Hoop Clinics Flex 1 PDF

Josh Stinson Coaching Better Basketball The Flex Offense
www.perfectpractice.net 1
Coach’s Guide: Flex Offense

Table of Contents
Overview ....................................................................................................................................................... 4
Advantages................................................................................................................................................ 4
Continuity ............................................................................................................................................. 4
Flexibility .............................................................................................................................................. 4
Easy To Teach....................................................................................................................................... 5
Challenges ................................................................................................................................................. 5
Predictability ......................................................................................................................................... 5
Vulnerable to Switching Defenses ........................................................................................................ 5
Answers .................................................................................................................................................... 6
Basic Flex ....................................................................................................................................................... 6
Recap....................................................................................................................................................... 13
Breakdown Drills ......................................................................................................................................... 14
Curl Drill .................................................................................................................................................. 14
V Cut, L-Cut ............................................................................................................................................. 16
Elbow Jumpers ........................................................................................................................................ 18
Perimeter Screens ................................................................................................................................... 19
2 Ball Shooting Breakdowns ................................................................................................................... 22
Quickpass ................................................................................................................................................ 23
Quick Possessions ................................................................................................................................... 23
Passing Possessions................................................................................................................................. 24
Quickbreak .............................................................................................................................................. 25
Special Plays ................................................................................................................................................ 26

Deep ........................................................................................................................................................ 26
Stack ........................................................................................................................................................ 26
UCLA ........................................................................................................................................................ 28
Push......................................................................................................................................................... 29
Down ....................................................................................................................................................... 30
Bulldog .................................................................................................................................................... 31
Pin ........................................................................................................................................................... 32
Reverse.................................................................................................................................................... 32
Quaker..................................................................................................................................................... 33
Transition ................................................................................................................................................ 34
Princeton ................................................................................................................................................. 36
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 36
Overview
Every so often I will hear coach or fan mention the flex offense as if it is a thing of the past;
these folks subscribe to a misconception that seems to crop up from time to time; the flex is too
archaic for today‟s game. My response: nothing could be further from the truth! The flex is alive
and well. In fact, the flex offense is run at every level of the game in some form or another, from
grade school all the way up to the pros. A well-run flex can create great shot opportunities in
the basket area, from the free-throw line area, and several other spots on the floor. As long as
this holds true, the flex will be a part of the game. This guide attempts to present much more
than the basic flex. By focusing on often-missed points of emphasis, including a focused set of
drills, as well as several special plays, this guide will give coaches all of the necessary tools to
fully implement the flex at any level, whether it is used as a seldom-run play, or as the basis of
an entire offensive system. To begin, I‟ll briefly overview a few of the main advantages and
some of the challenges of running the flex
Advantages
Continuity
The first major advantage is that the flex is a continuity offense. I think it's very important,
particularly for younger players who are learning the game, to have some sort of continuity
offense as the basic offense. Continuities don't have an endpoint like set plays do. As a result,
continuities encourage ball movement and player movement in the form of cutting and screening.
The idea is to run the offense with purpose but also with patience, until a good shot opportunity
presents itself. Compare this to the team that only runs set plays. On teams that run set plays
exclusively, when the team hasn't scored at the “end” of the play, you see a lot of players (at
every level but especially at the younger levels) try to break the defense down with one on one
play. Sometimes I think this type of play happens for no other reason than the fact that there
wasn‟t anything else planned if the set play broke down. This is not to say that one-on-one play
is all bad; in fact, it‟s a necessary component of a successful team. The problem is that, far too
often, teams resort to one-one-one play far too early and often. Continuities like the flex
encourage ball movement, cutting, passing and patience. One-on-one play should occur out of
this framework, and at appropriate times, such as “time and score” situations, or as a counter to
great defensive pressure.
Flexibility
The second advantage of the flex is in its flexibility. The flex allows players to utilize their
strengths all over the floor. If a team has a post player with good perimeter skills, the flex allows
that player to utilize those skills without completely taking that player away from the basket area,
where his skills are probably needed. The opposite is also true; if you have a guard with good
skills around the basket and flex will give him or her opportunities to utilize those skills.
Another piece of the flexibility advantage is that the flex teaches players the game from every
position, rather than just a specific position. Often, a coach will find that this results in teams
with players who possess a better than average understanding of how to play the game rather
than just how to play a position. The flex encourages the development of basketball players,
regardless of position. This is a tremendous advantage for players looking to play at the next
level of the game (whether that be middle school, high school, or college) but who may have to
change their primary position in order to make the transition. This happens all of the time for
post players making the transition from middle school to high school. As their peers catch up to
them in height, these players are often forced to play guard in high school. The coach who has
prepared this player by developing his or her perimeter skills has done that player a tremendous
service. Sometimes it can mean the difference between making the team and getting cut.
Easy To Teach
One last big advantage is that the flex is relatively easy to teach. Like any effective offense, it is
not easy to execute; that takes time and focused, fundamental practice. Still, the basic
movements of the flex can be taught in 10 to 15 minutes, as there are only two primary
passing/cutting sequences (the guard to guard pass/flex cut and guard to wing pass/screen away
to the baseline). With just those two pieces in place, any team can run a basic flex. For some
teams this can be a real advantage because they have can move past basic understanding of
“where to go” on offense and shift the focus onto aggressive, competitive play.
Challenges
Predictability
Probably the biggest challenge and criticism that some coaches have of the flex is that it can be
very predictable. Players don't have freedom of choice like they do in a motion offense; players
run the same basic cuts on each type of pass. Compared to motion offenses, there aren‟t many
situations where players are expected to make reads; when a pass goes to one place we run a
specific cut or set of cuts each time. The trade-off, though, is that it's easier for player to make
those cuts aggressively and with purpose; rather than think at every screen, players can focus on
aggressively making the play. Still, the predictability of the flex can become a problem,
especially against teams that run different counters out of their basic man to man defenses.
Vulnerable to Switching Defenses

