Set Plays
Ages 13–15, Ages 16+

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.

O1O4O5O2O3
Alignment
O1O4O5O2O3
Action — Cut Through the Elevator Doors

Reads & options

  • 1. The shooter should cut with a change of pace — walk the defender in, then explode through the gap.
  • 2. If the defender fights through early, the two screeners should widen the gap and reset rather than let the defender squeeze through.
  • 3. This action is most often used to get a designated shooter a three right off an inbounds or after a timeout.

Coaching points

  • · Timing is everything — the two screeners have to close the gap the instant the cutter clears, not before.
  • · The cutter needs to sell the defender with a fake before cutting, or the defender can jump the screen entirely.
  • · Both screeners need a wide, athletic stance to hold their ground against a trailing defender trying to fight through.

Draw and animate your own plays

Build sets like Elevator Screen in the interactive Play Designer — drag players, chart cuts, screens, and passes, then watch the play run.

Start free