What this version covers
McCracken’s version allows several after-pass choices, including a temporary post entry.
Source-backed summary; versions may differ.
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offense
5-out motion offense
Five-out starts all five offensive players outside the paint. It is a starting arrangement, not one exclusive offense. Players can pass, cut, screen, dribble toward a teammate to trigger a cut or handoff, and move to support a drive.
How it runs
Pass, cut and fill the empty position
All five players start outside. This example uses a pass and cut. You can also start screens or handoffs from these spots. Defenders are not shown. Each step explains what to do if the defense reacts as described. Player spots are examples.
1–5 are players on offense. X1–X5 are defenders. Each number stays with the same player in every step; it does not lock that player into a position.
Diagram 1 of 7
1. Start with five outside
1 passes to 2. 3 and 4 stay in the corners. 5 stays on the opposite wing. Give 2 room to catch.
Diagram key
- Offense
- Defense
- Coach
- Neutral
- Ball
- Cone
- Cut
- Dribble
- Pass
- Screen
- Hand-off
- Shot
- Def. slide
Use Previous and Next beside the court, or choose a numbered step. Arrows on the court show where players or the ball move. CoachAssist drew this example; it does not show every way to run the scheme.
Watch & learn (1)
Clips may use a different version. Check each match note; links open in a new tab.
Five-out offense: screen-away options
By Breakthrough Basketball · Coach: Brent Tipton
Game clips show screen-away options from five-out spacing. This is a specific approach, not five-out dribble drive or every five-out offense.
No approved on-site player is recorded for this video.
Source: Breakthrough Basketball: five-out screen-away examples
Link reviewed 2026-09-07
Five-out describes spacing, not one compulsory action. These original teaching tasks start with our pass-and-cut drawing, then explain how to select and connect a small number of rules.
In this guide · jump to a topic
Starting jobs and useful space
Give each outside player a useful job
In our opening, 1 has the ball high, 2 and 5 occupy opposite wings, and 3 and 4 begin in corners. Ask all five to point to the basket before naming their next movement: cutting still threatens a score, while filling preserves the next pass. Do not turn five-out into five players avoiding the paint.
Choose distances the group can pass accurately. Mark a broad receiving area rather than a tiny destination. On a catch, the receiver needs room to face the basket without colliding with a teammate filling behind the cutter.
CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.
Keep the possession going
Finish the cut and replace the job
For your first installation, choose pass-and-cut as the after-pass rule. When the return is covered, the cutter leaves through an empty corner; the player behind fills only after that space opens. Stop if two people name the same destination. The new top player now has the starting job even if that player wears a different number.
Keep playing beyond the first reversal. A useful teaching possession includes a second catch with a fresh decision, then a shot and rebound or a safe reset. Add screen-away or post-entry rules separately; do not ask players to guess which rule the coach intended.
CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.
Decisions against the defense
The next receiver is denied
When: A defender stands in the direct outside passing lane.
Do this: Let the receiver create a new route; keep a return pass available while the cutter clears.
Then: Do not send a second cutter into the same lane simply because the first did not receive.
CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.
The defense waits inside
When: The outside receiver has space but no comfortable shot.
Do this: Use the catch to face up, shorten a pass or change sides. Do not demand an out-of-range attempt.
Then: Choose an already-taught screen or attack a clear gap; five-out alone does not move a sagging defender.
CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.
What to emphasize
- First practice filling one open position, then making a decision with a teammate, then maintaining spacing against live defense.
Problems, fixes and checks
Two players fill the top
Problem: Players follow the ball instead of the vacancy.
Try this correction: Freeze after the pass and have each name who must leave before they move.
Check: Replay without cones; can they identify the vacancy themselves?
CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.
The cutter stops under the basket
Problem: The next drive meets a teammate and that teammate’s defender.
Try this correction: Finish the scoring look, then leave through the available exit.
Check: The next receiver must see a lane and an outside return, not a crowd.
CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.
Versions and diagram coverage
Pass-and-cut versus the denied Zoom continuation
Changes: entry, continuation.
- The other drawing begins with a screening/handoff situation; it is not the next compulsory step of pass-and-cut.
When to use it: Use only after teaching its separate receiver and screener jobs.
CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.
Temporary inside play and numbering
Changes: setup, names only.
- Post-entry alternatives remain written-only here. Changing the player wearing the inside job is not another offense.
When to use it: Choose an inside option intentionally; specify the outside vacancy and exit before using it.
Written variant · this option does not have its own walkthrough here.
CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.
How to teach it
Choose the level that matches what your players can do now. These steps work for boys and girls. Start simpler if players need more practice.
Practice it step by step
Pass, show hands, find an empty place
Set it up: Three attackers, no defense, with three outside receiving areas.
- Pass, cut toward a suitable basket, then leave to the empty area.
- Change passer each turn; use short, catchable passes.
Add more when: Players finish the cut without being told every destination.
Check it in play
- No two receivers wait together.
CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.