Probably the biggest defensive that gives the flex difficulty, especially for younger teams, is
switching defenses. If team depends exclusively on getting baskets off of the flex cut and/or the
downscreen, they will often find the offense grinds to a halt when a defensive team switches
those screens. This is one reason why it is important to have a balanced scoring attack from
within the offense rather than relying on one or two places to get all of your shots.
Answers
The common, and in my experience very effective, answer to the problems of predictability and
of dealing with switching is to include a package of set plays into any system that features the
flex. You want to have just a simple but effective package of plays as you can run as counters
when facing different defensive challenges. Adding specials also reduces monotonous for
players. Several counters are presented in this book. I do not think it is necessary to run all of
them in a season. Which, if any, you choose to run with your team should depend on your
team‟s strengths and weaknesses as well as defensive tendencies ion your league. If none of the
teams in your league‟s switch, don‟t put too much energy into running bunch of plays geared to
counter switching defenses. If switching is common in your league, you‟ll want to spend more
time preparing for it. Whatever you choose to run, consider what is most appropriate for your
specific situation.
Basic Flex
Offensive floor positions and Terminology
There are 3 primary positions in the flex - Guard,

Wing, and Post. These terms refer to areas of the
court, not to individual players‟ positions within the
team.
Since players interchange positions in the flex offense,
it is most effectively run with versatile players who
possess at least an understanding of „how to play the
game‟ - fundamental principles of play regardless of
position.
Post players must understand and develop perimeter
skills. Since every player in the flex is required to
handle the ball on the perimeter, every player must
develop the ability to catch, pass, make decisions and
move actively on the perimeter in order for the Offense
to function at all. Perimeter players will often find
themselves in the basket area and can benefit greatly
from an understanding of matchups, positioning and
rebounding angles.
The Flex Offense begins in a 1-4 low set. Though the

Flex is one of the most team-oriented offenses in
basketball, starting the action in a 1-4 low set may require
the point guard to be able to handle pressure defenses
reasonably well. It is important in all offenses for the point
guard to pick a side when initiating the offense. If the
offense were initiated from the middle, the point guard
would most likely have a difficult passing angle to the
wings.
The post players are cued by the side that 1 chooses. The
weak-side post player pops to a guard spot when 1
leaves the middle
If 4 is overplayed on the pop-out, he has plenty of space

to run a backdoor cut to the basket for a layup. 3 fills the
guard spot. 4 clears to the weak side corner if he does
not receive the backdoor pass.
Another option if 4 is overplayed is to screen away for 3.

