The skip pass is a long pass across the floor that skips the player who would normally get the ball next. It is the pass that beats help defense. It is also one of the passes that loses games, because a pass that travels that far has a lot of time to be stolen. Knowing the difference is the coaching job.
What it is for
In a half-court defense, help comes from the weak side. When a ball handler drives, a defender leaves his man to stop the ball. That defender is now a long way from his own man, and the longer his run back, the better the shot he gives up.
A skip pass uses that. It crosses to the open player before the helper can recover, so one pass beats two rotations. Against a zone it is simply the quickest way to move the ball, faster than five defenders can slide. The glossary has the short entry on the skip pass.
Four moments when it is the right pass
- After a drive that draws two defenders. If the drive brought a second defender into the paint, his man on the far side has no one next to him. This is the standard skip.
- Out of a trap. A trapped ball handler throws over the top to the weak side, where the defense has stopped guarding.
- From a post double team. When a second defender comes down on the post player, the skip goes to the shooter he left. It travels over the double.
- Out of a flare or hammer screen. The play is set up to get the skip. The Hammer screens for the corner while the ball is driven the other way.
Outside these moments the skip is a gamble. If nobody has helped, the weak-side defender is in position, and the pass meets a defender who is waiting.
Why skip passes get stolen
Almost every steal comes from one of four causes.
- Thrown flat. A straight, low pass through the middle of the floor is easy to deflect. Teach a higher arc, over the top of the defenders.
- Thrown late. The defender has recovered. Throw it on the catch, before the helper can get back.
- Thrown without a reason. The defense has not moved, so nothing was open. Check the four moments above first.
- Thrown to a receiver who is not ready. The receiver has to gather, turn and rise, which takes a defender time to close out. Teach the receiver to show his hands and square his feet before the ball arrives.
Technique
For the passer:
- Square up and step. A skip is a power pass. Step toward the target.
- Use two hands when you can. A two-hand overhead or chest pass is more accurate, and easier for young players. One-hand passes are for experienced ball handlers.
- Look off the defender. Look at the drive, then throw to the corner. A passer who stares at the receiver has told the weak-side defender where to go.
- Throw to the shooting pocket. The target is the receiver’s chest and shooting hand, so he can shoot on the catch.
For the receiver:
- Be ready before the drive. Stay at the spot, feet apart, hands up. When the ball is driven, you are one pass from a shot.
- Catch and shoot, or catch and swing. Decide before the ball arrives.
- Stay wide. A receiver who drifts toward the ball closes his own passing lane. Stay at the corner or the wing.
A quick checklist before you throw it
Ask four questions in the half second you have. Did a second defender leave his man to help? Is the receiver open and facing the basket, or at least ready to catch? Can I throw it over the top instead of through the middle? And if the pass is stolen, who gets back? If the answer to the first is no, swing the ball instead. A team that skips fewer, better passes beats a team that skips often, because every skip that works makes the next defender less willing to help.
Against man and against zone
Against man-to-man, the skip works when the defense has loaded the strong side. See help-side for how a defense shapes that. The best teams skip only when they see two defenders committed.
Against a zone, the skip is more frequent. A zone shifts with the ball, so a skip pass catches the far side before the shift is complete. A flare screen on the weak side gives the receiver an extra step.
Use the skip against a 2-3 zone after two passes on one side, and throw it back across before the zone has settled. Our guide on beating a 2-3 zone covers the rest of the plan.
Five drills
1. Footwork and throw, no defense. Two lines at the wings, a passer at the top. Throw, catch and shoot, and focus on the arc. Five minutes.
2. Skip against a shell. Four on four. The offense moves the ball, and when the defense helps, the passer must find the skip. A point for a skip that leads to a shot, minus a point for a deflection.
3. Drive and kick, with a skip. A guard drives, a defender helps, and the passer chooses between the nearest teammate and the skip. Coach calls out the correct pass afterwards. See the drive and kick play.
4. Skip or swing. Three on three with a rule: the pass has to be a swing unless two defenders have left their man. This builds the decision.
5. Live, with a constraint. Five on five and every possession must include at least one skip pass that leads to a shot. The offense learns that the skip is part of the plan, not a risk.
Reading it on film
A skip pass is about what the defense did one second earlier. When you watch film of your own team, pause the video at the moment the drive happens and ask: where are the helpers? Then pause again when the ball is caught. If the helper was ready, the pass was a mistake. If he was late, the pass was right.
A diagram does the same job when the play is still on paper. Step through it one phase at a time and ask your players to point at the helper.
Mistakes to coach out
- The lazy skip. A pass thrown because the player is tired of dribbling.
- The skip as the first option. Make the pass the second or third read of the drive.
- No follow-up. The receiver should have a next move before the ball arrives.
- A receiver who watches. He should be ready to shoot.
Where SlongeHoops fits
We make SlongeHoops, so judge it yourself. You can draw a drive and the weak-side rotation as phases, and show your players the skip pass arriving at the moment the helper is furthest away. Quizzes built from a play can ask a player where the skip goes. The built-in plays Hammer, Chin and Zone Flare Skip are good places to begin. The decision still has to be learned in practice.
Questions
What is a skip pass in basketball?
A pass that crosses to the other side of the floor and skips the player who would normally be next, usually thrown over the top of the defense to a teammate who is open because his defender helped.
When should you throw a skip pass?
When two or more defenders are committed to the ball, such as on a drive, a trap or a post double. The weak side is then unguarded and a single pass beats two rotations.
Why do skip passes get intercepted?
Usually because they are thrown flat, thrown late, or thrown when the defense has not moved. A skip has a long flight time, and any defender who sees it early can step into it.
How do you teach a skip pass to young players?
Start with the footwork and the throw, a two-hand overhead or chest pass with a step, and then add a defender who must commit before the pass is allowed. The decision is harder to teach than the technique.