The end of a close game is the only part of coaching where everyone finds out in real time whether you did your job in October. You either have a play for the situation or you're drawing one on a whiteboard with four seconds left and five kids who've never seen it.
This is the package I keep for those moments: a sideline inbounds package from one box, three Horns after-timeout plays, and two full-court plays. Each one is named for what it gets you, because at the end of a game the only question that matters is "what do we need?" Every play is animated, and the clock rules are written out so you call the right one.
The question to ask first
Before any end-of-game call, I ask three things:
- What do we need? A two, a three, a post-up, or just a safe entry.
- How much time? Over three seconds, the play can have a dribble. Under three, the shot is the catch. Under one, it's a tap.
- Where is the ball? Sideline in the frontcourt, baseline, or full court.
The plays below are sorted by those answers.
The sideline package
Every sideline play starts from the same box, two players on the blocks and two at the elbows, for the same reason my baseline package does: the defense can't tell from the picture what's coming.
Safe entry into a ball screen
When all you need is the ball in play, the first option is a screen for the point guard to catch at the top, and the second is a big stepping to the ball. The catch flows straight into a ball screen, so a safe entry becomes an action without a reset.
Need a two: back screen lob
The elbow player back screens the block player's defender and the inbounder lobs to the rim. Against a switching defense, the switch on the back screen leaves a guard under the basket.
Need a three: zipper flare
The shooter zippers up the lane line off a down screen, then flares off a second screen to the wing while the ball is reversed. Two screens, one pass, and the shooter arrives with his feet set.
Need a three: hammer for the corner
The ball goes to the wing and drives baseline while a hammer screen along the far baseline frees the shooter in the opposite corner. The pass is a baseline skip, and the defense is looking at the drive.
Need a post-up
A cross screen on the block gives the post inside position on the catch. The entry comes from the sideline, so the angle is better than a top entry and the help has farther to come.
Low clock: catch or lob
Under three seconds from the sideline, the play has two options and both are the catch: a shooter curling off a screen for a catch-and-shoot, or a lob to the rim if the shooter is covered. The inbounder reads which one the defense gave him.
After a timeout: Horns
Horns is my after-timeout alignment because it puts two screeners next to the ball with the corners already spaced, so the same picture produces three very different plays. If you run Horns as an offense, these are free.
Need a three: the elevator
The two elbow players set an elevator at the top and the shooter runs through the doors from the baseline. The pass is a lob from the point guard the moment the doors close.
The twist for your best player
The point guard uses both elbow screens in sequence, forcing his defender to fight over two screens, and the second screener rolls. It's the ATO for when you want your best player going downhill with the ball.
Chicago: pin-down into the handoff
The point guard passes to an elbow and pins down for the corner shooter, who takes the handoff from the big at full speed and turns the corner. It's the zoom action from the handoff family called from Horns, and it's the hardest of the three to switch.
Full court, last seconds
Two plays, decided by one number.
Need a three in three seconds
Three seconds is time for a catch and a shot from the arc, not a dribble. The shooter runs off a stagger toward the frontcourt wing and the inbounder throws the long pass to his feet. The screeners seal and get out of the way.
Need a two in two seconds
Two seconds is time for a catch and one step. The play is a long pass to a player cutting to the rim off a back screen, caught in the air or in one motion. Nobody dribbles.
The clock rules, written out
I keep these on the back of my clipboard, because the question "can he catch and shoot?" comes up with four seconds left and no time to think:
- Over three seconds: the play can include a dribble.
- Under three seconds: the shot is the catch. Catch-and-shoot or a lob caught in the air.
- Under one second: the ball can't be caught and shot. At 0.3 or less, only a tap counts.
Teaching it
Special situations are practiced, not drawn. I run every play in this package once a week from the start of the season, against a live defense, with the clock set to the situation. By December the players know the package better than I do, and the timeout is spent deciding which play, not explaining one.
Wrapping Up
One play for each thing you might need, a question to pick it, and the clock rules so you never call a play the clock won't allow. That's the whole end-of-game package.
Every play is live in Elite Hoops. Step through one with the clock in mind and tap Save to add it to your playbook. The baseline half of the package is in baseline out of bounds plays.
