When a teammate drives, the four other offensive players have a job. The kid the driver is going to pass to has to be open. The other three have to clear the lane and stay spaced. Most youth teams collapse toward the ball. Teach them to do the opposite.
What you need: A half court, four offensive players, optional defender.
Setup: Four players in a four-out spread (top, two wings, one corner). Coach hands the ball to one wing.
How to run it:
- Wing player drives baseline toward the basket.
- Corner player on the same side relocates up to the wing (the spot the driver vacated).
- Top player slides to the opposite wing.
- Opposite corner stays put as a kick-out target.
- Driver either finishes at the rim or kicks to whichever player has space.
What to watch: Are the off-ball players moving? Bad spacing means the driver has nowhere to kick. Every drive should trigger movement from the others.
If they’re struggling: Walk through the rotations slowly. No defender. Just work on the relocations.
If they’ve got it: Add three defenders. Now the spacing creates real openings.