Basketball coaching comes with its own unique language, filled with acronyms and shorthand terms. Whether you're new to coaching or just need a quick refresher, here’s a practical guide to common basketball coaching acronyms you'll encounter on the court. If you've ever wondered what "STS" or "BLOB" means, this post is for you.

Game Situations and Plays

• ATO (After Time Out): Plays specifically drawn up during a timeout. These often aim to catch opponents off guard.
• BLOB (Baseline Out of Bounds): Plays run from the baseline to score quickly or reset the offense.
• SLOB (Sideline Out of Bounds): Similar to BLOB, but from the sideline. Often designed for quick scoring or easy entry passes.
• EOG (End of Game): Situations or strategies employed during crucial final minutes.
• EOP (End of Period): Plays designed specifically for scoring opportunities at the end of quarters or halves.
• EOQ (End of Quarter): Same as above, the two terms are often used interchangeably.

Offensive Terms

• DHO (Dribble Hand Off): A player dribbles towards a teammate and hands the ball off, setting up screens or creating movement.
• P&R (Pick and Roll): Classic two-player action involving a screen and subsequent roll to the basket.
• PnP (Pick and Pop): Similar to pick and roll, but the screener steps back for a jump shot instead of rolling to the basket.
• ISO (Isolation): An offensive tactic giving one player space to operate one-on-one against their defender.
• STS (Screen the Screener): Where one player sets a screen for a teammate, then that screener immediately receives a screen from another teammate to create a mismatch. Sometimes referred to as "pick the picker" too.
• Horns: An offensive alignment with two players at the elbows, offering multiple options for screens and quick passes.
• UCLA: A cut where a player moves from the perimeter down to the basket using a high post screen.

Defensive Schemes

• PAC (Pack Line Defense): A defensive strategy emphasizing protection of the lane and limiting dribble penetration.
• Ice: Where the on-ball defender positions themselves above the screen to deny it, forcing the ball-handler to drive toward the sideline or baseline.
• Hedge: Defender momentarily jumps out aggressively on ball screens to disrupt the ball-handler.
• Switch: Players exchange defensive assignments to handle screens or cuts effectively.
• Help: Players off the ball shift to support teammates against penetration or cuts.

Analytics and Efficiency

• PPP (Points Per Possession): Metric for evaluating offensive efficiency.
• OER (Offensive Efficiency Rating): How effective a team scores per possession.
• DER (Defensive Efficiency Rating): How effective a team is defensively per possession.
• eFG% (Effective Field Goal Percentage): Shooting percentage adjusted for the fact that three-point field goals are worth more than two-point field goals.
• +/- (Plus-Minus): Tracks how much the team's scoring margin changes when a player is on the court.

Coaching and Scouting

• KYP (Know Your Personnel): Understanding individual player strengths and weaknesses to maximize their potential and exploit matchups.
• FOE (Focus On Execution): Emphasizing precise execution of strategies rather than improvisation.
• LOE (Level of Effort): Refers to the level of intensity players are bringing to practice, drills or a game.
• AAU (Amateur Athletic Union): Competitive basketball leagues outside of the traditional high school season.

That covers it. Now you can chum it up with the best of em' out there. Ball in.