This page breaks down the moments that leave beginners frozen: where to stand without the ball, what to do after you pass, what to watch while dribbling, whether to guard the ball or your man, and when to help. Every card follows the same shape, so one glance between possessions is enough.
18questions answeredUpdated 2026-07-25 · works for 3v3, 4v4 and 5v5
How to read this page
1Look at the diagramEvery section opens with a half-court diagram. It only ever uses the six marks below, so learn those once and every diagram reads the same.
2Then read the one lineEach card on the right starts with a one-line answer. If all you have is the ten seconds between possessions, read only that line.
3Save the detail for after the gameThe detail sits underneath: what to do, where to look, and the mistake to avoid. Read it when you are off the floor.
The six marks every diagram uses
Our players; the numbers only tell them apart
Their players
The ball
Red dashes: where one of us runs
Orange dashes: where the ball goes
Blue dashes: where a defender moves
01Without the ball
Where to stand and where to run when you do not have the ball
You spend roughly ninety percent of a game without the ball, and that is where most of it is won or lost. Off-ball offense is only two jobs: pull your defender away from the ball, then cut the moment they stop looking at you.
1Start with this diagram
Five players on five spots, 4 to 5 metres (13 to 16 feet) apart, so no single defender can cover two of you
Also on this diagram
The top: where the ball handler stands
Both wings: the easiest place to catch and pass again
Both corners: the best beginner spot, help defense has furthest to run
The grey dashes measure the gap between neighbours; any closer and you are defending yourself
2Then these three questions
WhenA teammate has the ball and you do not
Where am I supposed to stand?
Short answerStand further away and the pass gets easier.
What to do
Stand outside the three-point line and keep 4 to 5 metres, about 13 to 16 feet, from your nearest teammate. Far enough apart that one defender cannot reach both of you.
Fill five different spots: two corners, two wings, one at the top. If you and a teammate end up on the same patch of floor, move to the empty one.
Stay on an angle the ball handler can hit with one pass, with no defender parked between the two of you.
When in doubt go to the corner. The pass is short and any help defender has the longest distance to run.
Where to lookWatch the ball handler's shoulders and hands first, then keep your own defender in the corner of your eye. When those shoulders turn towards you, the pass is usually coming.
Common mistakeDrifting towards the ball. Three players on one side lets a single defender cover two of you, and the space disappears.
WhenYour defender starts watching the ball
When should I cut?
Short answerThey look away, you go.
What to do
The second your defender turns their head to the ball and their body faces away from you, cut behind them to the rim. That is a backdoor cut.
If they are tight and reaching into the passing lane, take two steps towards the ball to drag them out, then reverse hard the other way.
Finish every cut. If the ball does not come, run through to the far corner instead of parking in the lane and counting three seconds.
When a teammate dribbles towards you, move the other way and give them the space.
Where to lookRead your defender's head and feet. Head turned away means go; toes pointed at the ball means their weight is no longer on you.
Common mistakeCalling for the ball with your hand while your feet stay still, or stopping halfway in the lane and blocking your teammate's drive.
WhenTwo defenders have closed on the ball
My teammate is trapped and cannot pass. What do I do?
Short answerGive them a straight line.
What to do
Move at once to open floor your teammate can see and give them a straight passing line. Never stand behind them.
The two reliable outlets are two steps towards the ball, or up to the top of the key. Coming to meet the pass is far safer than waiting.
Catch in a shooting stance; pass or drive only after the defender closes out.
Where to lookLook at the gap between the two defenders and at your teammate's hands. The ball leaves where those hands turn.
Common mistakeStanding and watching them struggle, or everyone running to the ball at once and packing the trap even tighter.
02Right after I pass
The one thing never to do after a pass is stand and watch
The two seconds after a pass are where beginners and experienced players differ most. Your defender will almost always turn to watch the ball, and that is your window. You have three options after passing, and standing still is not one of them.
1Start with this diagram
Three legitimate moves after the same pass. Any of them works; standing still does not
Also on this diagram
First the pass to the top, then pick one of the three routes below
Cut: go backdoor to the rim and ask for it
Screen away: go set a screen for the weak-side teammate
Relocate: drop to the corner and rebuild the spacing
2Then these three questions
WhenThe two seconds after the ball leaves your hands
What are my options right after I pass?
Short answerAfter the pass, move your feet before your eyes.
