| Back Cuts | Post Roll | Opposite Corner Rule | Dribble Penetration |
The CAT offense is a simple, but very successful offense to deploy when the defense traps or double teams. It can also be extended and used very effectively as a weapon in attacking full and half court zone presses.
The Cat Offense entails setting up in a 2-1-2 spread alignment and moving the ball with sharp accurate passing. The post or middle position is the key position of the CAT offense and it should be filled by a highly skilled, triple threat player. Although, the majority of attack is comprised of just moving the ball, there are a couple of basic rules that should be applied.
Anytime the ball goes to the middle, baseline players look to back cut to the basket.
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When O1 passes to O5 in the middle, O3 and O4 back cut along baseline. O5 then looks to feed O4 or O3. |
When O2 passes to O5, O3 and O4 make back cuts along the basket. O5 looks to feed O3 or O4. |
CAUTION: Post O5 should never receive a pass with back to the basket. Inside foot should be forward to seal off the defender and provide peripheral vision to the basket.
Anytime the ball is passed to a baseline corner, the post player looks to roll to the basket.
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Anytime the ball is passed to a corner player, post O5 looks to roll to the basket for shot. |
When defender plays high and denies O5's roll to basket, post O5 should pivot and back cut to the basket. |
If the post does not receive the ball on roll to basket, they simply go back to the original high position.
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If desired, a post interchange can occur on a post roll to the basket. When Corner O3 does not feed O5 on roll to basket, O5 clears out to the opposite corner and O4 fills the middle position. |
When Corner O4 does not feed O5 on roll to basket, O5 clears out to the opposite corner and O3 fills the middle position. |
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If O3 corner is trapped, O3 should look to make a skip pass out to O2. |
If O1 receives a hard double team, O1 should look to make a skip pass to opposite corner O4. |
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If O4 corner is trapped, O4 should look to make a skip pass out to O1. |
If O2 receives a hard double team, O2 should look to make a skip pass to opposite corner O3. |
Use dribble penetration sparingly to get out of trouble. Drive and kick. Keep the ball, along with the clock, moving and avoid taking a foul. If the defense does quits double teaming, hold the ball or flow directly into one of the penetrating spread offenses.