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Basketball Fundamentals: Screens and Basic Two-Player Actions

Capítulo 10

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

What a Screen Is (and Why It Works)

A screen is an off-ball or on-ball block set by an offensive player to legally impede a defender’s path, creating separation for a teammate. The screener is not “moving into” the defender; instead, they establish position and let the defender run into the screen. Screens create advantages by forcing defenders to communicate, navigate traffic, and make quick decisions (switch, fight over/under, hedge, etc.).

Key Terms You’ll Hear on the Floor

Ball-handler (BH): player with the ball.
Screener: player setting the screen.
On-ball screen: screen for the ball-handler (often called a ball screen).
Off-ball screen: screen for a cutter or shooter away from the ball.
Angle: the direction the screen “points,” influencing where the defender is forced to go.
Contact window: the moment the defender meets the screen; timing matters.

Legal Screening: What Makes a Screen Clean

Most screening mistakes are either moving at contact or setting the screen too close/too late. A clean screen is about being stationary, balanced, and giving the defender a fair chance to avoid dangerous contact.

Checklist for a Legal, Effective Screen

Set your base: feet planted and stable before contact.
Hands in: keep arms tight to your body (avoid grabbing or extending).
Chest square: face the path you want to block; don’t twist into the defender.
Still at contact: no leaning, shuffling, or “hip-checking.”
Distance: close enough to matter, not so close that it becomes unsafe or illegal.

How to Set a Great Screen (Step-by-Step)

1) Arrive on Time

Get to the screening spot early enough to be stationary. A late screen often becomes a moving screen because you’re still adjusting.

2) Choose the Angle

Angle determines the ball-handler’s driving lane. If you want the ball-handler to go right, your screen should block the defender’s right-side path. Think: “I’m closing the door on the defender’s route.”

3) Make Contact Useful (Without Moving)

You don’t need to “hit” the defender. Your job is to be a solid obstacle. If you’re set, the defender’s momentum creates the separation.

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4) Hold for a Count

Stay set long enough for your teammate to use it. A simple cue is “hold until the ball-handler’s shoulder passes your hip.”

5) Exit with Purpose

After the screen, you must become a threat. Common exits: roll to the rim, pop to open space, or re-screen if the defense beats the first action.

How to Use a Screen as the Ball-Handler (Step-by-Step)

1) Set Up Your Defender

Don’t run straight to the screen. Take a step or two to shift your defender, then come back to the screen. This makes it harder for the defender to anticipate the route.

2) Get “Shoulder-to-Hip” Tight

Use the screen closely—imagine brushing shoulders with the screener. If you go wide, your defender slips through the gap and the screen is wasted.

3) Read the Defender’s Path

Defender trails over the top: turn the corner and attack the lane.
Defender goes under: pause and create space (often a shot or quick re-screen).
Defenders switch: identify the mismatch and attack quickly before help arrives.

4) Keep Your Dribble Alive

Many turnovers happen because the ball-handler picks up the dribble too early. Maintain a controlled dribble until you see a clear advantage: a driving lane, a pass to the roller/popper, or a reset.

Basic Two-Player Actions Built from Screens

Two-player actions are small “mini-offenses” that create a shot, a drive, or a pass without needing complex team sets. The goal is to create an advantage and then make the next simple play.

1) Pick-and-Roll (Ball Screen + Roll)

The screener sets an on-ball screen, then rolls to the rim after contact.

Execution (Step-by-Step)

Screener: sprint into screen, set base, hold contact, then roll hard (first two steps explosive).
Ball-handler: set up defender, use screen tight, turn the corner, keep eyes up.
Pass window: hit the roller when the roller’s defender is behind the play or when help steps up.

Common Coaching Cues

“Roll on the rim line”: roll straight to the basket area, not drifting sideways.
“Short roll” option: if the defense crowds the ball, the screener can roll to open space around the free-throw line area to catch and make a quick decision.

2) Pick-and-Pop (Ball Screen + Pop)

Instead of rolling to the rim, the screener opens to space for a catch-and-shoot or a quick attack.

Execution (Step-by-Step)

Screener: set screen, then pivot out to open space with hands ready (show a target).
Ball-handler: use screen tight, draw two defenders if possible, then pass back to the pop.

