Four Corners Spread Offense

| Basic Continuity | Baseline Action | Basic Action Left | Exchange |

What to Discover or Recall . . .

Coach Dean Smith's patent "Four Corner" offense has been a trademark for the University of North Carolina over the years and is probably the most recognizable of all the spread offenses. However, it does require having a player with special ballhandling skills and one on one capability. By spreading the floor by having a player in each corner, it not only creates a one-on-one isolation situation, but more importantly it allows for a single player to take control of the game, minimizing ball handling errors and turnovers.

In deploying the Four Corner offense definitely, it reduces the number of opponent's offensive possessions, and their opportunities to get back into a game.

 

Basic Continuity

With players spread out in each corner, it creates a isolation situation for O1 to attack the defender one-on-one.

Whenever, defender X1 cuts off O1's dribble penetration, O1 passes the ball to one of the corner players and then creates a lead to receive a return pass.

Drive: When O1 receives a return pass from O2, O1 dribble penetrates to the basket.

Kick Out Pass: If Defender X1 stops O1's dribble penetration, O1 passes to O3 and creates a lead to receive a return pass.

Kick Out Pass: When O1's dribble penetration is stopped, O1 has a pass option to either of the baseline corner players stepping out.


Baseline Action

Anytime the passing lane to the baseline corner player stepping out is overplayed or denied, O5 makes a back cut to the basket looking for a feed from O1.

Upon receiving a pass from O1, baseline corner player has the option of passing to the opposite corner player cutting to the basket.

If/when O5 defender sags off to help out on O1's dribble penetration, O5 back cuts to the basket looking for a drop pass from O1.

 


 

Basic Continuity Left

Drive: When O1 receives a return pass from O3, O1 dribble penetrates to the basket.

Kick Out Pass: If Defender X1 stops O1's dribble penetration, O1 passes to O2 and creates a lead to receive a return pass.

Kick Out Pass: When O1's dribble penetration is stopped, O1 also has a pass option to baseline corner player O4 stepping out.


Return Pass Denial

Whenever the defender X1 overplays and denies a return pass to O1, O2 exchanges positions with O1 and dribble penetrates to the basket.

If the return pass to O1 is overplayed and denied by defender X1, O3 initiates dribble penetration exchanging roles and positions with O1.

 

Back