Legal Trick Play: Using All 5 Players Out-of-Bounds After a Made Basket
Goal: To teach a legal and surprising inbounds play that uses all five players stepping out of bounds after a made basket to create confusion and scoring opportunities.
Setup:
After your team gives up a made basket
Designate one player (usually the point guard or best passer) to serve as the inbounder
Have all five offensive players step out of bounds momentarily, this is legal after a made basket
Space the players evenly or cluster them strategically to confuse the defense
Step-by-Step Execution:
Made Basket: As soon as the opposing team scores, have all five of your players step behind the baseline.
Quick Positioning: One player should already have the ball ready to inbound. The other four align either shoulder to shoulder or staggered in a cluster.
Disguised Inbounder: Any one of the five players can inbound. This confusion delays the defense’s matchup.
Burst of Movement: On the slap of the ball, the four non-inbounders sprint into their press break or spacing spots.
Quick Inbound: The chosen inbounder passes quickly to a guard or cutter to beat the press.
Coaching Tips:
Know the Rule: All five players may legally step out of bounds after a made basket.
Use Sparingly: This trick play loses effectiveness if overused. Pull it out after a timeout or when you sense the opponent isn’t ready.
Teach Poise: Make sure players don't rush or step on the baseline illegally before the ball is inbounds.
Build Communication: Practice this with a clear signal so everyone knows when it’s being run.
Add Variations: You can have players fake as if they’ll all cut one way and then reverse, or stagger their release timing.
Youth/HS Adjustment: This play is especially effective against man-to-man full-court pressure or poorly communicating press defenses at the youth level.
Full Breakdown
While most inbound plays after a made basket follow traditional press break structures, there’s a lesser-known legal tactic that can catch even disciplined defenses off guard: placing all five offensive players out-of-bounds.
This strategy works because, by rule, after a made basket, any and all five offensive players may legally step out-of-bounds behind the baseline. That means you’re not restricted to the traditional single inbounder setup. Instead, you can create a moment of confusion that buys time, generates miscommunication, and leads to an easy inbound or scoring opportunity.
Why It Works
The key to this tactic is ambiguity. The defense is trained to match up and identify the inbounder immediately. By having all five players out, you force the defense to hesitate, who is the inbounder? Who do we guard? In that one to two-second pause, your players sprint into position and create passing angles with less pressure.
This concept has been used in high-level college basketball, including by teams like Kansas, and it’s completely legal as long as the players follow these rules:
No player can be standing out-of-bounds when the ball is touched inbounds unless designated as the inbounder.
The inbound must happen from the original baseline spot.
The ball must be released within 5 seconds.
Execution Tips
Choose a primary inbounder who has strong passing skills and decision-making.
Design your alignment to maximize deception, stacked, spread out, or in a “box” setup.
On the slap or verbal cue, have all four non-inbounders cut hard in different directions to overload one side or create spacing.
Teach your inbounder to read the coverage quickly and pick the best option.
Variations
Cluster Alignment: Have all five players step out and huddle, then break quickly in opposite directions.
Dummy Cutter: One player pretends to inbound, pulling the defender, while the real inbounder sneaks a quick pass in.
Screen-and-Release: On the break, use a screen to free your ball handler for a safer entry pass.
Common Mistakes and Fixes
Too Much Time: Players delay the inbound or get confused who is passing, designate this clearly.
Illegal Movement: Stepping out-of-bounds at the wrong time. Drill the timing so players only move out after a made basket.
Overuse: Use this once or twice a game to keep it fresh. Opponents adjust quickly if it becomes predictable.
Youth and High School Focus
At the youth level, players often struggle with defensive communication, especially on the inbound. That makes this play a great tool to break a press or confuse man-to-man pressure. Emphasize simplicity and space:
Youth players don’t need multiple reads, just give them one clear direction after the break.
Teach them to sprint into space and catch on the move.
Use this as a “momentum spark” out of a timeout or after the opponent goes on a run.
This play works best when executed confidently. Drill it like any other inbound play, emphasize timing, decisiveness, and communication.
