What this version covers
Gels treats denied receiving routes as problems to repair, not reasons to force a pass.
Source-backed summary; versions may differ.
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offense
Spread offense: clarify the version
Spread can mean spacing around a ball screen, a repeating play, or five players spread out to keep possession. Gels' Spread Delay is for controlling possession without a shot clock. Wissel's version uses drives and ball screens.
How it runs
Keep the ball safe and cut behind a defender
This Spread example uses five outside players to keep possession and use time. A faster version can use ball screens. Follow your game’s shot-clock rules; this example sets no time to wait. 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. Keep a safe return pass
1 passes to 2 and stays above the ball for a safe return pass. 3 and 4 stay in the corners. 5 is on the opposite wing.
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.
This page teaches our spread-delay example, not every spread ball-screen offense. Your competition’s clock and the score determine urgency; there is no universal number of seconds to wait.
In this guide · jump to a topic
Starting jobs and useful space
Keep a visible return above the ball
Our opening places 1 above the ball as a return, 2 on the receiving side, 5 opposite and 3 and 4 low outside. The return player is not a spectator: stay where the receiver can see and reach the pass. A distant teammate behind a defender is not a useful safety option.
Agree on what counts as an acceptable scoring opportunity for this possession. Protecting a lead may change shot choice, but players still need to face the basket and notice an uncontested chance. Do not teach them to hold the ball with their back to every option.
CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.
Keep the possession going
Repair the spacing before sending another cutter
Use the first pass to move the defense, then read the denied receiver. If a cut is covered, clear it and use the return. Before continuing, check that the low player has vacated the cutter’s exit. The next pass belongs to the new arrangement, not to the jersey number that started there.
Practice late-possession organization explicitly. Have one player communicate time while the handler retains a reachable outlet. When the team must seek a shot, transition into an already-practiced attack. Do not introduce a new ball screen in the final seconds merely because keeping the ball became uncomfortable.
CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.
Decisions against the defense
A defender denies the outside catch
When: The receiving route is blocked but the handler still has space.
Do this: Let the receiver threaten behind the denial; keep the above-ball outlet intact.
Then: If the cutter is covered, return the ball and refill rather than throw into traffic.
CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.
The receiver is trapped near the side
When: Two defenders close the ball and the sideline removes space.
Do this: Protect the ball and identify the nearest visible release. Teammates change the passing angle without gathering around the trap.
Then: After escaping, reorganize before the next attack; do not immediately dribble back into the same pressure.
CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.
What to emphasize
- Ask whether the coach wants to change the pace, run a repeating play or use time off the clock.
Problems, fixes and checks
Spacing makes every pass difficult
Problem: Players are beyond the passer’s reliable range.
Try this correction: Bring the return closer while keeping a different angle from the cutter.
Check: The ball holder can make a controlled pass without jumping.
CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.
Players watch the clock and stop reading
Problem: An available scoring chance disappears while everyone waits.
Try this correction: State the possession objective before the repetition, then let the handler choose within it.
Check: Review the decision in context, not just how much time elapsed.
CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.
Versions and diagram coverage
A longer pass-cut-fill example
Changes: continuation.
- The linked walkthrough shows a separate receiving and refill cycle, not a new definition of spread.
When to use it: Use when players need to see the next outside job after the cut.
CoachAssist suggestion—not the source’s exact practice.
Spread can name other offenses
Changes: names only, setup.
- A spread ball-screen attack need not use this delay pattern. The shared word does not establish identical timing or inside-player jobs.
When to use it: Clarify whether the coach means spacing, clock management or a particular screen action.
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
Keep two separate passes visible
Set it up: Three attackers and one guided defender in a modest area.
- Defender removes one passing lane.
- Other attackers adjust without standing beside each other.
Add more when: The holder finds a catchable pass without a coach naming it.
Check it in play
- Use a clear target and balanced release.
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
- Never assume 'spread' means fast. Verify the competition's shot-clock rules before recommending delay tactics.
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.
Spread Delay (5-Out Back-Cut Offense)
Court diagram · view the drill first
Practices this scheme: This is the five-out delay version: pass, cut, fill and punish denial. Its clock and shot-selection constraints must not be imposed on spread ball-screen offense.
A five-out delay variation uses pass, cut and fill while retaining a scoring option against denial.
10–12 players · 8–15 minutes · basketballs
Purpose
A five-out delay variation uses pass, cut and fill while retaining a scoring option against denial.
Set it up
Five attackers and five defenders, one ball. Begin with guided defense in an open-post alignment; agree on the actual game/shot-clock context and safe scoring choices. 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.
- Pass to a receiver meeting the ball, then cut through the available lane.
- If no return pass develops, clear to the opposite corner as teammates fill the vacant perimeter positions.
- Reverse the ball and repeat; a denied receiver can backcut when the lane is clear.
- On the coach’s attack cue, use an available scoring read or safe continuation within the competition’s clock rules.
- 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
- Delay does not guarantee that defenders will gamble or that help disappears.
- Shot selection belongs to the actual situation; do not treat a layups-only constraint as a universal spread-offense rule.
- 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.
Ball Screen 4-on-4 Spacing
Court diagram · view the drill first
Builds a skill used in this scheme: Supports the spread-out ball-screen version with corner receivers and decisions about the screener cutting toward the basket; the four-player drill is not a universal definition of Spread.
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
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
- 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.
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.
Coaches run this in different ways. The sources below describe the versions covered here. These sources do not cover every possible version.
- Spread Delay Offense
James A. Gels · Coach's Clipboard · publication date not listed
Public written coaching reference; undated unless specified. No linked paid video reviewed.
- 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.