Simple Basketball Plays Any Coach Can Teach This Week

Simple basketball plays are plays your players learn in one practice and run in the next game. Start with pass and cut, add a ball screen, add a backdoor cut, then add one inbound set. That is enough for most youth and new teams. This guide gives you the steps, the coaching points and a plan to teach them.

TL;DR

• A simple play has few options, clear spots and one main read. Players can explain it in one sentence.
• Start with pass and cut. It is described as perhaps the simplest play in basketball.
• Teach rules first (space, cut after you pass, pass to the open player), then plays.
• Use 3-on-3 to teach. Small games give more space and more touches.
• Keep one inbound play for each side of the floor. Add more only when the first ones work.

Table of Contents

• What makes a basketball play simple
• Principles first, plays second
• Play 1: Pass and cut (give and go)
• Play 2: Simple ball screen (pick and roll)
• Play 3: Backdoor cut
• Play 4: Spread set (five-out)
• Play 5: Box inbound (baseline out of bounds)
• Play 6: Sideline inbound
• How to teach simple plays
• Mistakes that break simple plays
• Our view: fewer plays, more reads
• Get ready-to-use plays and practice tools
• Where to go next
• FAQ
• Sources

What makes a basketball play simple

A play is simple when it passes four checks:

1. Few steps. Two or three actions, not seven.
2. Clear spots. Every player knows where to stand at the start.
3. One main read. If the first option is not there, players have a safe second option.
4. Works against any defense. It should not fall apart if the defense switches or sags.

If a play fails one check, cut it or trim it. A play with six options looks smart on a whiteboard. In a game, nine-year-olds and new players freeze.

Principles first, plays second

Coaching guidance points the same way. The national governing body’s piece on motion offense says effective offense depends on a few core elements working together. The coaching manual from the international federation also warns that at introductory levels, memorizing patterns can crowd out decision-making. It points coaches to principles like spacing, cutting and pass and cut instead. Both are in the coaches manual and the offense guidance.

So the plays below are small. Each one teaches a habit:

Play 1: Pass and cut (give and go)

This is the base of everything. The manual says the passer cuts to the basket looking for a return pass.

Setup: One player on the wing, one at the top of the key. Defenders on both.

Steps:

1. The player at the top passes to the wing.
2. The passer cuts hard toward the basket. Not away from it.
3. The wing player looks for the cutter and passes back.
4. The cutter finishes with a layup.

Coaching points:

• Cut on the pass, not before it. Cutting early gives the defender time to recover.
• Cut past the defender’s near shoulder, between the defender and the ball.
• If the cut is covered, the cutter clears to the opposite side. Do not stop in the lane.
• The passer must pass with eyes up. Look at the cutter first.

Teach this in pairs, then 2-on-2, then 3-on-3. Pass and cut is the first rule of team offense.

Play 2: Simple ball screen (pick and roll)

One player screens for the ball handler. That is the whole play.

Setup: Ball handler at the top. Screener one step away. Three other players spaced on the wings and in the corners.

Steps:

1. The screener sets a firm screen next to the ball handler’s defender.
2. The ball handler dribbles tight off the screen, shoulder to shoulder.
3. The screener turns and rolls to the basket with hands up.
4. The ball handler reads: shoot if open, pass to the roller if the defender helps, or pass to a spaced shooter.

Coaching points:

• Feet still, arms in, when setting the screen.
• The handler waits for the screen. Rushing it wastes the play.
• The other three players stay spread. If they crowd, the defense has help everywhere.

The read is the hard part. Teach it with a short rule: defender goes under, shoot. Defender goes over, drive. Big helps, pass to the roll or the shooter.

Play 3: Backdoor cut

A backdoor cut beats a defender who overplays the pass. It is the best counter to pass and cut when the defense takes away the first option.

Setup: A wing player with a defender denying the pass. A passer at the top.

Steps:

1. The wing steps toward the ball as if to receive it.
2. The defender leans into the passing lane.
3. The wing plants and cuts hard to the basket behind the defender.
4. The passer delivers a bounce or lob pass for the layup.

Coaching points:

• The first step must look real. Sell the catch.
• The passer waits until the cutter is behind the defender.
• Only use it when the defender is high on the passing lane.

Tell players the rule: if the defender denies, go backdoor. If the defender sags, catch and face up.

Play 4: Spread set (five-out)

Five players stand outside the three-point line, or the same spots on a smaller youth floor. It is a spacing set more than a play. It opens driving lanes and gives you clean cuts.

Setup: Two wings, two corners, one at the top.

Steps:

1. The top player passes to a wing.
2. The passer cuts to the basket (pass and cut).
3. The cutter fills the opposite corner or the spot the ball side just left.
4. Everyone shifts one spot. Repeat.

Coaching points:

• Players should be about one long pass apart. Poor spacing is the most common reason simple plays fail. Our guide on defining basketball spacing fundamentals covers the spots.
• Fill the empty spot after every cut.
• If you have a strong driver, let that player drive when the lane is open.

See also how spacing affects offensive success.

Play 5: Box inbound (baseline out of bounds)

Every team needs one play for the baseline. The box set is a common starting point.

Setup: Four players form a square near the free throw lane. The inbounder stands out of bounds under the basket.

Steps:

1. Two players at the top of the box screen for the two players on the block.
2. The block players cut up off the screens toward the ball.
3. The inbounder passes to the open cutter.
4. If nobody is open, the screeners step to the ball as a safe option.

Coaching points:

• The inbounder has five seconds. Teach counting, and teach a safe pass.
• Always have a release valve, a player who comes to the ball.
• Do not force a lob. A safe in-bounds pass beats a turnover.

We wrote a full guide with more sets: easy out of bounds plays for youth basketball coaches.

Play 6: Sideline inbound

Use this when the ball goes out on the side of the floor.

Setup: The inbounder on the sideline. Two players stacked near the ball, two players on the weak side.

Steps:

1. The back player in the stack screens for the front player.
2. The front player cuts to the ball for the pass.
3. The inbounder passes, then steps in to the court and cuts (pass and cut again).
4. The weak-side players spread to open space.

Coaching points:

• Two receivers should always be close enough for a short pass.
• The inbounder steps in after the pass. This gives a second passing option.

How to teach simple plays

Show the play once. Then let players run it. Do not spend 20 minutes talking.

Use small games

Guidance for youth coaches says smaller-sided games like 3-on-3 give more space to practice passing, cutting and movement. They also teach spacing without extra talk. The facilitator handbook suggests the same approach: define a few rules, such as pass to the open player and cut after every pass, then let players play in smaller groups.

Build in layers

1. Walk through with no defense. Players learn their spots.
2. Half speed with light defense.
3. Full speed in 3-on-3 and 4-on-4.
4. Game use. Call the play twice in the next scrimmage.

A 20-minute teaching block

For a full session layout, see five groups, one youth practice in 60 minutes. To plan skill order over a season, use our skill progressions for youth coaches.

Mistakes that break simple plays

• Too many plays. Pick three. Run them until players do not need you to call them.
• No spacing. Players bunch up near the ball. Tell them to find an open spot.
• Standing after the pass. The fix is the rule: pass, then cut.
• Over-coaching movement. If every cut is scripted, players stop reading the defense. The facilitator handbook warns against over-coaching patterns.
• Judging by the score. Coaching guidance says youth success should be measured by skill improvement more than the win-loss record. Track clean cuts and good passes, not only wins.

Our view: fewer plays, more reads

We build playbooks for a living, and we still tell new coaches to start small.

We see the same pattern with many teams. A coach installs ten plays in the first week. By game three, players run two of them, and not well. The plays were not bad. There were too many.

Here is what we recommend:

• Teach rules before sets. Space, cut, pass to the open player.
• Give each play one sentence. If you cannot, the play is too long.
• Let players make the read. Your job is to set the rules, not to call every pass.
• Add a new play only after the last one works in a scrimmage.
• Adjust to your roster. A play that fits a strong driver may not fit a team of shooters.

Our resources come from active coaching practice. They are built so you can adapt them to your team, not so you can copy them blindly. A simple play is the best base. Complex sets can come later.

— Dejan

Get ready-to-use plays and practice tools

Want plays already drawn up? We sell downloadable playbooks, drill packs, templates and guides for coaches at every level. Instant access after payment.

• Basketball Playbooks: plays and sets you can adapt to your roster.
• Basketball Drills: drills that build cutting, passing and spacing.
• Basketball Templates: editable sheets for scouting and planning.
• Basketball Guides: strategy guides for game preparation.

Looking for a specific set? Try the Double Exit Play For Shooters, the Diamond Offense Playbook or the Low Post Quick Hitters Playbook.

Where to go next

If you are starting a team from scratch, read how to coach youth basketball for team success. If you are setting goals and roles, use the steps on defining team goals and core values and establishing team roles.

FAQ

What are some basic basketball plays?

The basics are pass and cut (give and go), a simple ball screen, a backdoor cut, a spread set and one inbound play for each side. Each uses two or three actions. Start with pass and cut, then add one play at a time.

What is the best simple offense for youth basketball?

For most youth teams, a principles-based offense works better than a long list of set plays. Coaching guidance favors teaching spacing, cutting and decision-making over memorized patterns. Pass and cut with a spread set is a good start.

What is the 21 play in basketball?

There is no standard play with that name. “21” is most often a shooting game, where players score to reach 21 points. If a coach uses “21” as a play call, it is that team’s own label, so ask what the set looks like.

How many plays should a youth team know?

Three to five is plenty: two or three half-court actions and one or two inbound plays. A team that runs three plays well beats a team that half-knows ten. Add a play only when players run the current ones without help.

Sources

• Coaches manual: pass and cut, principles and development
• Four keys to an effective motion offense
• Youth basketball guidelines
• Start coaching facilitator handbook

Recommended

• Basketball Set Plays Offense: 8 Plays Every Coach Should Run