Motion Offense

A New Offensive Strategy

When developing an offensive strategy for basketball, some coaches prefer to run a series of predetermined plays for different situations that arise during a game.  Others prefer to assign players a specific position in the offensive strategy without a series of set plays in what’s known as a motion offense set-up.

The motion or freelance offensive derives its name from the notion that instead of running predetermined sequences of movement, players must determine their courses of action by analyzing their opponent’s defense, and react accordingly by passing, screening, or cutting.

Since there are no predetermined plays, the motion offense strategy is more difficult for a defensive team to prepare for and analyze.  The motion offense set-up is very flexible, which increases its effectiveness against a variety of defensive set-ups including man-to-man and zone defenses.  Due to a lack of pre-set plays, it is incredibly adaptable, which allows a coach to maximize the strengths of each player on the team.  Lastly, it encourages teamwork since players must constantly watch their teammates for the next step.

Going through the Motions

The first thing a coach must determine if he or she wishes to apply a motion offensive strategy is the set-up for the players.  The players with stronger guard skills begin outside the line while the post players would start inside the line.  The 3-out, 2-in set-up is the most common motion offense set-up, since it provides an integral balance between perimeter and inside post play, as well as allowing for excellent rebounding opportunities.

If the team’s offensive strengths rely more heavily on guards than posts, the motion offensive can be set-up either with 4-out, 1-in or 5-out, which is also called the open post motion offense.  Other variations of the motion offense include the 1-3-1 and 1-4 set-ups.

Some teams are blessed with a roster of multi-talented players who excel at all positions.  This is extremely beneficial for a motion offense set-up, since these players can rotate positions during the plays for added flexibility and effectiveness.  

Cut, Screen or Pass

The three main aspects of the motion offense strategy are cutting, screening and passing.  When running a motion offense, make sure players don’t make two consecutive cuts in the same direction.  For example, if two players cut to the same corner, the result will be poor court spacing and congestion, which reduces scoring opportunities.  

Another thing to keep in mind when implementing a motion offense strategy is to keep at least 15 feet of spacing on the perimeter.  This not only increases the number of and quality of scoring opportunities, but also provides excellent opportunities for players to drive to the basket for a quick shot.  The players on the perimeter should maintain the triple threat position when receiving the ball to maximize their choices for the play to allow them to select the best possible play given the floor set-up.  The perimeter players shouldn’t be afraid to hold the ball for a count of one or two in order to allow the screens time to assume their positions.