Have you ever heard a coach say at their introductory press conference, “we are going to play slow”?

Of course not. Why? Because playing fast is fun and appealing to both recruits and fans. Beyond that, it’s effective (if done well).

And yet, many of these coaches never follow through on their promise. They complicate transition offense. What results are turnovers, bad shots, and losses.

So while every coach loves to talk about “running the floor,” very few teams actually do it well. Great transition offense doesn’t just happen—it’s taught, drilled, and understood by every player on the court. 

No matter what level you coach,having a clear structure for your transition offense can lead to easy buckets, better spacing, and serious momentum shifts.

As Tony Robbins says, “Complexity is the enemy of execution.”

In this article, we’ll break it down into 3 simple, practical steps from Coach Don Kelbick’s Transition Offense And The Four Second Fast Break:

1. Understanding the true goal of transition offense
2. Teaching a clear rule for where each player should run
3. Using a progressive teaching method to install your system effectively

If you want to score more easy baskets and make your offense more dangerous without adding 15 new plays—this is where to start.

The Fast Break Formula: 3 Steps to Teaching Transition Offense

• Know your objective

  In today’s NBA, many transition possessions end up in 3’s. Unfortunately, that has trickled down to lower levels.

  Early in my 7th grade boys season, we had a 3 on 1 in practice. Instead of running for a layup, one of the players ran to the corner in hopes of shooting a 3. He was about a 20% 3 point shooter. And yet, he thought that was a good decision.

  That provided an ideal moment for me to remind the entire team of the goal of transition - A LAYUP! An open layup is and will always be the best shot in the game.

  Make sure your players know that. If they do, they will:

  • Run harder
  • Take better shots

• Keep your break simple

  If you want your players to sprint and play fast, you can expect them to do too much thinking. When players start thinking too much, their feet get slower.

  Coach Kelbick provides an incredibly simple rule for his players in transition:

  • If you’re ahead of the ball, run wide.
  • If you’re behind the ball, trail down the middle.

  By running wide, those ahead of the ball create space for drives. They are also more available for hit ahead passes.

  By running down the middle, players behind the ball are in position to reverse the ball if no layup is available. They are also well-positioned to flow into subsequent actions.

  Best of all, this rule requires almost no thinking. Players just need to see where they are relative to the ball and run accordingly.

• Teach progressively

  Once players know the goal of transition and where to run, it’s up to you to teach it in a way they understand.

  Coach Kelbick provides a clear and progressive teaching methodology that ensures all players understand how to fast break.

  Here’s his method:

  • Explain the theory and objectives
  • Use 1v1 and advantage drills (2v1, 3v1) to instill and practice the “layup” mentality
  • Run break lead up drills (2v0, 3v0, & 4v0) to help players’ understand spacing
  • Run your break 5v0 to show all the options
  • Explain how to flow from transition seamlessly into half court offense
  • Run full court fast break drills with 5 players on offense like the example below.

  Adopt this process for your teaching and you’ll see clarity replace confusion.

The John Wooden Theory Of Transition Offense

Former UCLA Coach John Wooden said, “Be quick, but don’t hurry.”

That pretty much sums up the difference between effective and ineffective transition teams.

Both play fast. But only one is fast & controlled.

If you want that to be your team, check out Transition Offense And The Four Second Fast Break.

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