How to Dominate with Ball Screens (At Any Level)

By Brian Williams on May 6, 2026

Jacie Hoyt, Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Oklahoma State

This video is a segment from one of the 120 Videos in Glazier Drive Basketball.

Explore coaching clinic replays, practice plans, skill development videos, and more. Click here to see all that’s included.

The full video that this clip came from is available on Glazier Drive:

Using Ball Screens Effectively at All Levels

A transcript of the video is shown below.

USE THE SCREEN: SHOULDER-TO-HIP & “WIN THE RACE”
When using the screen, the ball handler must come off tight—“shoulder to hip”—leaving no room for the defender. If X1 goes over the top, the focus is on “winning the race,” meaning beating the defender downhill to the basket for a drive.

ATTACK THE NAIL (PULL-UP OPTION)
If the defense goes over and the help defender (X5) is in a drop, players are taught to get to the nail (middle of the floor/free throw line area) and take a controlled pull-up jumper instead of forcing a drive.

STOP & POP VS. UNDER COVERAGE
If X1 goes under the screen, the ball handler should immediately stop behind the screen and take the open three-point shot. Proper screening angles are critical here to create space and keep the shot within range.

EMPHASIS ON SPACING & TIMING
Players must fight to get to their spots on the floor before initiating the action. The drill reinforces “plant then go” timing, ensuring players are balanced and attacking with purpose. Multiple shots are built into each rep to develop all positions.

SCREENER DEVELOPMENT & MULTI-TASKING
Screeners are not passive—they screen, then immediately look to score (post seals, rolls, or shots). The system builds habits where every player is a scoring threat within the action.

BIGS’ READS: ROLL & SHORT ROLL SERIES
The screener’s decisions are based on help defense (X3 and X5):

If there is no help or a late tag → Roll all the way to the rim (long roll)
If help is present → Short roll into space

SHORT ROLL OPTIONS
From the short roll, players have three reads:

Take the short jumper
Jab at the defender and shoot
Jab and attack to the rim if the defender commits

OVERALL TEACHING POINT
The system simplifies decision-making by giving players clear, repeatable reads based on defensive behavior. Guards and screeners are both trained to be aggressive, skilled decision-makers, allowing the offense to function efficiently against multiple coverages.

10 NBA/WNBA BLOBs Every Basketball Coach Needs to Steal

By Brian Williams on May 6, 2026

Carla Morrow, Assoc Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Ohio State

In this Glazier Drive video, Coach Morrow shares a collection of baseline out of bounds plays she has compiled. No narration — just the plays, drawn up and shown in sequence. A clean, efficient resource you’ll want to bookmark.

This video is a segment from one of the 120 Videos in Glazier Drive Basketball. Explore coaching clinic replays, practice plans, skill development videos, and more. Click here to see all that’s included.

The full video that this clip came from is available on Glazier Drive: ATO / BLOB / SLOB Design & Execution

If there are some plays that fit your team, you will probably need to watch the videos several times to get all of the cuts and screens.

If you want to steal easy baskets, look no further than your baseline out of bounds situations. BLOBs — Baseline Out of Bounds Plays — are set plays run when your team inbounds the ball from underneath the basket. Coaches who invest practice time here often find themselves picking up two to four points per game that opponents simply give away.

Coach Morrow walks through ten BLOB sets in the video above. Watch for the spacing, the timing of screens, and how multiple plays can be disguised from the same starting alignment — one of the hallmarks of a well-built BLOB package.

Free throw stagger series

These four plays share the same stagger screen alignment — making them nearly impossible to scout individually. Install all four and your opponent will never know which one is coming.

Free throw stagger — single curl

The primary cutter uses the stagger screen and curls hard toward the basket. This is the base play of the series and works especially well when the defense is overplaying the straight cut. The inbounder looks for the curl before anything else.

Free throw stagger — single slip

A counter off the single curl. One of the screeners in the stagger slips early before completing the screen, looking to catch the defense in transition. Timing is everything — the slip must come just as the defense commits to stopping the curl.

Free throw stagger — reject

The cutter rejects the stagger and goes away from it, using the screen as a decoy. This is the change-up of the series and is most effective after you’ve successfully run the curl a couple of times in the same game.

Free throw stagger — flex

The stagger action transitions into a flex cut across the lane, adding a post entry option. Works well against teams that pack the paint to take away the curl.

Coaching tip: The stagger series is most effective when all four plays are installed. Run the curl and reject early to set up the slip — and the flex is a great call when you need a reliable entry into the post.