CoachAssist wrote these teaching steps. They are not an exact copy of any coach’s practice plan.
What can go wrong and how to adjust
- Standing outside alone does not create good gaps. Match spacing to players' usable range.
- A no-dribble game targets passing/cutting; it is not the complete offense.
Coaches and teams that use it
Tara VanDerveer · Stanford
Her public Spread Princeton clinic outline starts five players outside. It shows one version of five-out.
Drills for this scheme · steps and diagrams
The level selector changes the teaching steps above. It does not change these drills. Check the number of players, equipment and difficulty before using a drill.
5-Out 5-on-4 Push/Pull Reads
Court diagram · view the drill first
Practices this scheme: The documented five-attacker/four-defender progression practices drives between defenders and receivers moving into passing positions. State where each receiver goes on a drive toward or away from that player before playing.
Teach where receivers move when a teammate drives, using five attackers against four defenders.
9–27 players · 5–12 minutes · basketballs
Purpose
Teach where receivers move when a teammate drives, using five attackers against four defenders.
Set it up
Five attackers at top, wings and corners face four defenders: nine players and one ball. Agree on how teammates move when the ball handler drives or stops, and clear drive/landing lanes. A fifth defender requires a tenth player. Spare balls and waiting players stay outside the active routes.
Run the drill
- Agree on a short timed interval and begin at walkthrough pace. Use one active ball and one group in the playing area; add controlled opposition only when players understand the routes and can stop safely.
- The unguarded attacker drives between defenders; receivers move to give the driver clear passing angles.
- Watch whether a defender leaves a receiver to stop the drive, then choose a pass, a shot near the basket, or another drive.
- Progress by adding the fifth defender behind the ball; rotate the delayed defender.
- End the repetition on a controlled finish, dead ball or coach stop. Clear the ball and landing area before restarting; rotate roles and rest within the planned interval, without extending it to reach a target.
Scoring
Optional: within a short coach-chosen timed interval, count sound decisions, controlled catches or completed defensive possessions. Stop at the planned time or sooner; no required makes, winning streak or exercise penalty. Rotate roles and allow rest regardless of the score.
Coach the details
- Move where the ball handler has a clear pass to you.
- Do not require baseline cutting in every version.
- Count decisions that preserve an advantage, not only makes.
- Use comfortable passing and shooting distances and an appropriate ball. Progress by demonstrated control, not speed: keep eyes on the play, leave stopping/landing space, and stop if a route or loose ball creates a collision risk.
Ways to adapt the drill
- Original CoachAssist display adaptation: these edited steps, workload limits and optional scoring are coaching adaptations, not a claim that the cited author prescribed this exact version.
- The teaching-level selector does not automatically adapt these drills for age or ability. A coach must choose suitable roles, equipment, contact, space and progressions; simplify or defer anything the group is not ready to perform.
- Provenance (original-adaptation): The linked five-out resource supports drive relocation and advantage teaching. This recovery format and geometry are original SportsPlay adaptations; apply the coach’s chosen push/pull rules.
5-Out Pass, Cut and Fill
Court diagram · view the drill first
Practices this scheme: A five-player, no-defense start teaches rim cuts and replacement into vacant perimeter spots; its no-dribble constraint is only a teaching phase.
Practice cutting after a pass from the top or wing. Two diagrams show the first actions; the steps explain how to reset.
5–12 players · 8–15 minutes · basketballs
Purpose
Practice cutting after a pass from the top or wing. Two diagrams show the first actions; the steps explain how to reset.
Set it up
Five attackers and one ball, no defense. In the drawing, 1 starts at the top with the ball; 2 and 4 occupy the left wing and corner, and 3 and 5 the right wing and corner. Use comfortable spacing and passing distances. Spare balls and waiting players stay outside the active routes.
Run the drill
- Agree on a short timed interval and begin at walkthrough pace. Use one active ball and one group in the playing area; add controlled opposition only when players understand the routes and can stop safely.
- 1 passes to 2 and cuts toward the basket. 3 fills the top, 5 fills the wing behind 3, and 4 stays in the corner. If no return pass is taken, 1 clears to the corner that 5 left before frame 2 begins.
- 2 passes to 3 at the top, then 2 cuts toward the basket. 4 fills the wing that 2 left. 1 and 5 hold their spots while 3 checks the return pass to 2; take it only through a clear passing window.
- If no return pass is taken, 2 clears to the corner on the same side that 2 started from, replacing 4. This exit is described here but not drawn in frame 2. Do not send 2 to the corner already occupied by 1.
- After 2 clears, 3 holds the ball at the top, 4 and 5 are the wings, and 2 and 1 are the corners. This is the next starting shape, not a return to the original player numbers. The restored shape is not drawn.
- Only now begin another pass-and-cut action from these new jobs. Do not skip 2's cut and exit to start 3's next cut early. A clear return pass can instead lead to a controlled finish, ball recovery and reset.
- End the repetition on a controlled finish, dead ball or coach stop. Clear the ball and landing area before restarting; rotate roles and rest within the planned interval, without extending it to reach a target.
