Youth out-of-bounds plays for U10 to U14

A youth out-of-bounds play is a short set, run from the baseline (BLOB) or the sideline (SLOB), that gets the ball in safely and ideally ends in a good shot. At U10 to U14, the first job is the safe inbounds pass. The shot comes second.

These plays matter more than their size suggests. An out-of-bounds play is the one possession where your team starts organized, with everyone standing in the right place.

Two plays, not ten

Pick one baseline play and one sideline play. Run them all season, at both ends.

A twelve-year-old can own two plays. Ten plays means each one gets half a practice, and nobody knows any of them in January.

For the longer picture, see BLOB and SLOB basics, and the U12 and U14 plays guide for the rest of the offense.

Four rules before any set

These apply to every play on this page.

1. Always have a safe pass. One player stays close to the inbounder as an outlet.
2. Count out loud. The inbounder counts the five seconds out loud so all four teammates hear it. At the end of the count, throw to the safe option.
3. Cut hard, then stop. Receivers who drift end up behind the ball with no angle.
4. Never throw across the lane. A pass over the middle to a player who is covered is the easiest steal in youth basketball.

BLOB: the line set (U10 and up)

Four players across the floor, facing the inbounder. It is the easiest to line up because nobody stands behind anybody.

Two players clear away from the ball. The inside man screens for the ball-side man, who curls over the top into the lane. The pass goes to the front of the rim, and the screener pops out as the second look.

Why it works at this age: one screen, one cut, one pass. The safe option is built in.

Common mistake: the cutter runs too early. Teach the count: screen first, then cut.

BLOB: the stack (U12 and up)

Four players stack in two pairs near the lane. It looks complicated but moves simply.

The front two peel off to the corners. One of the back two pins a defender and the other pops out to the slot. Then the pinner slips down the middle, and the inbounder hits him in stride.

Why it works: the first read is the slip, and the second read, the pop to the slot, is always open if the defense switches.

Common mistake: the inbounder throws before the slip happens. Have him wait for the pin to be set.

BLOB: the 1-4 low runner (U13 and U14)

Four players across the baseline, with the shooter on the weak-side block. He runs under the rim and comes up to the wing off two screens, the ball-side block first and the ball-side corner second.

This play asks the runner to read the screens and the catch, so keep it for the older group. It teaches patience: the screens must be set before he turns.

SLOB: the box safe entry (U10 and up)

Four players in a box, with the inbounder on the sideline. The key is the safe pass back to the inbounder.

A screener goes down on a defender, and the teammate comes up the sideline to the ball. The inbounder steps in and gets the pass straight back. Now your best free-throw shooter has the ball with a clear head.

Why it works at this age: the pass back is nearly impossible to steal, and the play ends with the ball in a safe pair of hands.

Common mistake: the receiver catches facing the sideline. Teach him to catch and turn to the basket.

SLOB: the line flare (U12 and up)

Four players across the floor. It is a one-count play for a stationary catch on the passer’s side.

The man closest to the ball has his defender screened on the top side and fades down to the corner while the others clear. The short pass goes down the sideline, and the screener rolls to the block behind it.

Why it works: the catch is stationary and the roll gives you a second option.

How to teach it in one practice

Fifteen minutes is enough for one play.

1. Show the diagram for a minute, before anyone moves.
2. Walk it with no defense and talk through the count.
3. Run it against defenders, at game speed.
4. Take the ball out of bounds from a real spot, so the inbounder practices the pass under pressure.

Send the diagram to the team the night before. Players who have seen the play on a phone need fewer minutes at the whiteboard. SlongeHoops lets you draw an out-of-bounds play, watch it run, and share a link that opens without an account.

What to teach the inbounder

The inbounder has the hardest job in the play, and he is often the youngest or the smallest. Teach him four things.

• Stand with a wide base. Feet apart, ball in both hands, eyes up.
• Fake once. One pass fake makes the defender react. Two fakes burn the clock.
• Move along the line. The inbounder may move along the boundary line in most rule sets, which changes the passing angle. Check your league’s rule.
• Pass to a target. A receiver who shows a hand and a clear lane is the target. A receiver running away is not.

Practice inbounding alone, with a partner, for five minutes at the start of practice. It is a skill, not just a position.

A simple season plan

Spread the plays across the season instead of teaching them at once.

• Weeks 1 to 2: the safe pass and the five-second count. No play yet.
• Weeks 3 to 4: one baseline play, run in every practice.
• Weeks 5 to 6: one sideline play, run in every practice.
• After that: review both before every game, and add a third only if the first two are automatic.

Players remember what they repeat. A short list repeated often beats a long list shown once.

What the defense will do

Youth defenses are not complicated, but they have habits.

• Switch everything. This is the most common answer. Plan the play so a switch still leaves a good option.
• Deny the closest receiver. The safe pass is the answer. Throw it and reset.
• Press the inbounder. A player waving his arms in front of the passer is annoying but rarely dangerous. Step to the side and pass around him.
• Play a zone. Against a zone, the line and box sets still work if the receivers find the gaps between defenders.

Teach your players to read the first two seconds. If nothing is open, the safe pass is correct.

When to change the play

Change the play when the defense changes it for you. If a team switches every screen, move to a set where the screen is the decoy and the pop is the play. If a team presses the inbounder, use the safe option more.

Keep a short note after each game: how many times you ran the play and what happened. Ten attempts tell you more than one.

Do not add a new set because the old one failed once. A play that fails because someone cut early is a coaching point, not a design flaw.