7 Constraints to Build Offensive Decision-Making

Constraints are tools coaches can use to manipulate an environment to influence the skill development of their teams. When you add constraints, you are deliberately putting your players in situations that mimic game-like scenarios.

Here are 7 types of constraints you can use to influence your team’s skill development this postseason:

1. TIME
A short shot clock, limited time on the catch, shooting drills with a time cap, or any countdown within a small-sided game will force decisions, action, and execution to happen more quickly.

2. SPACE
Using cones, lines on the court, or sides of the floor will force your players to operate in space that more closely resembles the skills necessary to score in the game. Playing in alleys on the floor is critical to the transfer of offensive skills in live play.

3. NUMBERS (advantage or disadvantage)
Giving offensive players a numbers advantage closely simulates the goal of all offenses that want to play against a disadvantaged defense. A numbers advantage replicates the situations that terminate a possession with a shot or pass. On the flip side, giving the offense a numbers disadvantage can teach toughness, ball-security, and passing in tight spaces.

4. MUSTS
You can require an offensive player or team to execute something on the floor before they score. For example, you must get a post touch, paint touch, or pick and roll before you shoot. Player XYZ must come off a wide-pin before you score.

5. ONLYs
You can put restraints on a team or individual that isolates a specific skill or aspect of the game. For example with individual players: “you can only shoot in the paint for this scrimmage”. For teams: “you can only shoot after 2 reversals.”

6. SCORING SYSTEM
You can manipulate scoring systems to reward the types of shots you want to encourage. Example: if you want to encourage layups you could make every layup worth 3pts while midrange jumpers are only worth 1pt. Example: shots in the paint are worth 3, everything else is 1.

7. TRIGGERS
These can fall in a lot of different categories.
Ex: once the defender touches your hip, you’re live.
Ex: once you run around the cones you’re live.
Ex: once the offensive team crosses half-court the defender comes into play.

You can get comfortable using these constraints by adding them to any of your drills or practice planning. The great thing about being a coach is the creativity you have in using different ingredients to build your team.

Unleash Your Offense with Pace and Space

Baseline Drive Automatics

When you start installing your offensive system, it can be helpful to start from first principles by teaching your players HOW to PLAY instead of prescribing specific plays. One of the most effective ways that you can teach your team HOW to play is by giving them a simple list of “automatics”. Automatics are simple principles of play that are predetermined for the entire team.

Everyone on the team knows what to do WHEN XYZ happens on the court. These automatics are a simple series of “IF…THEN” principles that will become automatic (pun intended) the more you work on them as a group.

Baseline drives are one of the most common actions that will occur throughout the course of a game. You can think about it this way:

When we DRIVE baseline, the other 4 players on the FLOOR will automatically…

Here is a list of baseline drive automatics that you could use as a coach when designing your spacing on the floor:

Corner drift and 45 slide

You can see here that when the 1 man drives baseline, the 3 man slides to the wing (or 45) and the 2 man slides to the corner. This gives the driver two great passing options if the defenders suck-in and try to stop the ball.

45 slide and corner drift

Top fill behind (waffle throwback)

Here you can see that as the 1 man drives baseline and gets cut off, the 4 man who is in the slot fills behind the play so that the 1 man can use a “waffle” pivot to throw the ball behind him.

Slash cut from opposite 45

You can see here that instead of staying at the three point line the opposite wing will take a slash cut to the rim.

45 Slash Cut

Middle cut with opposite big

As the 1 man drives baseline if the post player is on the opposite block they can make a cut to the middle of the rim for an easy pass.

Escape cut from strongside big

If the post player is on the strongside block they can take an escape cut to the perimeter when the 1 man drives baseline.

Escape cut from the strongside post player

Rail cut from strongside big

Another option for post players is to take a rail cut up the lane line as the baseline drive is happening. This gives the ball handler space and gives him passing options if 5-man’s defender stays in the paint.

Dive cut (5 out or Princeton alignment)

This dive cut is a great option if you run an offense where your post players are pulled away from the basket a lot. A dive cut from a post player on the perimeter can be effective when their defender turns their head to the driver.

Dive Cut from the post player on the perimeter

Thanks for Reading

Premium PDF Library

Buy Once, Benefit Forever

“I won’t buy anything else on the internet this year.”

7 Reasons You Should Consider Running the Princeton Offense

You might consider running the Princeton Offense if…

(1) You have skilled big men who can pass

The Princeton System lifts the 5 man away from the rim to open up space for cuts and drives to the basket. In the Princeton the 5 man operates from the elbows and top of the key. If you have a big with good size and passing ability there are plenty of opportunity for easy backdoor layups. From the elbows and the top of the key, the big can survey the floor and pick out open shooters on the perimeter and cutters at the rim.

