The floor and spacing

Where things are, and why five players standing in the right places is most of offense.

All families · 16 terms · 0 full, 1 partial, 15 short

4-out 1-in

An alignment with four players outside the arc and one inside, usually in the dunker spot or on a block.

Four attackers stand spread around the three-point line: 1 with the ball at the left slot, 2 at the right slot, and 3 and 4 in the two corners. The fifth, 5, is in the right dunker spot beside the rim, labeled drop-off. Of the five defenders only x5 is in the paint, a step up from 5 toward the lane. 1 dribbles past x1 into the lane toward the rim, and a dashed pass runs from the end of the drive, under x5, to 5. The line at the top reads 4-out 1-in: one defender in the paint.

offense · General · short · Taught in lecture 3.10 · See also 5-out, Dunker spot

5-out

An alignment with all five players outside the arc and the paint empty.

Five attackers stand fully outside the three-point line: 1 at the top with the ball, 3 and 2 high on the left and right wings, and 4 and 5 at the top of the left and right corners, just above where the corner line meets the arc. Each defender stands a step inside his man, and none of them is in the lane. A dribble arrow runs from 1 straight down the middle of the lane and stops above the restricted area, right over the label nobody home. The label 5-out: nobody in the paint is written across the top of the court.

offense · General · short · Taught in lecture 3.10 · See also 4-out 1-in, Spacing, Delay

Block

The painted mark on the lane line near the rim; the traditional low-post spot.

offense / defense · General · short · Taught in lecture 3.10 · See also Post-up, Dunker spot

Corner

Also: weak corner

The spot where the three-point line meets the sideline; the closest three to the rim, and the spot the low man has to leave to help. The weak corner is the one on the help side, which is why it is the open one.

offense / defense · General · short · Taught in lecture 3.10 · See also Low man, Corner three, Weak side

Dunker spot

Also: short corner

The baseline spot just outside the lane, below the block, where a non-shooting big waits for lobs, dump-offs and offensive rebounds.

offense · General · short · Taught in lecture 3.10 · See also Block, Lob

Elbow

Where the free-throw line meets the lane line; a hub for handoffs and high-post play.

offense / defense · General · short · Taught in lecture 3.10 · See also Pinch post, Horns

Gap

Also: double gap, single gap

The space between two perimeter players; a single gap is one spot wide, a double gap is two, and a driver wants the double.

On the right, two attackers stand one spot apart, 2 at the slot and 3 on the wing, and the space between their defenders, x2 and x3, is labeled single gap. On the left, 4 at the slot has the ball and 5 is in the corner, with the wing between them empty. 4 dribbles down the left side, past his defender x4 on the sideline side, into the space between x4 and x5, labeled double gap: the nearest help, x5 in the corner, is a spot further away than a wing defender would be. 1 stands at the top, guarded by x1.

offense · General · short · Taught in lecture 3.10 · See also Spacing, Drive

Nail

The middle of the free-throw line; the help spot that threatens a drive from either side.

offense / defense · General · short · Taught in lecture 4.4 · See also Help side, Dig, Stunt

Restricted area

The half-circle in front of the rim inside which a secondary defender cannot draw a charge.

offense / defense · General · short · Taught in lecture 4.4 · See also The paint, Verticality

Slot

The perimeter spot above the arc roughly in line with the lane line, between the top and the wing.

offense / defense · General · short · Taught in lecture 3.10 · See also Wing, Top of the key, Corner

Spacing

Keeping players far enough apart that one defender cannot guard two of them.

Why it is run. Standing so that no defender can guard two attackers at once is what makes every drive, cut and screen in this chapter work; the measurement is the gap, and a double gap is the one worth attacking.

offense · General · partial · Taught in lecture 3.10 · See also 5-out, Gap

Strong side

Also: ball side

The half of the floor, split lengthwise, that the ball is on.

offense / defense · General · short · Taught in lecture 3.10 · See also Weak side, Help side

The paint

Also: the key, the lane

The rectangle from the baseline to the free-throw line, bounded by the lane lines; the highest-value shots come from here.

offense / defense · General · short · Taught in lecture 3.10 · See also Restricted area, Block, Dunker spot

Top of the key

Also: top

The perimeter spot straight out from the rim, above the arc.

offense / defense · General · short · Taught in lecture 3.10 · See also Slot

Weak side

The half of the floor, split lengthwise, away from the ball; on defense this is where help comes from.

offense / defense · General · short · Taught in lecture 4.4 · See also Strong side, Low man, Tag

Wing

The perimeter spot roughly level with the free-throw line extended.

offense / defense · General · short · Taught in lecture 3.10 · See also Slot, Corner