Down screens off the ball

Setup

1. A passer at the top, a screener on the wing and a cutter on the block, each with a defender.
2. Spare players wait at halfway and rotate in.

How it runs

1. The wing player screens down toward the block; the cutter walks their defender low first.
2. The cutter reads the defender: trails, curl to the key; goes under, pop to the wing.
3. The passer hits the cutter and the play is live to a score or a stop.
4. Rotate: passer to screener, screener to cutter, cutter to passer.

Coaching points

• Screener: set it on the defender, stand still, arms in, a step of space.
• Cutter: set up the screen, then come off it shoulder to shoulder.
• Read, don't guess: the defender's path decides pop, curl or backdoor.
• After the screen, the screener pops back out or seals inside.

Common mistakes

• Cutting before the screen is set, so the defender just follows.
• Screener screening air instead of the defender.