Basketball Plays

Basketball Plays Zipper up Runner

By Brian Williams on July 15, 2013

Coach Vonn Read has submitted several plays from his playbook series The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays to the Coaching Toolbox. Vonn is currently serving as an assistant couch in the Women’s at Houston.

He has also served as an assistant coach in the WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury, Orlando Miracle, and San Antonio Silver Stars. He was an advanced scout for the Orlando Magic as well as The Charlotte Sting.

This is a very good play to run at the end of a game to get a 3 point shot

The 5 player will set a Zipper screen for the 1 player popping to the top.

The 4 player will set a Brush Ball Screen for the 1 player.

The 3 player will run off a double screen by the 5 and 2 player along the baseline.

As soon as 2 sets the fake screen for the 3 player on the baseline, the 2 player will sprint hard opposite through the elevator screen set by the 4 and 5 players for the 3-point shot.

Coach Read has also put together The Basketball Encyclopedia of plays. You can check them out here: The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays or read more about the books:

Any coach looking for the latest and innovative plays from the Professional, College, or High School levels can stop looking. With a compilation of over 7,700 different plays, you will never need to purchase another basketball playbook again. These playbooks can be used as a great reference tool for years to come. This 2 Volume Book includes plays from 19 different play categories, and they are the most extensive playbooks on the market.

The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays (Platinum Series) contains over 7,700 Plays (Both Volumes combined) from the NBA, WNBA, USBL, and College levels from someone who has worked as an Advanced Scout or Coach on each level!!! This book has been intensely compiled over the last 21 years, with plays taken from a lot of NBA Coaches (past and present), WNBA coaches, and College coaches (Men’s and Women’s) from around the country.

Any coach that is serious about improving their knowledge of the game from an X and O standpoint will benefit tremendously from these books. These Books can be used to discover New Quick hitters, add a New Package to your playbook, or develop an entire Offensive System. There are a lot of new ideas and concepts in these books to study, and the Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays can be a great resource for coaches on all levels!!! This book is definitely for those X and O junkies who are always looking to improve as a Coach.

“THE GAME IS ALWAYS CHANGING? ARE YOU?” Vonn Read

Here is the link: The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays

Basketball Plays Double Away

By Brian Williams on July 8, 2013

This play is from the Arizona Men’s Basketball Newsletter.

If you would like to be added to their newsletter mailing list, please email me your

1) Name
2) Team or School
3) Coaching Position

and I will forward it on to the Arizona staff.

1 passes to 3. As 3 passes back to 1, 2 begins his cut of of 5 to the ball side corner.

4 will always keep his man lifted above the second dash for space during screening.

As 2 crosses 5’s shoulders, 3 begins his movement to screen 5 as 1 dribble into the action.

4 remains high to keep his man from helping on the screening action.

As 1 passes to 2, 3 screens 5s defender. This will appear almost as a backscreen as 5 peels off under the rim ballside.

2 feeds 5, or can hit 4 if 4s man is helping on the post

Basketball Plays Baseline Runner Longhorn

By Brian Williams on July 1, 2013

I found this play on the Xavier Men’s Basketball Newsletter Site.

It is designed to be run against a zone defense.

If you are interested in seeing their newsletter archives, here is the link: Xavier Men’s Basketball Newsletter.

All of our basketball plays including diagrams, videos, and animated basketball plays are at this link: Animated Basketball Plays

Two guard front

3 circles in the high post area.

1 passes to 3

2 goes away

1 then sprints through to the opposite corner,

3 sees 5 on a possible duck in.

If the duck in is not available, 3 passes to 2.

2 quickly passes to 1

On the catch by 1, 4 slides up the lane line.

5 sprints acrossthe lane to the ballside block

1 sees both the post (4) and the low post (5)

Basketball Plays Greece Chase

By Brian Williams on June 24, 2013

This play was contributed by Creighton Burns.

He has made coaching stops in four states including Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan at both the high school and college levels.

Coach Burns has coached both Men and Women.

Creighton has received numerous coaching honors including Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 1988.

The name of this play is Greece Chase.

#1 “dribble chases” #3.

#2 and #4 move down to the baseline to screen for #3.

#5 fakes as if to screen away and then fills the point.

#1 passes to #5 and down screens for #2.

#5 has the choice of passing to #3 on the back side or passing to #2 coming off the down screen set by #1.

Regardless of which wing #5 passes to, he will down screen away from his pass for #1.

If #5 makes the pass to #3, he will down screen away for #1.

#3 will look inside to #4 and then high to #1 coming off the screen.

If #5 makes the pass to #2, #1 will cross screen for #4 and then receive a down screen from #5.

#2 will look low to #4 and then high to #1

When #1 receives the ball and then swings it to the opposite wing, he will down screen for the back side post player.

In this diagram he has swung the ball to #3, and screened down for #4.

The offense is now set and ready to execute the “hi-low” action.

Basketball Plays Zipper Pindown

By Brian Williams on June 17, 2013

Coach Vonn Read has submitted several plays from his playbook series The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays to the Coaching Toolbox. Vonn is currently serving as an assistant coach in the Women’s program at Houston.

This set is run to get the ball into the post.

1 player dribbles to the wing to initiate the play.

The 4 player will set the Zipper cut for 3 popping to the top.

The 2 player will put their head under the basket.

The 3 player will dribble to the wing to enter the ball.

The 5 player will screen for the 2 player right under the basket.

The 2 player will curl on the screen, which will force X5 to temporarily help.

After the curl by the 2 player, the 5 player will aggressively attack X5 and seal at the rim for an easy layup.

X5 will help on the curl and at the same time get sealed at the basket!!

Coach Read has also put together The Basketball Encyclopedia of plays. You can check them out here: The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays or read more about the books:

“THE GAME IS ALWAYS CHANGING? ARE YOU?” Vonn Read

Here is the link: The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays