Quick Hitters for the 4-Out Offense

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First read 4-Out, 1-In Motion Offense. Here are several good quick hitting actions for the 4-out offense that you can run right from the initial transition.

"45" - Hi-Lo and Ball-Screen Option

Here's a good option when you have strong inside post player. This action is simple but effective and continuous. The rules are simple - (1) whenever O4 receives the pass on the perimeter, we look for the quick hi-lo pass into O5 posting up, and (2) if the hi-lo is not open, O4 passes to a perimeter player, follows and runs a ball-screen and pop.

Diagram A shows O1 coming up the right side in transition. O4 fills to the top, middle and gets the pass from O1. O5 immediately posts-up and O4 passes to O5 for the inside post-move. O1 down-screens for O2 and they exchange (to occupy their defenders).

Not shown in the diagrams, after running this a couple times, the X4 defender might hard pressure O4 to help prevent the hi-lo pass. O4 makes a pass-fake, and dribble-drives around X4 up the right side of the lane for a lay-up (with pass options to O5 and O1).



Diagram B shows that the hi-lo was not open. O4 passes to O3, follows the pass and ball-screens for O3. After screening, O4 pops outside. O3 can attack for a lay-up, but also has a possible dump pass to O5, and kick-out pass options to O2 and O1.

In diagram C, O3's dribble was stopped. O3 might pass back to O4. Following our rules, O4 looks for the quick hi-lo pass into O5. If not open, O4 passes to O2, follows the pass and ball-screens for O2, and O2 and O4 run the pick and pop.

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Wing Entry, Ball-Screen

O2 cuts up to the wing and gets the entry pass from O1 (diagram 1). O1 can cut through to either corner. O4 then ball-screens for O2. O2 might not use the ball-screen and here drives hard to the baseline (diagram 2). Diagram 3 shows O2 using the ball-screen and the "pick and pop" option with O4 popping out to the arc after the screen. Notice O2's kick-out pass options to O3 or O1. As O2 turns the corner of the ball-screen, O5 posts up hard inside and could get the quick pass from O2.



If the kick-out pass goes to either O3 or O1, either could shoot the open 3-point shot, or pass inside to O5 posting up (diagram 4). Diagram 5 shows O2's dribble-penetration being stopped or trapped by the defense. Here O2 reverses and passes to O4 in the corner for an open shot, or perhaps a shot-fake and dribble-drive. O5 cleans up the back-side rebound.



If O4 is not a good outside shooter, we will use the "pick and roll" option instead (diagram 6). After the ball-screen, O4 cuts to the hoop and O5 cuts out and replaces O4 on the arc. This allows for spacing for the pass to the O4 on the roll cut. If O2 passes back out to O5, O5 looks to either shoot or make the hi-lo pass inside to O4 posting up.

The defense may deny the pass to the wing. But we can still get the ball to the wing by using either a dribble hand-off or (2) a shallow cut. Diagram 7 shows that O1 dribbles to the wing and hands-off (weave-screen) to O2. O1 clears to the corner. From here we can run the pick and roll or pick and pop options with O4 screening for O2.

Diagram 8 again shows O1 dribbling to the wing, and here O2 makes a shallow cut inside and then to the top. O1 passes back to O2 (diagram 9) and the ball-screen options with O4 are again in play. This diagram also shows another simple option - instead of passing to O2, O1 might pass to O5 posting up.



Diagram 10 shows that O2 has dribble-penetrated around the O4 ball-screen ("pick and pop"), but gets stopped inside. O2 passes back to O4 on top. O4 either shoots the open shot, or looks for the hi-lo pass inside to O5 posting up. Diagram 11 shows O2 and O4 running the pick and roll option as O5 replaces O4 on top. If the pass goes back to O5, he/she also has the same options or shooting or passing hi-lo to O4 posting up.



If neither the shot nor the hi-lo pass are good options, O5 dribbles to O1 for a dribble hand-off (diagram 13). O1 and O5 can run either a pick and pop or a pick and roll (diagram 14).

