Ball Screen Offense—The Rules & Basics

What Are the Most Popular Types of Ball Screens?

Spread Ball Screen

A “spread” ball screen is a ball screen set for the ball handler in either slot. The three players not involved in the ball screen action are positioned in the strong side corner and along the weak side (corner & wing).

Wing Ball Screen

A “wing” ball screen is a ball screen set for the ball handler on either wing (free throw line extended). The three players not involved in the ball screen action are positioned along the weak side in the corner, wing and slot. This means the strong side corner is empty, which removes the defender who would most likely “tag” or help on 5’s roll to the rim.

Middle Ball Screen

A “middle” ball screen is a ball screen set for the ball handler in the center of the floor—this is sometimes referred to as a “high” ball screen. There are typically two players spaced in each corner when a middle ball screen is set, with the final off-ball player setting up on the wing.

Step Up Ball Screen

A “step up” ball screen is when the screener sets a flat-angled screen (facing the opposite baseline) for the ball handler. Step ups allow the ball handler to get their momentum going downhill before attacking either direction off the ball screen. Step up screens also make it difficult for defenses to use aggressive ball screen coverages like hard hedging.

Sprint, Set and Separate:

When teaching ball screens to youth players, it’s important to teach every player how to properly set a screen—not just your bigs. The simplest way to teach it is through the simple phrase, “sprint, set separate.”

Sprint

When going to set a ball screen, the screener must sprint to the ball handler to ensure his defender is detached at the moment of the screen.

Set

The most biggest key in creating an advantage with a ball screen is setting a solid screen, which starts with the angle of the screen. The screener should look to screen the on-ball defender’s lowest hip or part of the body closest to the rim. This makes it difficult for the defender to go under the screen, and almost always forces the on-ball defender to fight over the screen.

Separate

After setting the screen and forcing the on-ball defender over the screen, the screener must separate from the ball handler as quickly as possible. This puts the screener’s defender in no-man’s land and forces him to make a decision—take the ball or stay with the screener.

Getting more into the details, another thing the screener must keep in mind as he rolls to the rim is his positioning in relation to the ball handler. The screener always wants to be positioned so that the ball handler can make a simple pocket or lob pass.

It’s important to teach your post players (screeners) the importance of their roll, even if they don’t get the ball. Whether they get the ball or not, the screener’s roll should always “break the defense.” By this, we mean the screener’s roll should attract to much attention that it collapses the off-ball defenders. If the screener is not open as he rolls but he is able to “break the defense,” he opens up the off-ball players spaced along the perimeter for open catch and shoot opportunities.

Basics for the Ball Handler:

While the screener is essential to a successful pick and roll, the ball handler has the biggest say in whether or not a ball screen is effective and creates an advantage.

Starting Point

The first thing the ball handler must be aware of, even before the screener sprints to set a ball screen, is his positioning or “starting point.”

This all starts with what types of ball screen concepts you run within your offense. For example, if your a team that flows into spread ball screens, the ball handler wants to be sure he is receiving the screen in either slot to maintain correct spacing.

Another thing that may determine your starting point as a ball handler is the defensive coverage you are facing. If the defense is blitzing or trapping ball screens, you want to start higher and towards the middle of the floor as opposed to near the sideline to give yourself options.

Set Up

The next key for the ball handler is setting up the ball screen. This includes the ball handler not only setting himself up to receive the ball screen, but also setting his defender up to be screened.

What do I mean by the ball handler setting himself up to receive the ball screen? Simply put, the ball handler always needs to have the option to reject the ball screen and attack opposite. Since defenses are typically communicating the screen (“screen left”) and positioning themselves to defend against it, the first option for the ball handler is always to reject the screen.

If the on-ball defender gets into the ball handler and “jams” him, he may have to use his body and get into his defender to force him into the screen. Using your body to push the defender into the screen or lower is a great option if you are a consistent shooter off the dribble. The best case scenario is your physical enough before using the screen that you push your defender under the ball screen, in which case you can pul the trigger. The worst case is you push your defender into the screen and he has to work that much harder to fight over the top, thus creating an advantage for the ball handler.

The final aspect of the pre-ball screen set up is patience. Too many guards, especially at youth levels, are in such a hurry to use the ball screen that they rarely create an advantage and eliminate the whole point of even setting a ball screen in the first place. Remember, the ultimate goal of a ball screen is to create an offensive advantage. The easiest way to do this with a ball screen is to force the on-ball defender over the screen, which creates a numbers advantage.

Often times you’ll see on-ball defenders fight underneath ball screens to try and eliminate any advantage. If the on-ball defender goes under, the ball handler should be patient as the screener “twists” or re-screens on the opposite side. Re-screening changes the angle of the screen and forces the on-ball defender to go over the re-screen resulting in an offensive advantage.

Separation

Similar to the separation rule we covered above for the screener, the ball handler needs to keep his space from the screener.

Ideally, the on-ball defender is forced over the top of the screen to create the numbers advantage (4 on 3), and keeping space with the screener makes it impossible for the screener’s defender to guard both players. If he decides to stay with the screener as he rolls to the rim, potentially allowing the ball handler to turn the corner and get downhill. If he switches to take the ball handler, he risks leaving the screener open as he rolls.

Keeping space with the screener so that the screener’s defender is in “no man’s land” also increases the likelihood that the off-ball defenders not involved in guarding the ball screen action will have to help. This creates space and opens up catch and shoot opportunities for the players spaced along the perimeter.

Making the Reads:

Now that we’ve covered the basic rules for the screener and the ball handler, lets break down the three main reads available within a ball screen scenario.

1st Option - Score

The ball handler must be thinking score-first as they come off the screen. This doesn’t mean the ball handler shoots it every time, but looking to attack every time, especially if given space, will create the most high percentage scoring opportunities. If the ball handler does not shoot it coming off the screen and cannot get to the rim, they need to force help defenders to commit at the very least.

2nd Option - Hit the Screener

If the ball handler is unable to score, most likely due to the screener’s defender helping on the ball, he should look to hit the screener as he rolls to the rim or pops to the perimeter. Keep it simple - if you draw two defenders, hit the open man.

3rd Option - Punish the Help

Often times teams will use a perimeter defender (that was not originally in the ball screen coverage) to “tag” or help on the screener as he rolls to the rim. If the ball handler draws two defenders but recognizes the tag defender helping on the screener, he should look to kick it to the open man along the perimeter. The open man being the offensive player who’s defender tagged the screener.