Pick and roll diagram
Pick and roll step by step
- 1
O1 has the ball at the top of the key. O5 comes up from the elbow to set a ball screen on X1's right side.
- 2
O5 is set and still. O1 dribbles off the screen shoulder to shoulder, and X1 gets caught on O5 while X5 steps out to stop the ball.
- 3
With X5 on the ball, O5 opens toward O1 and rolls to the rim.
- 4
O1 bounce passes to O5 on the roll. X5 is behind the play and X1 is still recovering.
- 5
O5 catches in stride for a layup. If O3's defender helps from the corner, O5 can kick it out to O3.
When to use the pick and roll
Use a ball screen when a defender is guarding your ball handler well one on one, when you need a basket late in a possession, or when you want to get your best player moving downhill. It works against man-to-man defense, and a ball screen at the top can also pull two zone defenders to the ball.
It fits youth teams once players can dribble with their weak hand and make a bounce pass on the move, usually around 10U. Younger players can learn the screening footwork earlier.
Pick and roll roles
Ball handler (O1)
Set up your defender by taking a step away from the screen first. Wait until the screener is set, then come off shoulder to shoulder so your defender can't slip between you. Keep your eyes on the rim and the roller.
Screener (O5)
Sprint to the screen, jump stop, and set a wide, still base with your arms in. Your back should face the spot where the ball handler wants to go. After contact, pivot open toward the ball and roll to the rim with your hands up.
Spacers (O2, O3, O4)
Stay spread on the wing and in the corners. If your defender helps on the roll, you are the open shot. If nobody helps, stay put so the lane stays open.
How to read the ball screen defense
If the screener's defender steps up to stop the ball, like X5 in the diagram, the roller is open. Hit him with a bounce pass.
If the defenders switch, the ball handler usually has a bigger, slower player on them. Attack that player off the dribble, or throw it inside to the screener, who now has a smaller defender.
If the screener's defender sags back near the lane, the ball handler has room to pull up for a short jump shot. If the ball handler's defender goes under the screen, shoot the open shot or re-screen higher.
Pick and roll drill: 2-on-2 ball screen
- Start with no defense. A guard at the top and a screener at the elbow run the screen and roll, finishing with a bounce pass and layup. Go five times from each side.
- Add two defenders who play at half speed. The screener's defender steps up to stop the ball every time so the ball handler practices the pass to the roller.
- Let the defense choose to step up, switch, or sag. The offense reads it and scores.
- Play live 2-on-2 to one basket. Switch offense and defense after each score or stop.
Coaching point Watch the screener's feet. If they are still moving when contact happens, it's a foul. Teach the jump stop into a wide base, then count one second before the ball handler goes.
If screening footwork is new to your players, start with the guide to setting and using screens before adding a live defender to the pick and roll.
Common pick and roll mistakes
- The screener moving into the defender as the ball handler goes, which is an illegal screen.
- The ball handler leaving too early, before the screen is set.
- Coming off the screen wide, which lets the defender slip through the gap.
- The screener turning his back to the ball on the roll and missing the pass.
- Spacers drifting toward the ball and bringing their defenders into the lane.
Pick and roll vs. motion offense
The pick and roll puts the ball in one player's hands and asks two players to create a shot. A motion offense spreads the work across all five players with passing, cutting, and off-ball screens. Many youth teams run motion as the base and use a ball screen when the shot clock or game clock is short.
Pick and roll FAQ
What is a pick and roll in basketball?
A two-player play where a teammate sets a screen on the ball handler's defender, the ball handler dribbles off the screen, and the screener rolls to the basket for a pass.
How do you set a legal screen in basketball?
Get to the spot early, stop with both feet on the floor, keep your arms in close to your body, and stay still until contact. Leaning or moving into the defender is a foul.
What's the difference between a pick and a screen?
They mean the same thing. "Pick" and "screen" both describe a player standing in a defender's path to free a teammate.
What age should kids learn the pick and roll?
Most kids can learn screening footwork by 8 or 9. Running the full pick and roll usually works around 10U, once players can dribble and pass with either hand.