What to do
Cut: pass and go straight behind your defender to the rim, hand up for the return. That is the classic give-and-go.
Screen away: after the pass, run to the weak side and screen for a teammate so they come open.
Relocate: move two or three steps out or into the corner and give back the space you were standing in.
All three are right. The only wrong answer is standing where you are and watching.
Where to lookAfter the pass, your first look is at your own defender, not at the ball. Their head turns, you cut.
Common mistakeBall watching with your feet planted. Now your defender can see the ball and you at the same time, so you are guarding yourself.
WhenYou have decided to pass and cut
How do I cut so the ball actually comes back?
Short answerFake out, then cut in.
What to do
Take one step away as a fake, then change pace and cut behind your defender. The change of speed beats raw speed.
Cut with your hand up and your palm facing the passer so they have a clear target.
Run tight past your defender instead of looping wide. The gap you squeeze open is the passing lane.
If the ball has not arrived within three steps, keep running through to the far corner and clear the space.
Where to lookLook at your defender as you start, then keep your eyes on the ball the whole way so you can catch and finish.
Common mistakeTurning to look at the ball before you go, which tells your defender exactly what is about to happen.
WhenSomebody is already standing in the lane
When should I relocate instead of cutting?
Short answerRim is busy, so I spread out.
What to do
If a teammate is already at the rim, another cut only clogs it. Relocate instead.
If you are one of the better shooters, spacing to the corner threatens more than a cut does.
Relocate into the passer's field of view, never behind them and never on top of another teammate.
The instant a teammate drives, slide away from their path so the lane to the rim stays open.
Where to lookCheck whether the lane is occupied, then decide. One glance is enough.
Common mistakeTwo players cutting into the lane at once, sealing off the rim and stealing each other's passing lane.
03With the ball
Ball in your hands: head up first, dribble second
Dribbling is not a goal, it is what you use when nothing better is available. The three habits that hurt beginners most are dribbling the moment they catch, dribbling on the spot, and dribbling themselves into the corner.
1Start with this diagram
What comes into view once your head is up, and the two corners where traps happen
Also on this diagram
The ball handler; the diagram is drawn from their point of view
The defender, between you and the rim
The blue wedge is your field of view with your head up; the weak-side teammates are inside it
The two red patches are the trap zones: corner and sideline, where dribbling costs you a passing angle
2Then these three questions
WhenThe ball has just arrived
What do I do the instant I catch it?
Short answerRim, then teammates, then dribble.
What to do
Look at the rim first: shoot if you can, pass if someone is open, dribble only if neither is there. That order is the triple threat.
Hold the ball at hip height with your elbows in, not out where a defender can reach it.
Know which foot is your pivot. To start a dribble the ball must leave your hand before that foot lifts, otherwise it is travelling.
Where to lookLook at the rim and at the weak side, not down at the ball. Your hands already know where it is.
Common mistakeTwo casual dribbles with your head down, which is exactly how the best pass and the open shot disappear.
WhenYou are advancing the ball or looking for something
Where do I look while dribbling, and what should I watch for?
Short answerHead up, and dribble for a reason.
What to do
Head up, eyes between the defender's chest and the rim, ball controlled by feel.
Always dribble with the hand furthest from the defender and shield the ball with your body and your other arm.
Give every dribble a purpose: attack a gap, pressure the rim, or swing the ball to the other side. Dribbling on the spot only burns the clock.
Keep the ball out of the corner and off the sideline, where the line itself works as an extra defender.
Where to lookScan the whole floor with your head up, especially the weak-side wing and corner.
Common mistakeEyes down, backing your defender down forever, or dribbling into the corner and sealing yourself off.
WhenTwo defenders have closed on you
I am trapped and cannot dribble out. Now what?
Short answerProtect it, find the outlet, stay down.
What to do
Stop, pivot and protect the ball at hip height, elbows wide for balance but never swinging into anyone.
Do not jump first and look second. Once you leave the floor the ball must go before you land, and any hesitation is a turnover.
Find the line between the two defenders, over their heads, or behind you. The pass back to the trailing teammate is usually the safest.
Once you pick the ball up you cannot dribble again. Only a pass or a shot is left, so decide fast.
Where to lookLook over the trappers' shoulders to the open floor, not down at your own feet.
Common mistakeFreezing after you pick up the ball, or jumping before you know where the pass is going.
