5 Basketball Inbounds Plays for Youth Coaches
The five inbounds plays every youth team should know are the box screen-the-screener, the stack slip, the line clear-out, the box cross-screen, and a simple sideline play. Each one turns a routine inbound into an easy basket or a safe entry, and each is simple enough to install in a single practice. Diagrams and coaching points are below.
Inbounds situations happen a dozen times a game, and most youth teams waste them. A called play with assigned roles beats five kids guessing. Draw one on a board, walk it through, and you will steal easy points all season.
What Is a BLOB, and Why Do They Matter?
A BLOB is a baseline out-of-bounds play, run any time the ball goes out under your own basket. The inbounder stands behind the baseline just feet from the rim, so a well-designed play produces a layup more often than any half-court set. A SLOB is the sideline version, inbounded from the side, and is mostly about a safe, clean entry. Every youth team should have one reliable BLOB and one SLOB.
The Box: Screen-the-Screener
Start four players in a box: two on the low blocks, two at the elbows. On the slap of the ball, your first screener sets a screen for a low player cutting to the rim, and is immediately screened himself for an open catch. The defense gets caught chasing one cutter while a second comes open. It is the most reliable BLOB at the youth level because it gives the inbounder two scoring looks, not one.
The Stack Slip
Line up four players in a single stack just inside the lane. On the slap, the front two players split to the wings as if they are the targets, and the defense usually follows them out. The third player slips into the empty space at the rim for a wide-open layup, while the back player stays high as a safety. It is the simplest BLOB to teach because each player has one clear job.
The Line Clear-Out
Spread your four players in a line across the foul-line area, which pulls every defender away from the rim. Your best scorer starts on the ball-side end, takes one hard step away, then cuts straight back to the basket for the catch and finish. Because the lane is completely empty, there is nobody to help. It is perfect when you have one player who is clearly your best finisher.
The Box Cross-Screen
From the same box you used in Play #1, run a different action so the defense cannot cheat. One low player cross-screens for the other low player, who cuts hard across the lane to the ball-side block for a layup. The elbow players lift to the wings as outlets. Running two plays from one formation makes your team look far more organized than it is, and that is a good thing.
A Safe Sideline (SLOB) Play
On the sideline, your first job is to not turn it over. Set up two players in a stack near the inbounder: the back player screens for the front player who pops to the ball, and the point guard flashes to the middle as a second option. The goal is a clean catch and a quick reversal, not a highlight. A reliable SLOB calms your team down in the backcourt and beats the press.
Custom Pro Basketball Whiteboard
Draw up every inbounds play and its counter on a two-sided, wipe-clean board with your team name on it. Perfect for the timeout when the game is on the line.
How to Install an Inbounds Play in One Practice
Quick Answers for Youth Coaches
A BLOB is a baseline out-of-bounds play, inbounded from behind the end line under your basket. Because the passer is so close to the rim, a good BLOB often produces a layup.
Two is plenty: one baseline play (BLOB) for scoring and one sideline play (SLOB) for a safe entry. Master those before adding more.
The stack slip. Four players line up, the front two clear out, and the third slips to the rim. Each player has one simple job, so it is easy to teach.
Always assign a safety valve who comes back to meet the ball, and have the inbounder use a clear count. A caught inbound is always better than a forced pass.
The line clear-out and stack slip work against both man and zone. Against a zone, attack the gaps and have your cutter find the soft spot in the back of the zone.
A dry-erase coaching board with the court printed on it. A two-sided board lets you show the play on one side and its counter on the other in the same timeout.
Draw Up the Game-Winner on Your Own Board
Inbounds plays win close games, and they are far easier to teach when players can see them. The HoopsKing Custom Pro Whiteboard is two-sided and wipe-clean, customized with your team name, and built for the timeout that decides it.