As we will see in a moment, this follows our basic rule to
„re-screen‟ -accept the pressure and screen away to the
baseline - against denial defense.
Since 3 and 4 are the only two offensive players on this

side of the floor, there is ample space for 3 to read his
defender on 4‟s screen. In this example, 3‟s defender trails
around the screen, so 3 curls the screen, while 4 rolls back
to the ball.
Now we enter the meat of the offense. The first rule of

the Flex Offense is: On any Guard to Guard pass, the
weak side wing player (2) runs a flex cut off of the post
(5). 2 must influence his man by taking 2 steps towards the
baseline before executing a hard change of speed, change
of direction cut to come off of 5‟s screen.
It is important for the post player (5) to take one step up

and one step off the block to set the screen on the flex
cut. In most standard (non-switching) man to man
defenses, 2‟s defender will attempt to bump 2 and fight
over the top of the screen as shown. By stepping up and
off the block to set the screen, 5 gives 2 room to back-cut
the screen if X2 aggressively tries to ride 2 over the
screen.
1 starts towards the baseline after passing to 4. 1 down

screens for 5 immediately after 5 sets the screen for 2.
This is called screen the screener action because 1 screens
for 5 immediately after 5‟s screen for 2. This screen the
screener sequence is the defining sequence of any flex
offense.
1 pops to the corner after screening for 5 in order to
balance the floor.
Screening the screener can be very effective. If 5 and 2

execute properly on their screen, X5 might be forced to
help cover 2 momentarily in order to prevent a layup, as
shown. Sometimes this is all the space 5 needs to get an
open look coming off of the down screen.
The Second rule of the Flex Offense: On any Guard to

Wing Pass, the passer screens away to baseline, as
shown. Once a team has Rules 1 and 2 down, they are
running the basic action of the flex offense
.Again the rules are: 1. On any Guard to Guard Pass, the
weak side Wing runs a flex cut, followed by a down screen
from the Guard who passed the ball. 2, On any Guard to
Wing Pass, the passer screens away to the baseline.
This rule is a basic principle of almost all continuity

offenses such as flex, motion, and the like. We DO NOT
pass the ball to stationary players on the perimeter.
So...what it really boils down to is: if you’re not moving,
you’re making a mistake. If a player finds himself
standing on the perimeter, he screens away to the baseline.
This illustrates the same principle from a different position

on the floor. One of the most common and frustrating
fundamental errors players make on offense is to go to a
spot and call or wave for the ball. Sometimes, this player is
frustrated himself, because he didn‟t receive the pass when
he was open. Even if a teammate did miss an open pass, it
is critical for the waving player to realize that this reaction
causes a much bigger immediate problem for the team In
any motion-type of offense like the flex, and particularly
against pressure defenses, any player that finds himself
standing and calling for the ball probably hasn’t been
open for long time. Even if he feels like he‟s open, he runs
a huge risk of a turnover.
Any active defender near the passing lane has a great shot at a steal
against a standing offense; the difference in inertia between the
two players gives the defender a huge advantage. If a player is
standing on the perimeter, he should ‟set the table‟ by screening
away for a teammate to fill the open spot. This simple motion
principle is critical because it „keeps the wheels greased‟ on
offense. Teams that struggle with this find things grinding to a halt
far too often in games.
Good flex teams pass into the post early and often. Since
players interchange floor positions in the flex, everybody
on the team will spend some time in the post. We‟ll look to
feed any post player with a favorable matchup. The flex
can be great at providing post-up opportunities to big
guards with a defensive mismatch. Players should learn to
recognize mismatches and capitalize on them from within
the offense.
Guards should yell „Mouse” if they establish post position

on a smaller guard. On a pass to the post, the wing player
reads his man‟s reaction to the pass, and cuts out of his
man‟s field of vision. In this diagram, 3 cuts along the
baseline and clear to the weak side if he doesn‟t receive the
pass. This clears the side for 2 to make a scoring move
from the post.
If 2 is not a „back to the basket‟ type of player, he can jump

to the ball on the pass from 3 and catch the ball off the
block. When 3 clears, 2 will often find him 7 feet from the
basket with a 1 on 1 opportunity and half of the floor to
work with.
Here, 3 screens away for 5 after the post pass. 5 should

look for the shot off of 3‟s screen, and 3 can step back to
the ball after the screen.
The direction 3 cuts after feeding the post is based on

reading and reacting to the defense.95% of perimeter
defenders will turn and „dig‟ towards the post after a post-
feed; for most players this is a natural response, like
responding “What?” when they hear their name spoken out
lout.
3 watches his man react to the pass and cuts outside the
defender‟s field of vision.3 cuts to a spot directly in front
of the defender on the pass to the post in this depiction on
the right (The player‟s are Zeros). The defender can easily
recover and close out on a pass back out.
On the opposite side of the floor (the players are Triangles)
3 cuts away from the defender’s field of vision. This time
the defender‟s job is much more difficult since he must
locate his man before he can close out.
3‟s defender makes an inside turn to dig into the post so 3