04Ball or man
Defensive position is one line: ball, you, your man
The most common beginner question in defense is whether to watch the ball or your man. The answer is both: your body stays on the line between the ball and the player you are guarding, and the further the ball is, the closer to the rim you sit.
1Start with this diagram
Three defensive distances in one possession: pressure the ball, deny the pass, sink towards the lane
Also on this diagram
On the ball: one arm to one and a half arms away
One pass away: body side-on, one hand in the passing lane
Two passes away: sink to the lane, ball and man both in view
The grey dashes are the ball-to-man line, and the defender stands on it
2Then these three questions
WhenThe ball is in your matchup's hands
My man has the ball. How do I guard them?
Short answerWaist, not ball.
What to do
Stay one to one and a half arms away, knees bent, feet wider than your shoulders, weight low. Half a step closer against a shooter, half a step off against a driver.
Watch their waist and chest. The ball, the eyes and the shoulders can all lie to you. The waist cannot.
One hand up to bother the shot and the passing lane, one hand low against the dribble, and no wild reaching.
Angle them towards the sideline or baseline instead of letting them drive straight down the middle.
Where to lookWatch the waist. Where it goes, they go.
Common mistakeWatching the ball and their eyes, then leaving your feet or leaning on the first fake.
WhenYour man is on the next spot over from the ball
My man is one pass away. Where do I stand?
Short answerTake the lane, keep the ball in sight.
What to do
Get on the line between them and the ball with one hand in that lane, body turned side-on so both stay in your vision.
Half a body to a body away, not glued to them and never behind them.
If they cut, beat them to the line with your body and stay with your feet. Do not grab.
Where to lookHead turned about forty-five degrees, one eye on the ball and one on your man. Never turn your back on the ball.
Common mistakeSquaring up to your man, losing sight of the ball, and getting cut past on the first backdoor.
WhenThe ball is on the other side of the floor
My man is on the weak side, far from the ball. Then what?
Short answerFurther from the ball, closer to the rim.
What to do
Drop two or three steps towards the lane, to the spot where one look covers the ball and one covers your man. That is help position.
Point one hand at the ball and one at your man, with your body on the line between them.
The further the ball, the deeper you sit. When it swings back, close out in short steps rather than one long sprint.
Where to lookKeep the ball and your man in the same field of view and lock onto neither.
Common mistakeFollowing your man into the corner, leaving the rim wide open for the next drive.
05When to help
When to help, and how everyone gets back
The rule for helping is short: help when the rim is about to be scored on, not before. Any help leaves somebody open, so help and rotation are one movement, never just the first half.
1Start with this diagram
One baseline drive, three rotations: who helps, who covers behind, and where the beaten defender goes
Also on this diagram
The red dashes are the drive along the baseline, and it is what forces the rotation
The nearest weak-side defender steps up and takes the layup away
The defender behind them covers the player they just left
The beaten defender does not chase the ball; they fill the last empty spot
2Then these three questions
WhenThe rim is about to be scored on
When do I have to help?
Short answerHelp for the rim, nothing else.
What to do
Someone has beaten their defender down the middle or along the baseline and is going up at the rim.
An opponent catches the ball at the rim, or has sealed your teammate right under it.
They have an extra body in transition, two on one or three on two: get to the rim, guard the ball, and take the layup away first.
There is one standard: a shot at the rim goes in far more often than one on the perimeter, so the rim gets protected first.
Where to lookWeak-side defenders must always see the ball. You can only help in time if you saw the first step of the drive.
Common mistakeThe furthest defender helping, or two defenders helping at once and leaving two shooters open.
WhenThe help has already happened
Who helps, and what happens next?
Short answerOne helps, everybody moves.
What to do
The nearest weak-side defender helps, not the closest one to the ball. That one has already been beaten.
Once they step up, everyone else moves one spot towards the ball. That is the rotation.
The beaten defender never chases the ball. They sprint to whoever is left unguarded, usually the weak-side corner.
Call the rotation out loud: help, take the corner, box out. Silent rotations leak somebody every time.
Where to lookBefore you step up, glance behind you and check that someone can pick up the player you are leaving.
Common mistakeHelping and then standing there watching. With nobody rotating, one pass produces an open three or an offensive rebound.
WhenHelping would cost more than it saves
When should I stay home?
Short answerOne step of help, and keep your man.
What to do
If you are on their best shooter and the drive is heading sideways rather than at the rim, stay home.
If the driver is stuck under the baseline at a bad angle, or your teammate has already established position, no help is needed.