Box series

Box — cross screen flare

Starting from a box alignment, one player sets a cross screen while a teammate flares to the three-point line. This creates a two-option read for the inbounder — the cross screen cutter inside or the flare shooter on the perimeter.

Up screen

Players set screens going toward the basket, freeing cutters to the ball-side corner or wing. A clean, simple play that attacks man-to-man defense effectively and is easy to execute under late-game pressure.

Up screen — grenade

A variation where the action “explodes” in multiple directions simultaneously, giving the inbounder multiple reads in a short window. A great call in late-game situations when the defense is on high alert.

Pin down

A pin down screen frees a shooter coming off toward the wing or top of the key. Effective against teams that trail their shooter, as the screener’s angle seals the defender. Look for the catch-and-shoot on the wing.

Stack series

Stack up screen 1

Players line up in a stack near one elbow, then use an up screen to free a cutter. The stack alignment disguises the play’s direction until the last moment, making it difficult for the defense to anticipate the cut.

Stack up screen 2

A second variation out of the same stack alignment with a different screen angle or cutter priority. Running multiple plays from identical sets is one of the most effective ways to keep a defense guessing all game long.

Installing these plays: Group them by series (stagger, box, stack) and use a simple numbering or hand signal system so players can call the play without tipping off the opponent. Running at least two plays per series out of the same alignment makes your entire BLOB package much harder to defend.

Video presented by Carla Morrow, Associate Head Coach, Women’s Basketball, Ohio State University — via Glazier Drive, used with permission. Glazier Drive is one of the leading online platforms for basketball and football coaching education, featuring 2,000+ videos and coaching systems from top coaches across the country. Learn more at glazierclinics.com.

Ball Screen Rocket Concept

By Brian Williams on April 29, 2026

Ryan Kapustka, Asst Men’s Basketball Coach, Dartmouth

The full video that this clip came from is available on Glazier Drive: Pick & Roll Offensive Concept

A transcript of the video is shown below.

ROCKETS: SIMPLIFYING BALL SCREEN READS FOR LIMITED BALL HANDLERS

The “Rocket” is a ball screen variation designed for players who struggle with handling, reading, or executing traditional ball screens. Instead of the guard dribbling into a screen, they make an early pass (“hit”) to the big man, immediately reducing dribbling and simplifying decision-making.

WHY IT WORKS

By cutting out the dribble and hitting the forward early, the ball handler only needs to read one simple reaction from the defender — making the concept much easier to execute for less skilled players. It’s also particularly effective for elite shooters who benefit from early ball movement.

THE KEY READ

Defender goes under → shooter has an open look
Defender goes over → ball handler attacks downhill, kicks back, or executes a back cut for an easy basket

CORNELL AS A MODEL

Cornell’s offense is cited as a prime example — they consistently use this concept by hitting the forward early and flowing into either back cuts or catch-and-shoot opportunities rather than relying on traditional ball screen actions.

ADDING A COUNTER

Once the defense begins anticipating the rocket action, teams can layer in a “snake” (referred to as an “oh no”) as a counter, keeping the defense honest — especially when forwards are capable ball handlers.

BOTTOM LINE

Rockets reduce reads, reduce dribbling, and create the same advantages as a ball screen with far less complexity — a practical tool for coaches working with players still developing their pick-and-roll IQ.

Euro Continuity Ball Screen Offense for High School

By Brian Williams on April 27, 2026

Robi Coker, Asst Men’s Basketball Coach, McNeese State

Full video on Glazier Drive: Davidson Break & Euro Continuity Ball Screen Offense

OVERVIEW

This transcript covers a basketball offensive system called “Flow” (also referred to as “Pan Continuity”), a five-out offense that’s flexible enough for all five players to play either the guard or post role. It’s designed to be simple to learn, hard to guard, and effective for clock management when protecting a lead or resetting offensive rhythm.

KEY FEATURES OF THE OFFENSE

Flow is a continuity-based system with two post players and three guards, though all five players are interchangeable. It generates constant movement through cuts, ball screens, and spacing, keeping every player involved and putting consistent pressure on the defense.

PRIMARY ACTIONS AND READS

The base action is called “Corner” — when the post player cuts, the wing automatically cuts to the corner, creating an empty-side ball screen. The offense can be initiated multiple ways: the point guard can throw to the wing and cut opposite, reverse to the four-man, or drive downhill. Both loaded and empty side entries are viable.