responds with a baseline cut.
3‟s defender makes an outside turn to dig into the post so 3

responds with a cut to the middle.
Recap
There are 3 primary positions in the flex - Guard, Wing, and Post. These terms refer to
areas of the court, not to individual players‟ positions within the team.
The first rule of the Flex Offense is: On any Guard to Guard pass, the weak side wing
player (2) runs a flex cut off of the post (5). 2 must influence his man by taking 2 steps
towards the baseline before executing a hard change of speed, change of direction cut to
come off of 5‟s screen.
The Second rule of the Flex Offense: On any Guard to Wing Pass, the passer screens
away to baseline, as shown. Once a team has Rules 1 and 2 down, they are running the
basic action of the flex offense
We DO NOT pass the ball to stationary players on the perimeter. If you‟re not
moving, you‟re making a mistake. If a player finds himself standing on the perimeter, he
screens away to the baseline.
On a pass to the post, the passer cuts away from his defender’s field of vision. If the
defense turns to the baseline, we screen away to the middle. On a turn to the middle, we
cut on the baseline.
Breakdown Drills
Curl Drill
Purpose: To drill a variety of shots while simulating

coming off of screens.
Organization: Players line up out of bounds,

on either side of the key, under the hoop. The
first player in one line and the second player the other
line have a ball.
Procedure:
1. Player 1 (without a ball) cuts across the key in a
curling motion. He catches the pass from 2 and
shoots. He then rebounds his shot then passes to
the next player in line 2. He goes to the end of that
line.
2. When 2 passes, he immediately curls across the
lane (behind 1) and receives the pass from 3.
3. This movement continues.
4. The team shoots from the following spots, shifting
on the coach‟s command:
1. Layup
2. Mid-post
3. High post
4. Top of the key.
Coaching Points:
1. Show your hands to receive a pass. Give the passer
a target.
2. On lay-ups, catch the pass high (around the
shoulders) and keep it high. Bringing the ball down
near the waist area slows the shot down, which in a
game might give the defense time to recover and
block alter the shot. This also exposes the ball and
puts it in an area where a guard‟s quick hands
might get a steal.
3. On lay-ups, mid-post jumpers, and high post
jumpers the player curling across the lane should
come as close to the shooter as possible, nearly
shoulders. This simulates coming off of a screen,
where the cutter and screened should bump
shoulders so that the defense cannot fight through
screen.
4. When catching the ball, try to catch the ball while
making a jump stop. The ball should hit the

shooter‟s hands as his feet hit the floor. If the
shooter this he should catch and pivot quickly on
his inside foot into a balanced shooting position.
5. When rebounding, keep your hands above your
shoulders, with your bent in a ready position.
6. Generally speaking, a long shot will yield a long
rebound if it is missed, shots from the side will
usually land on the weak side if missed.
V Cut, L-Cut
Purpose: To teach getting open against denial

defense using V-cuts and L-cuts.
Organization: Players line up at either wing. The

coach stands at the head of the key with a ball.
Procedure:
1. Player 1 performs a V-cut, getting open on the
wing. The coach passes to1‟s outside hand as 1
moves to the perimeter. When 1 catches the ball,
he faces the basket in the triple threat position and
performs a jab step.
2. As 1 catches the ball, 2 begins a v-cut on the
other side of the floor. 1 passes the ball back to
the coach and goes to the end of the opposite line.
3. When the coach catches the pass, he reverses the
ball to 2 as 2 comes out of his V-cut. 2 faces up in
triple threat position and executes a jab step
before passing to the coach.
4. After players have mastered V-cuts, the coach
can add L-cuts. To perform an L-Cut the player
starts from the low post, walks up to the elbow
and pops out to the wing. Players continue to face
the basket in triple threat position before passing
to the coach.
5. The coach can allow the players to make dribble
moves after facing the basket. Players can explode
to the basket for a layup (in 2 dribbles or less) or
take one dribble in either direction for a pull-up
jump shot. Players rebound their own
Coaching Points:
1. When making V-cuts or L-cuts, players should
walk into the cut, then explode out with a change
of speed, change of direction cut.
2. The coach should only pass to players who are
moving. If the coach turns to pass to a player who
has already made his cut but is standing on the
perimeter, the player should execute the cut again.
We do not pass to stationary players on the
perimeter. Players who work to time their cuts so
that they catch the pass while on the move are
developing offensive timing.
Elbow Jumpers
Purpose: This can be done as a competition, with one