(2) You have interchangeable players on the perimeter

The beauty of the Princeton Offense is that every perimeter player is truly “positionless”. Each action and perimeter position can be easily exchanged or interchanged depending on the matchup/personnel on the floor. You don’t need to waste time “getting the right spots” because each piece of the puzzle fits together on every single possession.

(3) You play against teams who are aggressive defensively

The Princeton is a true 4 around 1 system. The 5 man operates away from the basket which opens up the entire lane for pressure releases and cutting opportunities. If teams want to aggressively overplay passing lanes and deny perimeter catches, the Princeton Offense has built in spacing and counters to use a defense’s aggressiveness against them.

Buy the Best-Selling Playbook

(4) You have multiple shooters who can shoot a high percentage from three

The Princeton is built to take and make a lot of threes. The spacing of 4 perimeter players makes this the ideal offense for multiple floor spacers. Drive and kick opportunities are everywhere within this style of play. As offensive action from cuts to the paint, drives to the lane, or rolls to the rim (by the 5 man) forces the defense to collapse, your perimeter shooters will get wide open shots all night long.

(5) You are less athletic, but more skilled than your opponents

The Princeton Offense can be a great equalizer because of its unique patterns of cutting and movement. The speed and familiarity of this system will always benefit the offense since they know where to move before the defense has time to react. This is a unique style of play that is difficult to play against and nearly impossible to scout because of its complexity and unique pace of play.

(6) You have a 5 man who can pick and pop

This offense becomes impossible to stop when you have a 5 man who can step out to the perimeter and hit threes. One common strategy to stop the Princeton Offense is to use the 5 man’s defender to clog up the paint. Because of the floor spacing, covering a pick and pop 5 man is a nightmare for help defenders.

(7) You have an elite playmaker/passer in spread pick and roll

With the floor spread at all times, the Princeton can be used primarily as a pick and roll attack when you have an elite playmaker on the floor. For ball-handlers who have elite vision, they can pick apart defenses who are in poor position on the help-side. With skilled shooters on the perimeter, help defenders have nowhere to hide and a skilled PG can make them pay in a big way.

Learn the SECRETS of the Princeton Offense

Enroll in my Best-Selling Course

Click here to buy now

What’s included in this course?

*Video Examples

*Whiteboard Sessions

*Chalk Talk Sessions

*Film Review

*Quick Hitters + Basic Actions

*Practice Breakdown and Shooting Drills

My experience playing in the Princeton style offense for 4 years at the Divison 1 level (at the College of William and Mary) helped a below average athlete score over 1600 points and shoot 40% from three while leading our team to one of the best season in school history.

I continued to study these offensive concepts as a professional in my four years playing overseas in Australia, Spain, Latvia, and the NBA G-League.

As a college basketball coach I’ve refined these concepts to build a lethal offensive system that will take your team’s scoring to the next level.

The Princeton System changed the course of my career forever and it can do the same for you and your team.

Click here to buy now

What OTHER Coaches are Saying…

Any coach serious about the Princeton offense should sign up for this course. It is really well done and extensive… a “must” for any coach using the Princeton offense.

Dr. James Gels (Owner – Coaches Clipboard)

Quinn’s expertise in understanding and teaching the Princeton Offensive System is unmatched. He helped me implement this offense at the high school level and it has been very effective at helping our team excel offensively! Any coach serious about growing their understanding of the offensive side of the basketball needs to take this course.

Paul Ferguson – Columbus North HS

Coach McDowell’s mastery of the Princeton offense is a must have for coaches of all levels. His materials included in this course are concise, in depth, and well organized.

Mike Connors – University of the Sciences (NCAA Division 2)

More Princeton Offense Resources

The 7 Basic Actions of the Princeton Offense

10 Princeton Quick Hitters

5 Reasons Why I LOVE the Princeton Offense

The Ultimate Guide: Basketball Team Conditioning

The game of basketball is physically demanding. The best players and most effective teams have conditioned themselves to perform at a high level throughout the course of a single game and over the length of an entire season.

There are million different ways to help your players get into “basketball shape”. Each coach and program should base their conditioning model on a variety of factors including:

Length of the Preseason
Number of Healthy Bodies
Kids playing Other Sports (at the High School Level)
Timing and number of breaks during the year
Sequence and timing of games
Style of Play
Baseline Fitness Testing

Regardless of the specifics of your conditioning model, there are a few key principles that you should consider when it comes to developing a plan for your team.