Basketball Tip
Presented by George Moses, Camp Director
Nike Basketball Camp Charles River School
Basketball Transition Offense: 4 Tips on How to Run a Fast Break
Fast break offense begins on defense. Finishing a defensive possession with a rebound or steal can fuel your team’s offense and generate points in transition. Putting pressure on the other team immediately after a turnover can create layups, open shots, and mismatches for you and your teammates. It is important to remember that fast break offense requires commitment from ALL team members. Some players may not control the ball as much on the fast break but can still play an important role by occupying defenders and opening lanes for teammates. If you are curious about your role in transition, don’t hesitate to ask your coach questions. Here are 4 tips to use during practice and in games commonly taught at our Nike Basketball Camps.
1. Communicate
Unless you have superpowers, you don’t know what your teammates are thinking or seeing. Communication will help create high quality scoring opportunities on the fast break. Both verbal and non-verbal communication, such as pointing, will be important tools that will take practice. There is no such thing as too much communication in basketball, and you can help your teammates have better awareness by communicating the situation.
2. Run hard every possession with your head up!
One way to separate yourself as a top player is being able to run hard on every possession with your head up. Conditioning is a huge part of basketball and will help your team win games. Opponents will be able to keep up with you in the first half, but they will not be able to keep it up in the second half. You and your teammates will have more and more fast break opportunities as the game goes on. Making sure your head is up and you are constantly looking around will ensure that you know the situation and will be ready when it is time to either pass, shoot, or fill a lane.
3. Spread the floor
Spacing while on fast break offense is crucial. Improper spacing allows for one defender to cover multiple offensive players. If you are one of the first two people down the floor, make sure to stay wide and fill the lane all the way to the baseline. This allows the player bringing the ball up the court the space needed to attack the basket, or room for the center to fill the middle. Staying spread out forces the defenders to make decisions about who to guard before they can set up in frontcourt defense.
4. Crash the board or cover back
Finishing the play all the way through requires each player to know their role. Some players will need to cover back on defense to prevent fast break opportunities for the opposing team, while others will crash the board for offensive rebounds and second chance points. Offensive rebounds can make a big impact throughout the game, but that doesn’t mean all five players should crowd around the basket. If you are not one of the players going for a rebound, you should be rotating back to defense.
Each team may have their own unique fast break offense, so listening to your coach’s game plan is important. These tips will help set you apart in the transition game but require practice every chance you get. Nike Basketball Camps are a great opportunity to improve your fast break offensive skills!