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Sideline Safety Release

A sideline out of bounds play against full-court man press: 2 steps with diagrams and coaching points.

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Full-court diagram of Sideline Safety Release, step 1 of 2: 5 offensive players; player 3 has the ball; lines: 3 cuts, 1 screen.
Clear the floor. 2 sprints the length of the court up the left side, 4 clears wide to the right, and 1 curls back toward the ball. 5 sets a screen near the inbounder.Credit: Ball Coach

How it works

A sideline out-of-bounds play near midcourt for getting the ball in safely against full-court man-to-man. Three players clear long and wide to pull their defenders away, and the fourth screens and then releases toward the inbounder for the safe catch.

When to use it

A sideline out of bounds near midcourt against full-court man-to-man pressure, when the priority is a safe catch, late in a close game or any time the defense is denying every short pass.

Personnel

3 inbounds and must stay calm and accurate. 5 is a strong screener who can also catch and handle the ball: the release is the primary option. 1 is quick and curls toward the ball. 2 and 4 are fast and run long and wide to pull defenders away.

Step by step

  1. F135142

    Step 1. Clear the floor. 2 sprints the length of the court up the left side, 4 clears wide to the right, and 1 curls back toward the ball. 5 sets a screen near the inbounder.

  2. F235142

    Step 2. 5 releases toward the inbounder after the screen, hands up, and catches: the safe entry. The long and wide cuts have pulled the defenders away.

Reads

  1. Primary read. 5 releasing toward the inbounder after the screen. The defender on 5 has to help on the screen or the long cuts, so the short catch is open.
  2. Second read. 1 curling toward the ball. If the defender on 1 trails the curl, a short pass is there.
  3. Deep look. 2 or 4 on the long cuts, only if the defense gives up the deep pass: a long throw over the top beats pressure.

Counter

If the defense denies the release, 1's curl is the second look. If both are denied, call a timeout before the five-second count runs out.

Teaching cues

  • Clear hard and long so the defenders have to choose.
  • 5: screen first, then release to the ball with your hands up.
  • 3: fake, step back off the line to widen the angle, and count out loud to four.
  • Catch moving toward the ball and away from the trap.

Use this play

Version
1 (current), approved October 1, 2026
Published by
Ball Coach
Source
Published by Ball Coach under its first-party license, credited to Ball Coach. Released as a fixed version; any later edit gets a new version number.
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