A contested layup is a better outcome than a wide-open three.
One step of help is usually enough. Do not cross to the far side of the lane; stay able to recover to your man.
Where to lookOne look at the ball, one look at your man, and decide inside two seconds.
Common mistakeHelping on every drive and getting run side to side by two passes.
06After the shot
The three seconds after a shot goes up
In pickup games most of the scoring gap appears between the moment a shot goes up and the moment the next possession starts. Those seconds ask only two questions: who gets the rebound, and who gets back.
1Start with this diagram
The usual split is three to the glass and two back. Agree who retreats before you start
Also on this diagram
The orange dashes are the shot going up, and every run starts from it
Three red dashes: three players crash the offensive glass, going around the side to finish straight away
Two blue dashes: two players get back, running to their own rim first and finding a man second
The short blue bar is a box-out: body on the man first, eyes to the ball second
2Then these three questions
WhenTheir shot is in the air
They just shot. What is my job?
Short answerBody first, ball second.
What to do
Turn and put your body into your man first, then look for the ball. Finding the man matters more than finding the ball.
Secure it with two hands, elbows in and chin down, and do not dribble under the rim.
Pivot towards the sideline and get the outlet pass out to whoever is already running.
Where to lookMan first. Once you have them sealed, look up and read where the ball is coming down.
Common mistakeFive players watching the ball, nobody boxing out, and the offense running in for a second chance.
WhenYour team's shot is in the air
We just shot. Do I crash or get back?
Short answerSome crash, some retreat, agreed in advance.
What to do
The common split is three to the glass and two back: whoever is near the rim crashes, the two outside players retreat.
If you crash, do not stand and wait. Go around the side of your defender and put it straight back up.
The first step of getting back is towards your own rim, not towards your man.
Decide who retreats before the game starts. There is no time to negotiate during it.
Where to lookKeep your eyes on the ball as you retreat instead of running backwards blind.
Common mistakeAll five crashing the offensive glass, and one long pass beats the whole team.
WhenYou are outnumbered going back
They are running a fast break. What now?
Short answerRim first, man second.
What to do
The first player back stands in front of the rim and guards the ball. Do not chase a man; take the layup away.
The second one takes the most dangerous catch, usually whoever is filling the lane beside the rim.
Everyone else sprints back to the nearest opponent and calls out who they have as they run.
When you are outnumbered, do not gamble for the steal. Delaying until your teammates arrive is already a win.
Where to lookWatch the ball the whole way back, then turn and find your man once you are set.
Common mistakeLooking back at the ball the whole way and losing the race, or gambling for a steal on the way.
TALK
Eight calls that tell your teammates what you are doing
Talking is the cheapest improvement in pickup basketball. A call travels faster than any cut and needs no skill at all.
Ball!I have the ball handler, everyone else can position off me.
Screen left!A screen is coming for the player you are guarding, and it is on your left.
Switch!We are trading matchups; take mine.
Help!I am leaving my man to protect the rim, so rotate behind me.
Get back!The ball has turned over, run to our own rim first.
Open!Nobody is on me and the passing line is clear.
Boards!The shot is up, everybody box out.
Man behind!A defender is closing from the side you cannot see.
TAKE THIS ON COURT
18 lines to take with you, then come back after the game
Nobody memorises a whole page. Keep these lines instead and run through them whenever you freeze on court.
Without the ballStand further away and the pass gets easier.
Without the ballThey look away, you go.
Without the ballGive them a straight line.
Right after I passAfter the pass, move your feet before your eyes.
Right after I passFake out, then cut in.
Right after I passRim is busy, so I spread out.
With the ballRim, then teammates, then dribble.
With the ballHead up, and dribble for a reason.
With the ballProtect it, find the outlet, stay down.
Ball or manWaist, not ball.
Ball or manTake the lane, keep the ball in sight.
Ball or manFurther from the ball, closer to the rim.
When to helpHelp for the rim, nothing else.
When to helpOne helps, everybody moves.
When to helpOne step of help, and keep your man.
After the shotBody first, ball second.
After the shotSome crash, some retreat, agreed in advance.
After the shotRim first, man second.
This page prints cleanly, so you can take it to the court on paper.
WHERE TO GO NEXT
Connect the cheat sheet back to the full path
This page only covers what to do in the moment. Rule detail, court vocabulary and full plays live on the pages below.
