Hints & Tips

Coach Bill

Simplifying the game for 3rd graders is easy if you can first teach them the concept of spacing and that you cannot have more than two players in an area. (I recommend 5 out offence for this age group to develop all skills, if you have a legitimate big allow him to post, but make this an area as well and allow other players to post sometimes, which means your big must clear out.)

By spacing I mean 1 at the top, 2 and 3 at wings/45s just below Free Throw Line Extended and 4 and 5 in the corners. your 4 and 5 can post from here. From this 5 out set, the prinicple of basket cutting is simple.

Every time the ball gets to the point, position all players basket cut (ie lead straight in and straight out replacing filling their own space.
Players must always see the ball on these cuts because on any one of these cuts a player may receive the ball if they beat their player or get open as they lead back out. On a pass to the wing from the point, the top player gives and gos cutting to the basket looking to receive the ball for a lay-up.

When he gets below the dotted line of the three throw line the weakside wing cuts via the Free Throw Line to the top and the weakside corner cuts to the basket looking for a pass if he doesn't get it he leads back out to the wing.

The original player who cut from the top fills the space in the weakside corner. The ball is passed back to the top if there is no score and the offence starts again (ie all players initiate basket cuts).

This offence helps maintain court balance and is simple to teach younger players. from the give and go and the weakside cuts you get three offensive options. This works against a man and a zone, against a zone the weakside cuts are from behind the zone it attacks all the high percentage shooting areas and if the timing of the cuts are executed properly offers an excellent rebounding triangle if the shot goes up!