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Stack Elbow Lob

A baseline out of bounds play against man-to-man: 2 steps with diagrams and coaching points.

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Half-court diagram of Stack Elbow Lob, step 1 of 2: 5 offensive players; player 1 has the ball; lines: 3 cuts, 1 screen, 1 pass.
Credit: Ball Coach

How it works

A baseline play from a ball-side stack that works toward a lob. 3 releases as the safety, 4 cuts to the corner to pull help, and the big wheels around 2's back screen toward the ball for a lob at the rim. If 2's defender leaves to help on the lob, the inbounder fakes it and hits 2 sealing on the block.

When to use it

Under your basket, against man-to-man, when you want a quick two and have a big who can catch a lob above the rim.

Personnel

The big man is the lob target and must time the wheel around the back screen. 2 screens the big's defender, then seals if that defender helps. 4 clears to the corner to draw help away. 3 is the safety near the ball. The inbounder needs a lob pass and a convincing fake.

Step by step

  1. F112543

    Step 1. Diagram only.

  2. F215243X2

    Step 2. Diagram only.

Reads

  1. First read. The big wheeling around 2's back screen to the rim. Throw the lob when the big turns to the ball.
  2. Second read. 2 sealing on the block after the screen. If 2's defender went to stop the lob, pass to 2 for the layup.

Counter

If they deny the lob and take 2 away, the safety (3) is the outlet: take it, do not force a pass into traffic.

Teaching cues

  • Big: set your defender up toward the corner, then wheel hard off the screen.
  • 2: screen with your back to the baseline, then turn and seal on the block.
  • Inbounder: fake the lob before the drop-off, and count to five.

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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