Box Set Baseline Out of Bounds: Screen the Screener
The Box formation
Four players form a box in the lane: two on the blocks and two at the elbows. The inbounder stands on the baseline to one side of the basket. The Box is the most common BLOB alignment at every level because it puts all four players near the basket, which is where the defense least wants them.
How to run it
- Cross screen. The 5 on the ball-side block screens across the lane for the 4 on the opposite block.
- Cut to the ball-side block. 4 cuts over the top of the screen to the ball-side block. This is the first option: a layup.
- Screen the screener. The 3 at the ball-side elbow screens down for 5, who just set the cross screen. 5 pops to the elbow. This is the second option: a short jumper.
- Safety. The 2 at the other elbow drifts out to the wing as the safety outlet. If the first two options are covered, the inbounder gets the ball to 2 and the team runs its offense.
- Inbounder reads it in order. Rim, elbow, safety. Every kid has one job.
Why screen-the-screener works
Defenders guard the first screen. They almost never expect the player who just set it to receive a screen himself. By the time 5's defender realizes a second screen is coming, 5 is already popping to the elbow.
For youth teams the bigger advantage is clarity. Each player has a single assignment and the inbounder reads in a fixed order. There is no improvising.
Coaching points
- The inbounder slaps the ball to start the play. Nobody moves early.
- The cross screen is set on the defender's body, low and wide.
- 4 cuts over the top of the screen, between the screener and the ball. Cutting under the screen takes him away from the rim.
- The safety is not optional. Teams that skip it turn the ball over on the five-second count.
Frequently asked questions
BLOB stands for baseline out of bounds. It is any play run when the offense inbounds the ball from under its own basket, usually after a foul or a ball out of bounds on the baseline.
Screen-the-screener is an action where a player sets a screen and then immediately receives a screen from a teammate. It exploits the fact that defenders focus on the first screen and lose track of the screener.
The best BLOB play is one where every player has a single job and the inbounder reads options in a fixed order. This Box screen-the-screener set fits that description, which is why so many youth programs run a version of it.
Related
Boys Program Director, MN Rush. Varsity assistant for Rogers Boys Basketball and former head coach at North Branch. Founded MN Rush in 2017. boys@mnrush.com