The outlet pass is the first pass after a defensive rebound. The rebounder chins the ball, pivots to the outside, away from the players crashing the glass, and passes to a teammate waiting near the sideline, usually around the free-throw line extended. That pass starts the break.
Why coaches use it
Because the fastest way up the floor is a pass, not a dribble. A rebounder who dribbles out of traffic gives the defense time to get back. A quick outlet ahead of the defense is how a stop becomes an advantage at the other end.
How it is done
- Rebounder: chin and pivot to the outside. Ball under the chin, elbows out, turn toward the sideline on the side of the rebound, away from the pressure in the middle.
- Receiver: get wide and see the floor. Stand at the free-throw line extended with your back to the sideline, so you can see the whole court when you catch.
- Pass ahead. Once the outlet is caught, the next pass goes to the middle or up the floor before anyone dribbles.
In continuous 2-on-2, Coaching Toolbox’s Boomers variation asks for the outlet to be caught inside the three-point line, so the receiver comes back to the ball rather than drifting away.
Drills
The outlet and fill the lanes drill teaches the rebound, the pivot, the outlet and the run in one rep. The box out and pursue drill ends with an outlet to the coach, and the rebounding war turns every defensive rebound into a break the other way. The diagram shows the outlet and the 2-on-1 that follows it.