offense

Pick-and-roll offense

A teammate screens the ball handler's defender, then cuts toward the basket or moves outside for a shot. A screen near the top, sideline, corner of the free-throw line, or during a fast break changes which defenders must help.

How it runs

Choose an action to learn

Screen on the side, then pass to 5

Keep the corner beside the ball empty. Here, 5 screens and gets the pass near the basket. If defenders react differently, 1 can drive or pass outside. 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 4

1. Give the ball handler room

1 has the ball on the side. 5 moves up to screen; 2, 3 and 4 stay outside the two-player action.

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.

A ball screen creates decisions; rolling is one possible screener release. Our empty-corner side example and high pick-and-pop are different starts, not a universal answer to every coverage.

In this guide · jump to a topic

Starting jobs and useful space

What this version covers

Screen location and screener release change the available passing angles.

Source-backed summary; versions may differ.

Hal Wissel · Pick and Roll Offense

Leave the two-player action room to work

Our default puts 1 on the side, 5 approaching to screen and 2, 3 and 4 outside the immediate action. The ball-side corner is empty. Point out that vacancy before running: filling it would add a teammate and potential helper beside the roll.

Ask the screener where the handler will turn and where the screener will become passable afterward. Ask the handler where a safe outside return remains. Establish those jobs before describing coverages; technical names do not help a player who cannot identify the two defenders involved.

CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.

Keep the possession going

Arrive, set, use, separate and read

Practice the arrival without defensive contact first. The handler approaches under control and uses a set screen; the screener leaves after the handler clears. Their separation must preserve a passing angle, not send both along the same line toward the basket.

Continue after the first pass. A rolling receiver may meet another helper; an outside receiver may face a closeout. If neither attacker has gained space, keep possession and use the team’s next action. A re-screen should be an agreed choice with time to set, not an unplanned collision while both players change direction.

CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.

Decisions against the defense

The screener’s defender stays near the lane

When: The handler has not yet drawn that defender toward the ball.

Do this: Stay balanced and judge the available shot, passing window and dribbling space. Do not throw the roll pass just because it is next in the drawing.

Then: A controlled outside return remains useful when the defense contains both attackers.

CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.

Two defenders commit to the handler

When: The ball is pressured above the inside receiver.

Do this: Find a visible release before pressure closes the window; do not jump expecting the receiver to appear.

Then: The receiver faces the next helper and can pass again. The first release is not automatically a finish.

CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.

What to emphasize

The cited Dixon drill practices receiving a pass after cutting toward the basket, stopping partway to the basket, cutting before making screen contact, or moving outside for a shot. Adding live defenders is a CoachAssist adaptation.

Problems, fixes and checks

The roll stays beside the ball

Problem: One defender can obstruct both attackers.

Try this correction: Walk the turn and choose separated receiving lanes.

Check: The handler can point to the receiver without looking through the nearest defender.

CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.

Players know the coverage name but not the read

Problem: A shouted label produces the same pass every time.

Try this correction: Pause and ask where each defender actually stands.

Check: Accept a different decision when the defense behaves differently from its announced coverage.

CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.

Versions and diagram coverage

The screener opens outside

Changes: setup, read.

The linked high pick-and-pop changes both the screen location and screener’s receiving area.

When to use it: Use with a receiver who can do something useful from the outside catch.

CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.

Coverage names are not automatic counters

Changes: coverage, names only.

Drop, switch and pressure describe defensive choices. They do not establish an identical pass on every floor. Unshown counters remain written-only.

When to use it: Build a counter from the actual defender positions and your available outlets.

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.

Select level to learn

Practice it step by step

Use a stationary screen safely

Set it up: Two attackers and an adult guide without live contact.

Walk the approach and turn.
Separate into handler and receiving spaces before passing.

Add more when: Both can stop and control the ball.

Check it in play

The screener does not follow a moving defender.

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

A prescribed dribble count is an attributed teaching cue, not mandatory against every coverage.

Coaches and teams that use it

We have not confirmed a specific coach or team using this version. Teams may use the same name for different plays.

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.

2-on-2 Ball Screen Live

Court diagram · view the drill first

Practices this scheme: The ballhandler, screener and two defenders respond to live coverage, including setting another screen. Help from other defenders and five-player coverage changes are outside this two-on-two drill.

