Free plays library

Basketball plays & actions, diagrammed

Real, named sets and actions — motion rules, set plays, zone offense, out-of-bounds plays, and pick-and-roll actions — each with a court diagram, reads, and coaching points. Draw and animate your own in the app.

Set Plays

Horns

A set built around two bigs stationed at both elbows, giving the offense a two-big-screen action to attack from the middle of the floor with shooters spaced in both corners.

Pick-and-Roll Actions

Empty Side Ball Screen

A ball-screen action run with the strong side cleared out, giving the ball handler a wide-open driving lane and the screener a clean roll to the rim.

Motion Offense

Pass and Screen Away — Motion Offense Rule

A continuity motion rule, not a fixed set: the passer screens for a teammate on the opposite side of the floor, repeated from any two spots until it creates an opening.

Motion Offense

Flex Offense

A continuity offense built on a baseline screen (the 'flex cut') paired with a down screen for the screener, designed to spring one of the two post players open on every possession.

Zone Offense

1-3-1 Zone Offense — Flash the Middle

Attacks a 1-3-1 zone by flashing a post player into the gap behind the middle defender, the classic soft spot in that zone shape, then reads a kick to either corner.

Out-of-Bounds Plays

Box Out-of-Bounds Play

A baseline inbounds set with four players aligned in a box shape, using a cross-screen on the blocks for a quick post touch and a popping shooter as the counter.

Motion Offense

Zipper Cut

A baseline-to-top cutting action where a player sprints up the lane line off a screen near the free-throw line, springing a designated shooter for a catch-and-shoot look.

Pick-and-Roll Actions

Pistol Action

A modern side ball-screen entry that starts with a dribble-at toward a lifting guard before a big steps up to screen, forcing the defense to defend two actions in one possession.

Motion Offense

Princeton Backdoor Cut

A high-post entry pass paired with a backdoor cut — the signature read of the Princeton offense, punishing a defender who denies or overplays the wing pass.

Pick-and-Roll Actions

Spain Pick-and-Roll

A modern ball-screen action where a shooter sets a back screen on the roller's own defender, springing a lob or open rim run as the screener rolls to the basket.

Set Plays

Elevator Screen

Two screeners let a shooter cut between them, then step together to close the gap like elevator doors, sealing off the trailing defender for a clean catch-and-shoot.

Motion Offense

1-4 High Motion

A base alignment with one guard up top and four players spread across the high area — a flexible spacing framework that supports hand-offs, screens, and cuts from any spot.

Set Plays

Floppy Action

A shooter starts at the baseline and reads whether to cut off a single screen on one side or a double screen on the other, giving them two live options to get open.

Motion Offense

Chicago Action

A guard passes to the wing then cuts off a pin-down screen from the post to receive a dribble hand-off — a fast way to get a ball handler downhill or hunt a switch.

Zone Offense

2-3 Zone Offense — Overload Attack

Stacks three offensive players on one side of a 2-3 zone to outnumber the two defenders there, forcing a shift that opens either a skip pass or a high-post flash.

Out-of-Bounds Plays

Stack Baseline Out-of-Bounds Play

Four players stack vertically along the lane line and release in a scripted sequence to the corner, block, wing, and top, giving the inbounder a clear first, second, and safety read.