team per hoop, counting their made shots.
Organization: Players line up facing one hoop with a

line at each elbow. There is a ball in front of each
line.
Procedure:
1. Player 1 shoots. Player 2 shoots once 1‟s shot get
near the rim.
2. Each player rebounds his shot and passes to the
opposite line.
3. Each player then goes to the end of the line he
passed to.
Coaching Points:
1. When catching the ball, the ball hits your hands as
your feet hit the floor (in a jump stop).
2. Give a target. Look to catch the ball in the
shooting pocket” so that when the ball is caught in
can be shot quickly, with no wasted motion.
3. Go straight up and down when shooting. A
shooter‟s feet should land in the same spot they
jumped from.
Variation: The shooting spots can be changed from

the elbows to the wings, corner, short corner, or any
spots that fit the team‟s needs.
Perimeter Screens
Purpose: To drill the fundamentals of off-ball screens

in a pass and screen away setting. I run this often
early in the season because it helps break down the
fundamentals of screening for both the screener and
the man receiving the screen, which is a necessary
fundamental of ALL man to man offense. I also run
this periodically during the season if screening
becomes sloppy and again at playoff time to re-
emphasize the fact that these basics are the real key to
success.
Organization: Players form 3 lines. Line 1 is on the

right wing, line 2 is at the top of the key and line 3 is
on the left wing. Line 1 has a ball.
Procedure:
1. Player 1 passes to 2, makes a v-cut and receives a Pass and Screen Away
return pass from 2 on the wing.
2. After 2 passes back to 1 he goes away and sets a
screen for 3.
3. 3 comes off of 2‟s screen and receives a pass
from 1 for a jump shot at the free throw line area.
4. All 3 players rebound the shot, and put it back in
on a missed shot
Variations: In teaching the flex, I work specifically

on the following screening situations:
1. 2 can basket-cut, taking a step towards the screen,

then changing speed and direction and making a
cut to the basket. 2 clears to the weak side. 3 fills
2‟s spot with and L-Cut. Players will want to fill
this spot with a direct cut, but this leaves them
very vulnerable to a turnover when the defender
steps into the passing lane. We don‟t run many
basket cuts in the flex, but it is used in Reverse, Basket Cut
one of the special plays, so it is included in this
drill as well.
2. 3 can curl 2‟s screen for a layup. This would
occur if 3‟s defender tried to follow 3 around the
screen. The screener would roll back to the ball.
3. 3 can fade the screen when his defender goes on
the ball side of the screen.
4. 2 slips the screen against switching defenses. At
the point of contact on the screen, the screener

cuts to the ball.
Coaching Points:
1. 1 must face up and jab step after receiving the
return pass from 2.
2. 3 influences before coming off the screen. He
should take 2 steps away from the screen (towards
the baseline) to set up his man, then cut hard back
and come off the screen, changing speed and
direction.
3. 2 must be stationary when setting the screen, with
his arms at his side and his hands covering his
privates.
4. 3 must rub shoulders with 2 when coming off the
screen. This leaves no space for 3‟s man to get
through the screen.
5. When coming off the screen 3 must show his
hands, giving the passer a target. 3 should catch Fade
the ball near the chest area, where he can catch
and be in immediate position to shoot.
Curl
Slip
2 Ball Shooting Breakdowns

Purpose: To work on specific screening situations
within the flex. In each situation, both the screener
and the player coming off the screen have shot
opportunities.
Organization: Players line up in prescribed positions

in the flex. A coach and a manager stand next to
each other. The coach holds one ball. The player
initiating the screening action holds another ball.
Procedure:
1. The player holding the ball passes to the manager.
2. Players then go through the screening action
being worked on.
3. The manager passes to the player coming off of
the screen, and the coach passes to the screener.
Both players shoot.
Screen the Screener
With the flex, we work on the screen the screener
action. The shooters are the player making the flex
cut and the player coming off of the downscreen.
We also work on the flex cut, with the screener

