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.
Running Chicago Action?
Trade adjustments and counters with coaches running this set in the free community, or build sets like Chicago Action yourself in the interactive Play Designer — drag players, chart cuts, screens and passes, then watch the play run.
The community is free and always will be. No card needed for either.
More 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.