5 Out Motion Offense
The 5-out motion offense is an excellent choice for basketball teams at all levels, particularly youth teams. It’s a positionless system that emphasizes floor spacing and relies on a set of rules to guide player movement and decision-making. This system allows players to learn spacing, while developing their dribbling, passing and shooting skills. Coaches can add different variables like ball screens, off ball screens, and post ups as well.
Who Should Use This Offense?
The 5-out motion offense is highly recommended for all levels of basketball from youth to high school as it fosters well-rounded players.
While beneficial for all teams, it’s particularly advantageous for teams lacking height or aiming for a fast-paced, high-movement style of play.
Key Strengths
- Develops Positionless Players: This system demands all players contribute to passing, cutting, dribbling, shooting, and screening. This is crucial for developing versatile basketball players.
- Teaches Fundamental Basketball Skills: Players learn to read the game, make informed decisions, and react to their teammates and defenders.
- Encourages Teamwork: No single player can dominate the ball. All players must contribute to the team’s offensive flow.
- Maximizes Floor Spacing: Proper execution ensures constant spacing, creating open driving lanes and making it difficult for defenders to help each other.
- Difficult to Scout: The fluid nature of the offense makes it challenging for opponents to predict specific plays and develop effective defensive strategies.
- Prevents Opponents from Crowding the Paint: Defenders must guard all areas of the court, preventing them from focusing solely on interior defense.
- Easy to Teach Progressively: The offense can be introduced in stages, making it easier for players to grasp complex concepts without feeling overwhelmed.
Key Weaknesses
- May Not Be Ideal for Teams with One Dominant Scorer: If your team relies heavily on one or two star players, this system may not be the best for your team. When one players dominates the ball all of the other players tend to stand and watch which hurts spacing.
- Initial Focus on System Over Scoring: Players may initially overthink the system and neglect scoring opportunities. Teach your players to look at the rim to score every time they touch the ball.
- Requires Time and Practice to Master: While the basic concepts are relatively easy to learn, mastering the nuances of reading the game and making quick decisions takes time and practice.
Basic 5-Out Motion Offense Rules
- Back Cut When The Defense Is Outside The Three Point Line: If the defense wants to defend outside the 3 point line there is a lot of room to cut to create space and to get a back door pass to score.
- Pass Thru Single Gaps: Single gaps are those where a defender can easily step over and help stop the drive. Find better opportunities by passing the ball to a cutter or reversing the ball to the other side of the court.
- Drive Thru Double & Triple Gaps: Double and triple gaps are hard for helpside defenders to close so they offer the best chance at scoring on a drive or drive and pass to a shooter.
- Square Up to the Basket When Handling the Ball: By facing the basket and having players put the ball in their pocket, they’ll be ready to pass, shoot, and dribble. Avoid having players put the ball above their heads where they can only pass.
- Perform Every Action with Purpose: If players don’t have the ball they need to cut hard, set firm screens, be ready to start a circle motion action, and avoid standing around.
- Maintain Spacing 2-3 Feet Behind The Three-Point Line: As an easy visual for players you can show them where the high school three point line is (19’9), the college three point line (20’9”), and the NBA three point line (22’-23’9”).
- Every pass, cut, and dribble starts a circle motion rotation to keep players optimally spaced: Great spacing is what allows players to use their skills to score. Poor spacing will stifle an entire team no matter how skilled they are
Setting Up the 5-Out Motion Offense
- Five Starting Positions: Establish five distinct positions on the court: left corner, left wing, top, right wing, and right corner.
- Use Floor Tape for Initial Practice: When introducing the offense, use cones to mark each position on the court to help players understand their spacing. You could also use poly spots or cones.
Teaching Progressions
The 5-out motion offense is best taught in a series of progressive steps:
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Progression 1: Circle Rotation Movement
- The basic premise of circle rotation is to have players move in the same direction as the ball.
- Oftentimes players want to run to the ball, which clogs up driving lanes and adds extra defenders for the ball handler to pay attention to.
- When players use circle rotation the ball handler has one defender to pay attention to and has more room to drive, pass or shoot the ball.
Progression 2: Basic Cutting
- Focus: Introduce basic passing and cutting movements in a 5-on-0 situation.
- Use Floor Tape for Initial Practice: When introducing the offense, use cones to mark each position on the court to help players understand their spacing. You could also use poly spots or cones.
Key Cuts
- Top to Wing Pass: Passer cuts through the key and fills the opposite corner.
- Wing to Corner Pass: Passer cuts through the key and fills the opposite corner.
- Wing to Top Pass: Passer cuts and fills the corner on the same side.
- Corner to Wing Pass: Passer cuts and replaces themselves in the wing position.
Coaching Points:
- Emphasize backcutting when defense is outside the three point line.
- Teach players to set up their defender for a successful front cut.
- Instruct players to always watch the ball and be ready for rebounds.
- Encourage hard cuts to the basket to force the defense to react.
Progression 3: Screen Away
- Introduce the Concept: After a pass, instead of cutting, a player sets an away screen for a teammate.
- Screening Options:
- Option 1: The screened player always curls around the screen towards the basket.
- Option 2: The screened player has the option to curl or pop out to the perimeter.
- Wing To Corner Pass And Screen Away: Passer screens for the player at the top of the key.
Coaching Points:
- Cross Screens – players’ backs should be towards the free throw lane.
- Screeners communicate their screen by putting a fist up in the air as they move to screen their teammates.
- Cutters need to wait for the screener to set the screen before making a hard cut.
- Cuts need to be made North and South going towards the rim.
Progression 4: On-Ball Screening
- Introduce the Point Guard Ball Screen: Demonstrate how to set on-ball screens effectively. Teach the point guard how to come off the screen.
Wing Ball Screen: A second option is to have the passer follow their pass and become the ball screener.
Coaching Points:
- Screeners should have their fist in the air to tell the player with the ball they are coming to screen.
- Screeners should line the center of their chest with the shoulder of the defender they are screening. When done properly the screener and defender’s body will make a ‘T’.
- Instruct players to read the defense and make appropriate decisions (e.g., drive, pass, shoot).
- Consider making on-ball screens a standard action after corner passes.
Advanced Concepts
- Introduce the Dribble-At Action: When a player with the ball is heavily pressured, they may dribble toward another player.
- Hand-off (Optional): The players can perform a hand-off to initiate a different action.
- Quick Post-Ups: Allow players to establish quick post positions after cutting through the key. Encourage players with the ball to look for these post opportunities.
Rebounding Strategy
- Defensive Rebounding Strategies: Determine a rebounding strategy based on your team’s personnel. Options include:
- The top player plays safety, four players crash the boards.
- The top two players play safety, and three players crash the boards.
- Players below the free-throw line rebound, and players above the free-throw line play safety.
- Offensive Rebounding: Utilize the team’s spacing to gain an advantage on the offensive glass.
Conclusion
The 5-out motion offense is a valuable tool when all five players understand spacing and driving double gaps. By implementing this system and emphasizing player development, you can create a balanced attack that is hard to scout and defend.