rolling back to the ball
Flex Cut
Quickpass
Purpose: To drill each pass and cut in the Flex in a manner that emphasizes great ball
movement, player movement, and screening.
Organization: 5 Players stand in their beginning positions for the given offense.
Procedure:
1. We simply run the Flex, making a specified number of passes before the shot.
2. 15-20 passes is usually enough to reinforce the movement of the offense.
Coaching Points:
1. Passes are usually made primarily on the perimeter.
2. Ball reversal should be emphasized.
Quick Possessions
Purpose: To review the flex and the special plays that
we run out of the flex in a quick-moving setting.
Organization: Player line up, by positions, at the
spots they occupy in the offense.
Procedure:
1. The first man in each line runs the play designated
by the coach. Players should rebound and follow all
missed shots.
2. When the first team scores, players exit the court
and return to their line. The next man in each line
steps in and the second unit repeats the play.
Coaching Points:
1. The coach should designate which options to run
on every possession. Running through several options
of each play or set will give the team a good feel for
what to look for.
2. Sharp execution should be emphasized on every
possession.
Passing Possessions
Purpose: This teaches players to execute the flex without the use of the dribble. The goal of the
drill is not to score, but to complete as many passes as possible. Since the offense cannot dribble,
the players without the ball must quickly and properly set and use screens to move the ball.
Players are also required to catch the ball in the proper areas in the offense. If a player should
catch the ball on the wing, he must catch it on the wing in the scoring area instead of coming out
of the scoring area to catch the ball. This drill has proven especially valuable because it demands
precision and quickness under pressure. Ideally this carries over to games and allows players to
properly execute against great quickness and pressure.
Organization: 5 players on offense and 5 on defense. The point guard starts with the ball.
Procedure:
1. The offense completes as many passes as it can without the ball hitting the ground while the
defense overplays, looking to deflect or steal the ball.
2. Each team gets 3 possessions. The total amount of passes completed in 3 possessions is their
final score.
3. Possession is also lost if a player catches the ball out of position. If a player isn’t open he
should not come out of position to receive the ball, he should go away and set a screen (re-
screen).
4. Possession is also lost on a 5 second count.
5. Defenders cannot switch on screens.
Coaching Points:
1. Screeners should screen bodies. They should “headhunt “and set the screen on a man. Players
often fall into the habit of going to a predetermined spot and “screening air “making it
difficult for the man receiving the screen to free himself.
2. Players must influence before coming off screens. This is done by taking a step or two away
from the screen to set up the defender, then cutting back to come off the screen. Taking the
defender away from the screen often forces the defender into errors, especially if they react
strongly to the fake.
3. Players should rub shoulders on screens. The man coming off the screen rubs shoulders with
the screener, leaving no gap between himself and his teammate for the defender to get
through.
4. If a player comes off a screen but is overplayed and cannot receive a pass, he re-screens,
going away from the ball and screening for another teammate.
5. Players with the ball assume triple threat position and make a jab step to prevent the defense
from guarding too closely. Always avoid turning away from the basket to protect the ball.
6. Offense should always look to reverse the ball. This forces the defense to work much harder
than if the ball stays on one side of the floor.
7. The defense should try hard to deny all passes throughout the entire possession.
8. The defenders follow the rules of man to man defense, jumping to the ball. This makes it
much easier to fight through screens.
Quickbreak
Purpose: Same as Possessions, with the added element of offensive and defensive transitions:
Organization: 5 players on offense ready to run the flex. 5 players defend.
Procedure:
1. The two teams compete against each other one possession at a time, executing and defending
the flex.
2. The defensive team gets one fast break opportunity at the end of every offensive possession.
This includes fast breaking off of opponent missed shot and turnovers as well as fast
breaking off of made shots.
3. At the end of the possession, the offense must convert to the other end of the floor with good
transition defense. If the defensive team scores on the quick break at the end f the possession,
the basket is added onto that team‟s total score at the end of the drill.
Coaching Points:
1. This drill is one where the fine points of offensive execution should be
emphasized. Examples include: rubbing shoulders on screens, change of speed,
change of direction cuts, passing to the post. Only pass to moving targets on the
perimeter, etc, etc.
2. Playing one possession at a time allows the coach more stop-and-go in the action
than at other times; use this time to teach. Conversely, if a team is struggling to
find a playing rhythm because of too much stop-and-go in practice, it might be
use a different scrimmage drill that can help players find this rhythm.
Special Plays
Deep
Deep is run to give 5 a quick post-up opportunity. 1

dribbles to the wing. 2 cuts to the basket, coming off
of a screen from 5 and looping up to the high post
area. Often, 5‟s defender will become occupied
defending 2 as 2 pops to the high post. This leaves 5
open for a post feed and score
Stack
Stack is an entry set designed to get the ball inside to the

post. We start with a stack on either post; 2 and 3 are on
the baseline side of either stack. To run this from the
regular 1-4 set, we just have 2 and 3 step in to the blocks.
1 keys the action by dribbling towards a wing.

