HoopClinics

Contributed by Coach Creighton Burns

Throughout a basketball game players will be involved in what is called a “three in a row” situation. This occurs when a defender is directly between the passer and the potential pass receiver. Players must understand passing lanes and be able to create a passing lane.

To begin, players must know that to pass the ball by a defender, that is playing tight, there are five passing lanes by the defender. These lanes are directly over top of the head, by the ears or off the hips. When passing the ball by a defender, it is important to keep the pass tight to the defender, in one of the five passing lanes.

Too often players attempt to pass around the defender, and allow the defender to use their wing span, instead of “through the defender”. Keeping the pass tight to the defender is very difficult for the defender to stop; it is very unnatural for a player to raise their hands right by their ears or directly over top of their head. What inevitably happens when a defender moves their hands high is they raise them with the elbows extended and then straight up. Neither of which cover the passing lanes by the ears or directly over top of the head.

Basketball Coaching