Scoring
Optional: within a short coach-chosen timed interval, count sound decisions, controlled catches or completed defensive possessions. Stop at the planned time or sooner; no required makes, winning streak or exercise penalty. Rotate roles and allow rest regardless of the score.
Coach the details
- In this drill, the wing passer also cuts: 2 passes to 3, cuts, then clears; 4 fills the wing.
- Both top and wing passers cut here. The separate five-out guide's top-only repeat is a different teaching example.
- The last corner exit and restart are written, not drawn. No-dribble work is an optional teaching phase.
- Use comfortable passing and shooting distances and an appropriate ball. Progress by demonstrated control, not speed: keep eyes on the play, leave stopping/landing space, and stop if a route or loose ball creates a collision risk.
Ways to adapt the drill
- Original CoachAssist display adaptation: these edited steps, workload limits and optional scoring are coaching adaptations, not a claim that the cited author prescribed this exact version.
- Original CoachAssist renumbered teaching example: two illustrative frames, not a complete offense. Basketball For Coaches distinguishes top-to-wing and wing-to-top cuts; our numbering, comfortable spacing and controlled timing are teaching choices.
- The separate five-out strategy guide uses different player numbers and a top-only-cut repetition. Do not combine that continuation with this drill's wing-passer cut.
- The teaching-level selector does not automatically adapt these drills for age or ability. A coach must choose suitable roles, equipment, contact, space and progressions; simplify or defer anything the group is not ready to perform.
5-Out Dribble-At Back Cut
Court diagram · view the drill first
Practices this scheme: Practices the denial backcut and subsequent five-out fill. The live-denial progression needs an added defender or coach.
On the agreed cue, the handler dribbles toward a wing whose pass is denied; the wing cuts behind the defender toward the basket, and teammates fill the empty five-out spots.
5–12 players · 6–12 minutes · basketballs
Purpose
On the agreed cue, the handler dribbles toward a wing whose pass is denied; the wing cuts behind the defender toward the basket, and teammates fill the empty five-out spots.
Set it up
Five attackers occupy the top, wings and corners with one ball. Start with a coach calling the denial cue; a live wing defender requires a sixth player. Keep the cutting lane clear. Spare balls and waiting players stay outside the active routes.
Run the drill
- Agree on a short timed interval and begin at walkthrough pace. Use one active ball and one group in the playing area; add controlled opposition only when players understand the routes and can stop safely.
- The handler reads the coach’s denial cue and dribbles toward the wing’s position without running into the receiver.
- The wing changes direction and cuts to the basket on the agreed cue.
- Pass ahead of the cutter only with a clear window. Otherwise the handler occupies the wing while the cutter clears.
- Fill the empty perimeter positions, recover the ball and rehearse the opposite side.
- End the repetition on a controlled finish, dead ball or coach stop. Clear the ball and landing area before restarting; rotate roles and rest within the planned interval, without extending it to reach a target.
Scoring
Optional: within a short coach-chosen timed interval, count sound decisions, controlled catches or completed defensive possessions. Stop at the planned time or sooner; no required makes, winning streak or exercise penalty. Rotate roles and allow rest regardless of the score.
Coach the details
- Agree on the trigger; dribble-at can mean different actions in different offenses.
- A backcut is an option, not a guaranteed layup. Use controlled footwork and comfortable passing distance.
- Use comfortable passing and shooting distances and an appropriate ball. Progress by demonstrated control, not speed: keep eyes on the play, leave stopping/landing space, and stop if a route or loose ball creates a collision risk.
Ways to adapt the drill
- Original CoachAssist display adaptation: these edited steps, workload limits and optional scoring are coaching adaptations, not a claim that the cited author prescribed this exact version.
- The teaching-level selector does not automatically adapt these drills for age or ability. A coach must choose suitable roles, equipment, contact, space and progressions; simplify or defer anything the group is not ready to perform.
Sources and what we could confirm
The sources support the system guide. CoachAssist created the practice steps and checks; they are suggestions, not tested programs or a coach’s full playbook. The linked drills practice parts of the system.
The main ideas are supported by the sources below. These sources do not cover every possible version.
- 5 Out Basketball Offense: Complete Guide
Jeff Huber · Breakthrough Basketball · publication date not listed
Public written coaching reference; undated unless specified. No linked paid video reviewed.
- Tara VanDerveer’s Spread Princeton Offense
Tara VanDerveer · Championship Productions · 2021
Publisher outline only; paid video not viewed. Complete drill mechanics and effectiveness are not established.
- Northern Iowa’s 5-Out Offense
Chandler Sturtz · Hooper University · 2022-05-01
Public written corner rejection and follow-up choices reviewed; publication date confirmed in the publisher’s index. Player numbers and sequence geometry are original.
- 5-Out Open Post Offense
Geoff McCracken; James A. Gels notes · Coach’s Clipboard · publication date not listed
Selected public instruction and post-entry illustration reviewed. No member material or source graphics reproduced.