Motion offense teaches movement and decision-making without memorized plays. Players learn spacing, cutting, and when to shoot or pass.
Equipment needed: One basketball, one half court, 5 offensive players, 5 defenders.
Setup: Half court with five offensive players in a box (high posts) and one in the center. Five defenders in man-to-man.
How to run it:
- Players pass and move. After each pass, the passer cuts or relocates.
- Cutter must go a certain direction (baseline, middle, top), then come out to space.
- If a cutter is open, the passer finds them. If not, the ball keeps moving.
- Offense tries to shoot when they have a good look.
- Play for 25 minutes continuous, with defenders going live.
What to look for: Decision-making and reading defense. Do they pass into the cutter early enough? Do they hold the ball too long and let the defense reset? The right read is the open teammate, not the favorite teammate.
If they’re struggling: Slow it down. Walk through three passes and three cuts before going live. Add a rule that every possession needs at least four passes before a shot.
If they’ve got it: Shorten the shot clock to 15 seconds. The offense has to read and react faster.