Simple Rules for half court offense
- Move after pass or drive (cut, screen or fill)
- Move with a purpose (to create ROBS shots & take)
- Dribble to attack and then shoot or pass
- Catch ready & knowing if going to shoot, drive or pass
- Maintain spacing and keep middle open
- If defender overplays/turns back or dribbled at, Cut
- Do NOT pass back ball to who passed it to you (unless they are in scoring position)
- Do Not drive after a drive (Swing or Shoot)
- Do Not take a ‘no pass shot’ unless a layup
- Do Not stand still for >3 secs if not open (if not open, cut, or screen to get teammate open)
Note: These are general rules that will make the team and you play better over the course of a game and season. There will plays (e.g. dribble hand off) or specific situations, when the right decision goes against a rule – that is ok. As a basketball player you need to do what you think is right in the specific moment and not overthink it.
ROBS are not independent criteria and are different for every player. For example, a shot for a player in the paint does not need to be as Open or Balanced as it would need to be for the same player at three.
If you have a ROBS shot you should take it, every time without hesitation. Shoot to make it, not to 'not miss'. You are going to miss more than you make it, but if it is a ROBS shot, shoot with confidence and if you miss move onto the next play!
In the middle of a game, you will not have the time to think through all these items each time you are preparing to shoot. If you did your shot would be too slow. These are intended as general principles to understand so overtime you will get better at making good decisions. They can also be used to analyze shots after the game or scrimmages.
Another way to think about if a shot is a ROB shot is what is the expected points per shot (e.g. FG% times 2 or 3 pts depending on shot). We should expect >0.8 pts per shot which approximately translates to >25% from 3 and >40% from 2. The closer we can get to 1, the better.
In case interested:
Points per Possession (PPP)=
Points /[FGA – OREB + 0.44*FTA + TO]
College average PPP=1PPP
Middle school average PPP=
~0.8 PPP (~0.5-1.2 PPP)
College average FG%:
2FG%= 50%; 3FG%=34%; FT%=72%; eFG%=51%
Middle school average FG%:
2FG%=~50% (40-60%); 3FG%=~20% (15-35%); FT%=50%; eFG%=~45% (35-55%) or a shot is worth ~0.9 points