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Wing Entry - Left

Similar to the wing entry above, but this time we'll run it to the left side. O1 passes to O4 and cuts through to the right corner (diagram A), and O5 re-locates to the right low block. Meanwhile, O4 passes to O3 and follows the pass and ball-screens for O3. Now we have O3 and O4 running the pick and roll on the left side (diagram B). Notice the good spacing with O1, O2 and O5 all on the opposite side.

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"Gator"

This 4-out offense play is from Findlay Prep (NV) Head Coach, Michael Peck. Coach Peck wants this action to be quick-hitting without a lot of extra passes and time consumed. Diagram 1 shows that O1 passes to O2 and cuts through to the right corner. O2 might be able to make a quick pass into O5 posting up and the play is over. Or O2 might have a quick dribble-drive for a shot or lay-up.

If nothing develops, O4 must get open (perhaps a V-cut) for the reversal pass from O2. O4 then passes to O3 (diagram 2). Meanwhile, O5 takes one step off the lane and sets a "shuffle-screen" for O2. O2 can either fake high and cut low, or fake low and cut high around the screen. If open, O4 passes to O2 for the lay-up.



Next O5 and O4 set a double staggered down-screen for O1 (diagram 3). O4's screen is just outside the elbow. O1 cuts over the screens and can either curl (if the defender is trailing), or pop to the arc (if the defender goes under the screen). If the pass goes to O1 at the top, he/she might have an open 3-point shot.

Meanwhile, O5 and O4 set a double-screen for O2 (diagram 4). O5 sets up in mid-lane and O4 is just a little higher than O4. O2 either curls around the screens for a jump-shot in the lane (if the defender is trailing), or pops out to the arc for the 3-point shot (if the defender goes under the screens).

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"High" - High Post Option

If the defense is really denying the wing entry hard, this high post option is a good pressure release. Here O5 flashes to the high post and gets the initial pass from O1. O2 starts a cut up toward the wing (as if looking for the wing pass) to engage the denying defender, and then quickly cuts back-door for the pass from O5. On the weakside, O4 down-screens for O3 and they exchange spots. If the pass to O2 is not open, O1 cuts around O5 for a hand-off and dribble-drives for a lay-up (diagram 16). If that option is not open, O5 dribbles toward O3 for a dribble hand-off (weave-screen - diagram 17). O5 will run a screen and roll option.



O3 takes the hand-off and dribble-drives to the hoop (diagram 18). Diagram 19 shows that O3 is stopped on the dribble-penetration and looks for O5 on the roll cut inside. Meanwhile, O4 down-screens for O2, and O2 cuts hard to the top and could get the pass from O3 for the open outside shot (diagram 20). O2 could also pass inside to O4 posting up.

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"2" - Baseline "Runner" Option

Use this option if you have a really good shooting guard who can get open using inside, baseline screens. To set this up, we will abandon the 4-out set and have O4 move inside to the low block opposite O5 (diagram 21). O3 will move up and we now have a two-guard front. O2 will work along the baseline, using screens from O5 and O4, cutting out to either side. O1 and O3 look to pass to O2 open on the outside for a 3-point shot. The defense might get all caught up on stopping O2 and forget O4 and O5. After O2 runs off a screen, the screener (either O4 or O5) should "shape-up" to the ball for a quick hi-lo pass from the top.



If the defense is denying the top pass from O1 to O3 and vice-versa, we counter that with a dribble over and shallow cut (diagram 22). Diagram 23 shows additional options on the pass to O2. Here O2 could also pass to O4 posting up, or to O5 who has flashed to the ballside elbow. If O4 is being fronted by the defender, he/she seals the defender and should be open for a quick pass from O5.

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The complete article also includes:

• "High" - High Post Option
  
• "Duke" - another great play
  
• Curl and Flare Option
  
• Flex Option
  
• Back-Screen Lob Option
  

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More Reading on the 4-Out Motion Offense

• 4-Out, 1-In Motion Offense
• How to Use Your Post Player in the 4-Out Offense
• 4-Out, 1-In Motion Offense "High" Plays
• 4-Out, 1-In Motion Offense "Low" Plays
• 4-Out Zone Offense
• Slice Motion Offense
• Motion Offense Screening Drills
  

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