Baseline: safe entryTRY THE PLAY ↓
HOOPSKETCH12345
00
Start with your spacing.

Five players. One ball. Simulate the play or choose a step below the court.

Teaching pace · choose 0.5× to slow it down.

HOOPSKETCH12345
Illustrative HoopSketch example. The numbered steps below match the playable diagram. Review timing, spacing, and fit with your team.

When to use this example

Use this baseline restart to practice getting the ball in safely against man-to-man defense. The first goal is a controlled catch, not an immediate shot. The example is set up for age 11; shorten passing distances and rehearse at a pace your group can manage.

Starting positions

  • 1 has the ball outside the left baseline.
  • 2 starts on the left block; 3 starts on the right block.
  • 4 starts at the left elbow; 5 starts at the right elbow.

Left and right follow the diagram. Player numbers identify jobs in this example; they do not assign permanent roles to children.

Run it in order

  1. Make two targets

    2 moves to the short corner. 4 presents a wing outlet. 3 and 5 keep their space.

  2. Inbound to 2

    1 passes to 2 if the short corner is available. Look at 4 if that pass is covered.

  3. Join the floor

    1 enters at the left corner. 5 fills the right slot. Hold the ball while teammates get set.

If the first option is covered

4 is the wing outlet if 2 is covered. Ask to show that option to draw the alternate pass.

A passing arrow shows an intended action, not a guaranteed opening. Rehearse the alternative and check your competition’s restart rules before using an inbound example.

Give players one cue at a time

  • Face the inbounder and show a target hand.
  • Pass away from a defender's reach.
  • The diagram shows the first option; the coach decides whether it is open.

What to watch for

  • 2 and 4 arrive in the same passing window: stop and reset the short-corner and wing targets.
  • 1 throws to 2 automatically: cover the short corner during rehearsal and have 1 identify the available outlet.
  • 1 stays out of bounds after the pass: walk through entering at the left corner before restarting.

Rehearse the decision

Walk through the three steps without defenders. Freeze after the targets move and ask 1 to point to both options. Repeat with a defender covering 2 so the group practices the outlet decision. The animation shows only the pass to 2; use the designer to draw a separate version of the pass to 4.

Rehearse the restart

Begin without defense, then add an appropriate challenge. Practice what happens immediately after the catch as well as the inbound pass.

Rehearse a covered first option

Identify the inbound passer, the short-corner target, and the wing outlet in the diagram. Ask receivers to show their hands and establish a visible passing window. After the catch, freeze and identify the next available teammate. Then rehearse with the first target covered so the passer knows to look for the outlet. Review the restart location and inbound count in the competition rules; the diagram does not determine those rules.

Questions a coach might ask

What does BLOB mean?

Baseline out of bounds: a possession restarting from beyond an end line.

Will this score on every inbound?

No. The example introduces a first target, a second option, and organization after the catch. It does not guarantee an open shot.

Keep learning

For official development guidance, see USA Basketball’s Youth Basketball Guidelines. For another example of movement after a pass, see the Jr. NBA Post Pass and Cut Drill. These are further-reading resources; they have not reviewed or endorsed this HoopSketch example.

How HoopSketch prepares coaching examples · Suggest a correction