The baseline player on the ballside (the side 1
dribbles towards, # 3 here) screens away for the
other wing (2).
The weakside wing (2 here) comes off of screens
from both players in the ballside stack (3 and 4) to
the ballside corner. This player is looking to
receive the pass from the point guard.
The wing that screened away (3)
UCLA
UCLA is a play that integrates a pick and roll with a

simultaneous double screen on the weak-side.
1 passes to the wing. 5 steps up to the high post and
sets a screen for 1, who runs a UCLA cut off of 5.
After 5 screens for 1, he steps to the perimeter and
executes a pick and roll with 2. 2 should look to take
at least 2 dribbles off of the pick and roll. This gives 2
the opportunity to penetrate or get a jumper near the
elbow. It also creates enough space for 5 to get open
on the pick and roll.
As 2 and 5 execute the pick and roll, 1 comes off of
a double screen on the weakside block from 3 and 4.
1 should be coming off of the double screen at the
same time as 2 and 5 executes the pick and roll.
While the double screen might provide a shot
opportunity for 1, it also serves to occupy the help
side defense, making it less likely that X1, X3, or X4
will help defend the pick and roll.
Push
Push is run to get a perimeter shot for the corner

player (2) who would normally come off of the flex
screen. I like to run this to get shots for a shooter who
is on a roll. Instead of coming off of the flex screen, 2
“pushes” the post player (5) across the lane and
comes off of the downscreen instead. This can also be
run to look for a post-up opportunity for 5.
Down
Down is a simple downscreen play to get a

perimeter shot for the player in the post. On a pass
to the corner (2), perimeter players screen as they
normally would in the flex (Figure 1). When 2
passes back out to the perimeter, he downscreens
for the post (5). Instead of reversing the ball, the
perimeter player comes back to 5 for a shot off the
downscreen. While this play is simple, it can be
an unexpected change for a defense that has been
defending the regular flex offense for several
possessions.
Bulldog
Bulldog is run to get an open 3 point shot for the

team‟s best shooter (2). 1 dribbles towards 2,
sending 2 towards the basket. As 1 dribble to the
wing, the ball-side high post (4) pops to the top of
the key. The other wing and post (3 and 5) start
towards the weak side post.
1 passes to 4 who looks to swing the ball to 1
coming off of the baseline double screen for the
shot.
Pin
Pin is a simple play that counters switching defenses

(a common counter-attack against the flex). 1 holds
on the perimeter and does not set the downscreen as
he would in the regular flex. 5 set the flex-cut screen
for 2 on the baseline. After 5 screens, he rolls up the
lane to the ball with X2 on his back. If the offense can
execute the pass inside to 5, he should have an
advantage because he set a “big-little” screen for 2.
When 2‟s (smaller) defender switches to defend 5, he
is at a distinct post-up disadvantage
Reverse
Reverse is another counter that we run against
switching defenses. Again, we‟re looking for a
“big-little” screen in the basket area by having a
guard screen away for a post player on the
weakside low-post. Since the low post is usually
on the ball side ion the flex, and since we need the
low post to be on the weakside for this play to
work, we always start the play by reversing the
ball, hence the name.
On the reverse, the post (4) does not set the
baseline screen as he normally would, instead
holding his position and waiting for a screen. The
wing player (6 in this diagram) can come off of
the downscreen instead of the post (4) on the
guard to guard pass (not shown).
On the guard to wing pass, instead of screening
away, the guard runs a basket cut and screens for
the post player on the weakside block. Ideally,
we have a guard screening for a post player in this
situation, creating a mismatch in the post when
the defense switches.
Quaker
Quaker is a backdoor pressure release option.
4 and 5 flash to the high post from either low post.

