Basketball playbook

A basketball playbook, like any sports playbook, involves compilation of strategies the team would like to use during games. The playbook starts as a canvas picture of the basketball court with all its boundaries and lines. On top of that, the playmaker can draw O's for players on offense, and X's for players on defense. Specifically however, the playmaker will need to number them for different positions. They are:

Basketball positions
Guards		1. Point Guard	Combo Guard (PG/SG)
		2. Shooting Guard	Swingman (SG/SF)
Forwards		3. Small Forward	Cornerman (PF/SF)
		4. Power Forward	Point Forward (PG/PF, PG/SF)
Center Striker		5. Center	Forward-Center (PF/C)
Captain | Head Coach | Referees and officials

The following are a list of playbook plays commonly used in basketball throughout the world.

Man offense plays

Man to man offense is commonly referred to as man offense, and as the name implies, the player is matched up with their checks (defender).

Motion offense

Motion offenses are governed by a set of rules which have everyone in motion. When numbers are used in motion (e.g. 4 out 1 in motion), the first number refers to the number of players outside the three-point line and the second number refers to the players inside the three-point line.

• 5 out motion offense (simple and screen away)
• 3-2 motion offense
• 4 out 1 in motion offense
• Dribble drive motion offense
• Princeton offense
• Triangle offense

Continuity offense

Continuity offense are a pattern of movements and passes, which eventually leads back to the starting formation, and the play can repeat itself again.

• Flex offense
• Shuffle offense
• Swing offense

Zone offense plays

• 2-3 zone breaks
• 3-2 zone breaks
• 1-2-2 zone breaks
• 1-3-1 zone breaks
• 4-out zone offense
• 5-out zone offense
• Box and 1 offense
• Half-court press breakers

Man defense plays

Man to man defense is where the defender follows their check (offensive player) through their movement on the court.

The court is divided into four parts. Any number that is in the 40s refers to the full court. Any number that is in the 20s is half-court.

Any number that ends in '0' means that everyone stays with their check. Any number that ends in '1' means that the first pass is double teamed or trapped. Any number which ends in '2' means that the second pass is attacked with a double team or a trap. Any number that ends in '3' means to fake an attack on the first pass, but then return to normal. Any number ending in '4' means that the player that is furthest away from the ball handler, attacks the ball handler.

Full-court man to man

• 40 man to man
• 41 man to man
• 42 man to man
• 43 man to man
• 44 man to man

Half-court man to man

• 20 man to man
• 21 man to man
• 22 man to man
• 23 man to man
• 24 man to man

Zone defense plays

Zone defenses requires that a defender cover an area on the court, and does not follow a check, but covers a check that comes into their area.

Half-court zone defense

• Line defense
• 2-3 zone defense
• 3-2 zone defense
• 1-3-1 zone defense
• 1-2-2 zone defense
• Amoeba defense
• Match-up zone defense
• Trap Zone

Full-court pressure defense

• 1-2-2 Viking press
• 2-2-1 box press
• 1-2-1-1 diamond press
• Half-court press
• Full-court press
• Match-up press

Inbounding plays

When the ball goes out of bounds, there are in bounding plays designed to score

Sideline plays

• Stack
• 4-1 box
• box

Baseline plays

These plays are used to score, while in bounding, from under the opponent's baseline.

• Stack
• Box plays
• Press break

Sources

• ESPN article on triangle offense by Shamik Pandit