Ram Screens: How to Disguise Ball Screens
Setup:
Start in your standard ball screen alignment (guard on the wing, big moving up to screen).
Place an off-ball player near the elbow or wing ready to screen for the screener (your big).
Execution:
Before the big arrives to set the ball screen, the off-ball player sets a quick screen on the big’s defender (this is the ram screen).
The big continues into the ball screen, now with their defender trailing or off-balance.
The ball handler uses the ball screen to attack, with more space and a delayed help defense.
Players space the floor on the weak side to keep defenders occupied.
Coaching Points:
Timing is key—the ram screen must happen immediately before the ball screen.
Set real contact—screeners should clip the defender, not just run by.
Ball handler reads—attack late switches or defenders fighting through two screens.
Maintain floor spacing—keep the weak side spread to stretch help defenders.
When defenses know your ball screen is coming, they load up early. They hedge, switch, or show help before the screen even arrives. The ram screen keeps them honest by disrupting that timing.
It’s a simple addition that forces defenders to fight through two actions in quick succession. If they mistime even one of them, your ball handler finds open space.
This action isn’t just for elite players. It works at every level, especially in youth and high school basketball where defenders often struggle to communicate or make quick reads under pressure.
Why Ram Screens Work and How to Maximize Them at Any Level
Most offenses lean heavily on the ball screen. It’s one of the most common ways to get a ball handler moving downhill, forcing the defense to rotate, and creating open looks. But the more you run something, the more defenses learn to prepare for it.
At every level—youth, high school, college, and pros—defenders load up early when they recognize a ball screen is coming. They switch early, they hedge higher, and they send help defenders into position before the screener even arrives. This often shuts down the ball handler before the advantage is created.
That’s where the ram screen comes in. This simple adjustment creates a second layer that disrupts defensive timing and forces tougher decisions. Instead of seeing the ball screen develop early and getting set, the defense has to fight through an unexpected action first—the ram screen.
How the Ram Screen Works in Game Situations
Picture a basic wing ball screen. Your point guard has the ball on the wing. Your big is walking up to set the ball screen.
The defense knows exactly what’s coming.
But before your big even reaches the ball handler, your shooting guard slides into position and sets a quick screen on the big’s defender. Now, when the big arrives to set the ball screen, their defender is trailing or off-balance, not set and ready to hedge.
This puts the ball handler in a great position:
More space to attack the middle or sideline
A defender late to show or switch
Help defenders pulled out of position
This all happens in just one extra second of action, but that second makes all the difference. It turns a predictable ball screen into an advantage your offense can attack.
Why It’s Perfect for Youth and High School Teams
Ram screens don’t require complex plays or advanced skill sets. They reward:
Effort (setting the screen with purpose)
Timing (executing the sequence without rushing)
Awareness (reading what the defense gives up)
Most youth and high school teams struggle with communication on defense. A ram screen forces two defenders to communicate twice in quick succession. One breakdown, and your ball handler has the edge.
Even if your players aren’t the fastest or most skilled, this action helps them create advantages without needing isolation plays or perfect ball handling.
Key Benefits of Adding Ram Screens
1. Creates Separation Without Isolation
Your ball handler doesn’t have to break down a defender one-on-one. The action itself creates the space. This is especially helpful for teams without elite playmakers.
2. Teaches Timing and Spacing
Players learn how small details—like when they set a screen or how close they get to their teammate—impact the whole offense.
3. Disrupts Defensive Coverage
Defenders have to choose:
Fight over both screens
Switch and risk mismatches
Show help and recover late
Every choice creates a readable advantage for your team.
4. Fits Into Any Offensive System
You don’t have to rewrite your playbook. You can add a ram screen to:
Set plays
Motion offense
Transition sets
Late clock situations
It’s a plug-and-play tool that makes your offense harder to guard.
Advanced Ram Screen Variations
Once your players understand the basic ram screen, here are four ways to level up and keep defenses guessing.
1. Ram Stagger
After the first ram screen, add a second screen immediately after. This forces the defense to navigate two quick screens before the ball screen even arrives.
2. Ram to Slip
After setting the ram, have the screener slip to the basket instead of setting the ball screen. If the defense overplays or switches, this creates an easy layup or dump-off pass.
3. Ram Into Motion
Run the ram screen out of your regular motion offense, without stopping to set it up. This keeps the defense off-balance because the action happens in flow, not from a static setup.
4. Decoy Ram Action
Use the ram screen as a fake setup. Instead of setting the ball screen, the ball handler rejects the screen and attacks the opposite direction. Or, you can send a backdoor cutter off the action.
Coaching Tips to Maximize Ram Screens
1. Teach Timing First
The ram screen must happen right before the ball screen. Not too early. Not too late. Run walk-throughs to help players feel the rhythm of the action.
2. Demand Real Contact
Players often go through the motions without making real contact. Teach your screeners to set legal, firm screens that clip the defender without fouling.
3. Train Ball Handlers to Read
Help your ball handlers recognize:
When the defender switches late
When the defender fights over poorly
When help defense arrives too early
Encourage them to attack the moment of hesitation.
4. Space the Floor
The rest of your team needs to stay wide and active. If the weak side is crowded, there’s no room for the ball handler to attack. Use your shooters to stretch the defense and keep lanes open.
5. Rep It Until It’s Natural
Start slow with walk-throughs. Progress to 3-on-3 controlled reps. Finish with live 5-on-5 in practice. The more your players rep the timing, the more natural it becomes.
Mistakes to Watch For
Ram Screen Happens Too Early or Too Late
Teach players to wait for the right moment.Weak or Missed Screens
Demand contact on every screen.Ball Handler Goes Too Fast
Help them read the defense before forcing the next move.Players Stop Moving After the Screen
Coach them to stay active—cut, roll, or pop after the action.Poor Spacing on the Weak Side
Remind players to keep the floor balanced.
How Ram Screens Help Your Team Win More Games
Adding a ram screen isn’t about adding complexity. It’s about making what you already do more effective. Every possession gets harder to guard. Every ball screen creates more space. Every player learns to move with purpose.
Over the course of a game, these small advantages stack up to real points. A few extra clean looks. A few fewer turnovers. A few more drives to the rim.
In close games, that’s often the difference between winning and losing.
So don’t just run your ball screens like everyone else. Level them up with a ram screen, teach your players how to time it perfectly, and give your team a smart, simple advantage that works at every level of basketball.
