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Advantage-start offense

Begin 5-on-5 with a forced closeout or tilted defense. Offense must preserve the advantage; defense must scramble back to neutral. 10 to 15 players, 1 basket, about 15 minutes.

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Advantage-start offense drawn on a half court in 3 steps. 1. Start with a long closeout: X1 begins with a foot in the paint. On the coach's cue, X1 closes to the slot and the possession becomes live. 2. Attack while all four adjust: O1 attacks the high foot. The ball-side corner drifts, the weak-side corner lifts, and the slot replaces behind the drive. 3. Convert before the defense is neutral: When X5 protects the rim, O1 kicks to the drift. Shoot the clean catch or move it one more if the next defender completes the rotation.
1. Start with a long closeout: X1 begins with a foot in the paint. On the coach's cue, X1 closes to the slot and the possession becomes live. 2. Attack while all four adjust: O1 attacks the high foot. The ball-side corner drifts, the weak-side corner lifts, and the slot replaces behind the drive. 3. Convert before the defense is neutral: When X5 protects the rim, O1 kicks to the drift. Shoot the clean catch or move it one more if the next defender completes the rotation.Credit: Drawn by Ball Coach

What it needs

Players
10 to 15 players
Baskets
1 basket
Court
Needs a half court
Time
About 15 minutes
Equipment
basketballs, two colors of pinnies, scoreboard or score sheet
Type
Team work, intermediate

Set it up

Play 5-on-5 at one basket. Space the offense in the team's normal half-court alignment. Match defenders to each player, then place the on-ball defender with one foot in the paint while the ball handler waits at the slot. The coach starts every possession with a verbal cue so the defender must close out from help position and the offense begins with a real advantage.

Run it

On the coach's cue, the on-ball defender closes out and the possession becomes live. The ball handler attacks the long closeout immediately through the defender's high foot. The other four offensive players move with the drive: the ball-side corner drifts, the weak-side corner lifts or holds based on help, the slot replaces behind the ball, and the interior player creates a window at the rim. The offense keeps the defense in rotation with a finish, kick-out, or one-more pass and may not reset into a called set. The defense protects the paint, communicates the scramble, and earns neutral when every defender is matched, outside the lane, and between the ball and basket for two consecutive seconds. End the possession on a score, turnover, defensive rebound, or neutral call.

What to coach

Begin 5-on-5 with a forced closeout or tilted defense. Offense must preserve the advantage; defense must scramble back to neutral.

Score it

The offense earns two points for a paint score or uncontested catch-and-shoot three created within three passes, and one for any other clean advantage shot. The defense earns one point for reaching neutral for two seconds and two for a stop, rebound, or turnover. A contested pull-up on the first closeout scores zero. Play to 10, then change which defender begins in help.

Make it harder

Teach the same reads 3-on-3 before playing 5-on-5. Change the tilted start by putting the recovering defender at the nail, low help, or in a short closeout. Next allow the coach to point at any defender who must touch the paint before closing out so the offense must recognize where the advantage begins.

Use it in practice

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Where this drill comes from

Ball Coach wrote this drill for its practice planner's drill library. The curricula below shaped how the library organizes practice; no text or diagram is copied from them. The diagram is drawn by Ball Coach.