrote out of PE. i think basketball is a fun sport to play, but i suck at throwing, lol. but i play football wich im really good at(: well i dont know what else to say, sooo byeee(:

its Selina again(: lmao(:

Wow! This actually helped me understand screening! Maybe my coach won't yell at me anymore..:D

Thanks a bunch for this helpful article, guys!