SCORING OPTIONS

The offense generates a variety of shots including open threes off “Lift” cuts, short roll opportunities when the defense over-hedges, slip passes behind the screener’s ear for driving angles and layups, and corner threes off the continuity action. Coaches are encouraged to drill “Lift threes” specifically, using tape markings on the floor to teach proper spacing at corner, wing, and slot positions.

COUNTERS AND ADJUSTMENTS

Against denial defense, post players are coached to gradually drift higher, pulling their defender away from the basket and opening a driving lane for a 4-on-4 advantage underneath. Against switching defenses, the screener executes a slip route — showing hands to simulate setting the screen before releasing — to create easy scoring opportunities.

TEACHING POINTS

Guards are told not to come off the screen until the post player has jump-stopped to set it, giving them a built-in read: if the post doesn’t jump-stop, a slip is coming. Post players are taught to set screens with their outside foot on the inside of the three-point line, with their back to the basket to stay downhill. A variation called “Loop” keeps the action on the ball side, with the cutter looping to the short corner instead of the far corner, generating roll-and-replace opportunities and open threes for shooters.

3 Competitive Shooting Games Every Coach Needs to Run

By Brian Williams on April 24, 2026

Van Green, Asst Men’s Basketball Coach, Oral Roberts

This video is a segment from one of the 156 Videos in Glazier Drive Basketball. Explore coaching clinic replays, practice plans, skill development videos, and more. Click here to see all that’s included.

OVERVIEW

Three competitive shooting games he uses in individual player development workouts, emphasizing that every drill should mirror the competitive nature of real games.

DRILL 1 — THE NBA 100

The player shoots from five spots on the floor. Threes are worth 3 points, mid-range shots worth 2, and layups worth 1. The goal is to reach 100 points. The player stays at each spot until he misses, then moves on. Progress is tracked over time — one player went from 34 to 76 across sessions.

DRILL 2 — CLOSEOUT READING DRILL

Five minutes, one ball, one rebounder, one coach closing out. The player must read the closeout and make the right decision — shoot if hands are low, ball fake or pull up if the contest is strong. The drill runs for five straight minutes with the coach talking and making noise to simulate game conditions. The record seen is 87 makes.

DRILL 3 — THE DAME LILLARD DRILL

Two minutes on the clock. The player must make two consecutive threes from five spots around the arc. A good shooter targets 12–15 spots completed. Wins and losses are tracked, and penalties (like push-ups) can be added for losing days.

KEY COACHING PHILOSOPHY

Competition drives improvement. Every drill gives players a number to chase, a personal record to beat, and a win/loss outcome to care about — because that’s what the game demands.

4 Decision-Making Drills | Small-Sided Games with Constraints

By Brian Williams on April 22, 2026

David Martinez, Head Boys Basketball Coach, Atascocita HS, TX

OVERVIEW

This video covers a series of progressive basketball drills focused on offensive reads, closeout defense, and decision-making. The drills are designed to isolate specific skills before putting players in full 5-on-5 situations.

TWO-ON-ONE CLOSEOUT DRILL

Players work on reading closeouts from a baseline catch-and-shoot setup. The offensive player receiving the pass must decide whether to shoot off the closeout or make one more pass to a shooter. The emphasis is on shooters being ready before the catch — down, locked in, and not rushing the shot.

DHO (DRIBBLE HAND-OFF) TWO-ON-TWO

The team runs two-on-two actions built around dribble hand-offs. If the defender goes under the screen, the ball handler turns and shoots. This mirrors actions used heavily in their actual offense, with both offense and defense learning to react in real time.

POINT GUARD READ DRILL (ADVANTAGE SITUATIONS)

This is a key teaching segment. A point guard starts with a defender trailing behind them, forcing them to read the second line of defense — not the on-ball defender. The coaching point stressed repeatedly: read the back line, make the simple play, and get the ball out quickly. A freshman is highlighted learning to jump stop, play off two feet, make the pass, and relocate to space.

FOUR-ON-FOUR ADVANTAGE DRILL

The same concept is expanded with more bodies and flying closeouts. A sophomore is corrected for repeatedly shooting a corner shot when a better open shot was available. The key lesson: hunt the better shot — just because you’re open doesn’t mean it’s the right play.

KEY COACHING TAKEAWAYS

Isolating reads in small-group drills allows coaches to see and correct mistakes faster than in 5-on-5
Spending just 5–10 minutes daily on situational drills pays dividends in game decision-making
In a five-out offense, players must know when to attack the rim vs. when to kick it out
Always prioritize the better shot over the quick shot