I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of having 1 offense I could use in any situation. Think of the upside:

• Less time installing offenses

• Less for players to remember

• More time for skill development, defense, and everything else

While this sounds like a no-brainer, it’s much harder to pull off. Why is that so?

• Most man to man offenses utilize actions that don’t punish zones

• Most zone offenses don’t have enough movement to be effective against man

Unfortunately, I’ve never found an offense that does this effectively. . . until now.

In this article, we’ll walk you through The Screening Game Offense With Bob Martinand show you how you can run this against any defense. If you’re looking for a solution for every defense, this simple, flexible offensive system is your answer!

Even better, there are only minor tweaks you have to make to run the offense successfully against zone.This makes it easy for players to learn and execute.

In fact, Coach Martin ran this offense exclusively on his way to winning a Georgia State Championship in 2023.

By implementing a system that works against any defense, your team is always in rhythm and your players are more confident. No longer will your players panic when the other team switches defenses. No longer will you have to spend time teaching multiple offenses. Instead, you just run one offense—and you’re ready for anything.

Simplify Your Offense: One System to Beat Any Defense

The Screening Game Offense With Bob Martin gives player 1 of 3 roles:

• Screener

• Cutter

• screen/cutter

You generally have 2 screeners, 2 cutters, and 1 screener/cutter. Each of those roles comes with a specific framework that give players clarity. For example, the 2 screeners work in tandem, looking to stay opposite of each other (1 high, 1 low; 1 on the right side, 1 on the left).

Because each player knows everyone else’s roles, it eliminates the confusion that often accompanies motion offense.

It’s clear who is screening and who is cutting. This creates a seamless flow, resulting in paint touches and ball reversals.

Against a zone, very little changes. The roles remain the same. Screening and passing are still the hallmarks of the offense. All you need to do is coach your players to recognize & attack “Spots.”

The Screening Game vs. Zone: Finding The Weak “Spots”

Coach Martin calls the zone version of The Screening Game Offense “Spots”.

• There are six key spots on the court against a zone defense

  • 2 Short Corners

  • 2 Blocks

  • 2 Elbows

• You always want two of the three ballside spots filled

• Spots can be filled by either screeners or cutters. In the diagrams below, these are the roles:

  • 1 - screener/cutter

  • 2 & 3 - cutters

  • 4 & 5 - screeners

  

• If screeners fill a spot, they can look to screen from there if they don’t get the ball. One example would be a ball screen. Here 4 sets a ball screen for 2.

• If a cutter cuts to a spot (player 2 above) the screener can look to flare screen on the weak side. Here 4 sets a flare screen for 1.

• It’s also easy for a screener to set a flare screen in transition and immediately slide into an elbow spot.

• Cutter still cut. They can cut to a spot or interchange on the perimeter. In fact, Coach Martin encourages his guards to cut to the high post and look for a pass. Having your best shooters and passers in the high post is a great option.

What’s so effective about this system is that the roles and responsibilities remain the same. Screeners screen, cutters cut. All that changes is the area you are trying to attack.

The simple tweak ensures that the actions that make the offense so effective against a man defense make it just as effective against zone!

Teach Less, Execute More: Don’t Get Caught Chasing Multiple Rabbits

“If you chase two rabbits, you catch neither.”

Yes, you can teach multiple offenses. But the more you teach, the less time and energy you can spend on any of them. As a result, you’ll probably be mediocre at all of them.

On the other hand, if you focus on one offense and teach your players how to execute against every defense, you have the chance to do something special.

In Coach Martin’s case, that was winning a state championship. Maybe it will do that for you. At the very least, it will create a team that is confident and competent in every offensive situation… And winning more games!

To learn more about the Screening Game Offense, click the box below.

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