When Pop Works Best

When the screener can shoot or quickly drive against a closeout.
When the defense protects the rim heavily against the roll.

3) Give-and-Go (Pass + Cut)

Give-and-go is a simple two-player action: pass to a teammate, then cut immediately to get the ball back.

Execution (Step-by-Step)

Passer: make a firm pass, then cut hard to open space (often toward the rim).
Receiver: catch ready to pass; look for the cutter first before dribbling.
Timing: the cut must be immediate—late cuts are easy to defend.

4) Dribble Handoff (DHO)

A dribble handoff is like a moving screen plus a handoff: one player dribbles toward a teammate and hands the ball off as the teammate runs by. The ball-handler’s body acts as a shield.

Execution (Step-by-Step)

Handoff player: dribble under control, present the ball with two hands, keep your body between defender and ball.
Receiver: run your defender into the handoff player’s body, take the ball tight, and turn the corner.
After handoff: the handoff player can roll, pop, or re-screen.

Key Detail

Don’t hand the ball too early. The receiver should be close enough that the exchange is quick and protected.

5) Down Screen (Off-Ball Screen to Free a Teammate)

A down screen is set by a player higher up to free a teammate coming up from a lower position to catch the ball.

Execution (Step-by-Step)

Screener: arrive early, set a wide stable base, angle the screen to force the defender to trail.
Cutter/receiver: set up your defender (walk them down), then sprint off the screen shoulder-to-hip.
Passer: deliver the pass on time—late passes erase the advantage.

Reading Defensive Coverage (Simple, Practical)

You don’t need advanced play-calling to punish defense. You need quick recognition and a small menu of responses.

Defense does this	Offense response	Simple cue
Defender goes under the ball screen	Stop behind screen for a shot or call re-screen	“Under = punish or re-screen”
Defender fights over the top	Turn the corner; screener rolls hard	“Over = corner”
Defense switches	Attack mismatch quickly; screener seals smaller defender	“Switch = quick decision”
Help defender tags the roller	Pass to open teammate in help defender’s area	“Tag = find the tagger’s man”

Spacing Rules That Make Two-Player Actions Work

Even in a two-player action, the other three players matter because they can either provide space or clog it. Use these simple rules during screens and handoffs:

Empty the lane: if a teammate is rolling, don’t stand in the roller’s path.
Maintain passing angles: one teammate in the corner and one on the wing often creates clean outlets.
Don’t drift: hold your spot until the defense commits, then relocate to open space.

Common Mistakes (and Fixes)

Moving Screen

Cause: screener arrives late and keeps sliding.
Fix: sprint early, stop sooner, widen base, stay still through contact.

Ball-Handler Doesn’t Use the Screen

Cause: turns too early or goes too wide.
Fix: aim for shoulder-to-hip; take one extra dribble to get tight.

Roll Is Soft or Sideways

Cause: screener watches the ball instead of sprinting to space.
Fix: first two steps explosive; roll to the rim line with hands ready.

Bad Timing on Off-Ball Screens

Cause: cutter leaves early or screener isn’t set.
Fix: cutter waits for the screen to be set; screener communicates with a quick call or eye contact.

Practice Drills for Screens and Two-Player Actions

2-on-0 Screen Reps (No Defense)

Goal: build timing and spacing without pressure.

Run 10 reps of pick-and-roll (screen, turn corner, pocket pass).
Run 10 reps of pick-and-pop (screen, pop, pass, shot).
Run 10 reps of DHO (handoff, turn corner, screener rolls).

2-on-2 Controlled Reads

Goal: learn to react to coverage.

Defenders must play one coverage for 5 reps (e.g., “under”). Offense responds correctly.
Switch coverage every 5 reps (over/under/switch).
Track: correct read + clean execution (screen set, tight use, on-time pass).

Screen Angle Game

Goal: teach the screener to adjust angle based on defender position.

Defender starts slightly on one side of the ball-handler.
Screener must set the angle to block that route.
Ball-handler must call “left” or “right” before using the screen to reinforce communication.

Now answer the exercise about the content:

A defender goes under an on-ball screen. What is the best offensive response?

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If the defender goes under, the ball-handler can pause behind the screen to punish with a shot or create space, or call for a quick re-screen to re-engage the defender.