Step 1/5Four across. Guards cross to the ball; outside two go long
Orange = offense · blue = defense · solid line = cut · dashed = pass · zig-zag = dribble · T = screen · dotted arc = shot
Animated play
Press Break: Four Across
Four players line up across the free-throw line. Guards come to the ball, the outside two go long, and the press is stretched thin.
- Time
- 10 min
- Players
- 5+
- Ages
- 10+
- Level
- Beginner
Equipment: 1 ball
How the play works
- 1Four across at the free-throw line extended: guards 1 and 2 in the middle, 3 and 5 near the sidelines. 4 takes the ball out, standing to one side of the basket.
- 2On the slap, 1 and 2 cross and cut to the ball. 3 and 5 sprint to half court, then one comes back to the middle.
- 3Inbound to a guard. 4 steps in behind the ball as the safe pass back.
- 4Look up the floor: the middle first, then the sideline. Pass over the press rather than dribbling into a trap.
Coaching points
- Catch, turn and look before you dribble
- Stay out of the corners and off the sideline
- Use the pass back to reverse the ball when you're stuck
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