At the same time, the wing players take two steps
towards half court to draw their men away from
the basket.
On the pass to the high post, the ball-side wing (2)
makes a hard change of speed, change-of-
direction backdoor cut to the basket. The high
post first option is this pass for an easy layup.
As the wing makes the back-cut, the other wing
and post player go to the weak side low post and
prepare to set a double screen (3 and 5).
If 2 is not open on the back-cut, he continues off
the double screen from 5 and 3.
If 2 is not open coming off of the double screen, 4
passes to 1, who has run a V-cut to the ball-side
wing. After passing out to 1, 4 dives to the low
post for a post up opportunity.
If nothing is available, the team goes back into the
flex.
Transition
“Transition” provides a way for a flex team to
convert from the fast break into the flex
offense fluidly and quickly by integrating the
flex into the secondary break attack.
As with any secondary attack, we are looking
to attack in transition if we aren‟t able to get a
shot on the primary fast break.
Like most fast break systems, we are first

looking to feed the post when the ball goes to
the wing. The wing that receives the pass in
transition can take a dribble or two to the
baseline to “flatten the defense” – bringing the
defenders to the baseline, which frees up the
reversal pass - and to buy the post player a
little extra time to establish position
If the post-up is not available, we look to

swing the ball
In “Transition” we integrate the flex into the
attack by simply having the wing (3 in this
diagram) enter directly into a flex cut as he (3)
reverses the ball. If 5 can‟t hit 3 on the flex
cut, we just continue to move the ball and
execute the flex.
Princeton
Princeton is an effective counter against teams
that apply aggressive pressure defense or
switch against the flex. The offensive
adjustment in Princeton is simple: baseline
players in the offense move up to the free
throw line extended. The guards in the offense
move back approximately 8 to 10 feet.
By moving the offense 15 feet away from the
basket, flex high provides ample space for
back cuts, curls, and for slipping screens.
Conclusion
I hope this eBook/eTraining bundle has given you some tools to help successfully implement the
flex into your offensive system. If you have any questions, please don‟t hesitate to email me at
[email protected] ; I do my best to respond to all emails.
Also, I strongly encourage you to join and participate in Perfect Practice‟s online forums.
Forums are a great way to find answers to your questions from a variety of sources. A Forum
topic on the flex can be found at http://www.perfectpractice.net/index.php/forum/offense/flex-
offense/page-1/ - added specifically for coaches who have purchased this product – if you have
any questions about the product, or want to expand on your learning; this is a great starting point!
See you online!
Coach Stinson

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Josh Stinson Coaching Better Basketball The Flex Offense

Coach’s Guide: Flex Offense

Special Plays ................................................................................................................................................ 26

Vulnerable to Switching Defenses

Offensive floor positions and Terminology

There are 3 primary positions in the flex - Guard,

The Flex Offense begins in a 1-4 low set. Though the

If 4 is overplayed on the pop-out, he has plenty of space

Another option if 4 is overplayed is to screen away for 3.

Since 3 and 4 are the only two offensive players on this

Now we enter the meat of the offense. The first rule of

It is important for the post player (5) to take one step up

1 starts towards the baseline after passing to 4. 1 down

Screening the screener can be very effective. If 5 and 2

The Second rule of the Flex Offense: On any Guard to

This rule is a basic principle of almost all continuity

This illustrates the same principle from a different position

Guards should yell „Mouse” if they establish post position

If 2 is not a „back to the basket‟ type of player, he can jump

Here, 3 screens away for 5 after the post pass. 5 should

The direction 3 cuts after feeding the post is based on

3‟s defender makes an inside turn to dig into the post so 3

3‟s defender makes an outside turn to dig into the post so 3

Purpose: To drill a variety of shots while simulating

Organization: Players line up out of bounds,

making a jump stop. The ball should hit the

Purpose: To teach getting open against denial

Organization: Players line up at either wing. The

Purpose: This can be done as a competition, with one

Organization: Players line up facing one hoop with a

Variation: The shooting spots can be changed from

Purpose: To drill the fundamentals of off-ball screens

Organization: Players form 3 lines. Line 1 is on the

Variations: In teaching the flex, I work specifically

1. 2 can basket-cut, taking a step towards the screen,

the point of contact on the screen, the screener

2 Ball Shooting Breakdowns

Organization: Players line up in prescribed positions

We also work on the flex cut, with the screener

Organization: 5 players on offense ready to run the flex. 5 players defend.

Deep is run to give 5 a quick post-up opportunity. 1

Stack is an entry set designed to get the ball inside to the

1 keys the action by dribbling towards a wing.

UCLA is a play that integrates a pick and roll with a

Push is run to get a perimeter shot for the corner

Down is a simple downscreen play to get a

Bulldog is run to get an open 3 point shot for the

Pin is a simple play that counters switching defenses

Quaker is a backdoor pressure release option.

4 and 5 flash to the high post from either low post.

Like most fast break systems, we are first

If the post-up is not available, we look to

See you online!

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