Motion Offense
Ages 13–15, Ages 16+
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.
Reads & options
- 1. If O1's defender fights over the pin-down, O1 can curl tighter to the rim instead of coming out for the hand-off.
- 2. If the defense switches the pin-down, O1 can reject the hand-off and cut backdoor instead.
- 3. This action is a fast way to get a combo guard moving downhill right off an inbound or early in a possession.
Coaching points
- · The passer (who becomes the hand-off man) needs to catch on the move and be ready to hand off immediately, not stand and wait.
- · The screener must set the pin-down with the same footwork and angle as any down screen — width matters more than exact position.
- · Teach the cutter to read a switch immediately since Chicago action is often used specifically to hunt mismatches.
Draw and animate your own plays
Build sets like Chicago Action in the interactive Play Designer — drag players, chart cuts, screens, and passes, then watch the play run.
Start freeMore 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.
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.
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.