A ball-screen pair reads two defenders through a controlled live possession.

4–12 players · 8–15 minutes · basketballs

Purpose

A ball-screen pair reads two defenders through a controlled live possession.

Set it up

Four players and one ball: handler, screener and their defenders. Waiting players and spare balls stay outside the playing/landing area. Walk one coverage before allowing a choice. 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 screener establishes legal position; the handler waits for the screen and reads the defenders.
The defense uses an agreed coverage. Offense can drive, pass to the screener moving toward the basket or outward, or retreat and reset when the passing route is closed.
Use a re-screen only after everyone has room to reset legally; do not force a dribble through two defenders.
End on a controlled finish, secured rebound, turnover or coach stop; exchange offense and defense regardless of outcome.
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

A screener can cut to the basket after screening (roll), leave before setting the screen (slip), or move outward (pop). Choose from the defense and available space, not from a single label.
A screen is not a collision target. Maintain control through changes of direction.
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.
Screens begin without contact. Establish a balanced, stationary position with the time and space required by the competition rules; keep arms in and do not lean, hold, shove or step into an approaching defender. Decline the action when legal clearance is unavailable.

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.

Ball Screen 4-on-4 Spacing

Court diagram · view the drill first

Practices this scheme: Extends ball-screen decisions to the screener cutting toward the basket and two outside receivers. In this drill, the ball-side corner moves up to the wing and the opposite-side corner stays in place.

Four-on-four connects a ball-screen pair to two perimeter outlets.

8–12 players · 10–18 minutes · basketballs

Purpose

Four-on-four connects a ball-screen pair to two perimeter outlets.

Set it up

Eight players: top/wing handler, screener, two corner receivers and four defenders, with one ball. Agree which corner receiver moves up toward the wing and which stays available in the corner before starting. 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.
Start the possession with the selected ball screen, set legally before use.
In this version the corner player on the ball’s side moves up toward the wing, while the opposite corner player stays available for a pass; keep the screener’s route to the basket clear.
The handler reads the available finish, a pass to the screener cutting toward the basket and passes to the perimeter. Receivers remain ready to catch or move to an open window.
An optional extra-pass phase can isolate ball movement; later remove that constraint and compare the decisions.
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

Coach the details

The two outlets, not three extra attackers, complete this four-player offense.
These corner-movement rules describe this drill variant. Do not force a covered corner pass or insist every possession produces a three.
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.
Screens begin without contact. Establish a balanced, stationary position with the time and space required by the competition rules; keep arms in and do not lean, hold, shove or step into an approaching defender. Decline the action when legal clearance is unavailable.

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.

Screen Setting Fundamentals (P.A.S.S.)

Court diagram · view the drill first

Builds a skill used in this scheme: Teaches arriving, stopping and holding a legal screen before live ball-screen decisions; the catalog example itself is an off-ball screen.

A controlled progression teaches setting and using a stationary screen.

3–12 players · 5–10 minutes · basketballs

Purpose

A controlled progression teaches setting and using a stationary screen.

Set it up

Three players: screener, cutter and cooperative defender, plus a coach passer. Begin without contact on one side of a half court. 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 screener approaches at walkthrough pace and establishes a balanced position with legal clearance.
The cutter waits until the screen is set, then moves close enough to use its angle without colliding with the screener.
The coach passes only through an open window; the cutter catches balanced and may shoot from a comfortable range.
The screener holds position until the cutter clears, then opens toward the ball. Rotate all player roles.
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

Coach the details

Do not require contact for a screen to count. Add guided defense only after the group understands positioning and timing.
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.
Screens begin without contact. Establish a balanced, stationary position with the time and space required by the competition rules; keep arms in and do not lean, hold, shove or step into an approaching defender. Decline the action when legal clearance is unavailable.

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.

Pick and Roll Offense
Hal Wissel · Coach's Clipboard · publication date not listed
Public article identified as a permitted excerpt from Basketball: Steps to Success, third edition.
Basketball Pick and Roll Drills
Coach's Clipboard, summarizing Jamie Dixon · Coach's Clipboard · publication date not listed
Public written coaching reference; undated unless specified. No linked paid video reviewed.