In basketball passing is one of two ways a player is allowed to move the ball (the other is dribbling). Players must be able to, not only deliver the ball accurately, but also catch and secure the ball as a receiver of the pass.

As with just about everything in basketball, proper passing technique involves proper footwork and balance – and communication. In some cases, the communication is more than verbal. It is getting your eyes to the rim to use your peripheral vision to see open teammates. It is good visual communication between the passer and the receiver that creates proper angles and sight lines. It is good communication that allows the post player to catch the ball in traffic and instinctively pivot and pass diagonally to an open teammate who has moved to the open spot on the court. Proper spacing helps make passing lanes and angles more visible thus making pass completions more likely.

FUNDAMENTAL PASSES

We focus on the chest pass, bounce pass, overhead pass, baseball pass, push pass, and the wrap around pass. Players must work on both the 2-foot jump stop and the 1:2 step method to stop and catch the ball.

Know which pass is right for which situation. Typically, a chest pass and push pass is used when there is no defender between the passer and the receiver. A bounce pass and the wrap around pass is often used when there is a defender between the passer and the receiver. The bounce or wrap around pass places the ball low and/ or wide, out of the comfortable reach of the defender. The overhead pass is used as an outlet pass to initiate a fast break, or as a skip pass over the top of a zone. The baseball pass is used to throw a long pass to an open player down court.

Players should understand the impact of a poor or inaccurate pass. Soft, over the top passes can deprive your offense of open shot opportunities (because they give the defense time to close and take away space). When a pass is too low or makes the shooter reach and reset their feet - a scoring opportunity can be lost.

In reality players rarely receive perfect passes in the perfect position. Consequently, receivers must be able to move to the pass and step to the ball using proper footwork to face the basket after catching the pass.

NON-DOMINANT HAND

The development of a strong non-dominant hand is as important in passing as it is in shooting and dribbling. To illustrate, consider a guard who is right-handed (dominant hand). As she dribbles across the top of the key from right to left, she attempts to pass to a player on the wing. Lacking confidence in her left (non-dominant) hand she pushes the pass to the wing with her right hand. Since the right hand is closest to the defender it is easily deflected, possibly creating a turnover. Players with Intermediate to Advanced skills learn to effectively pass with either hand.

FUNDAMENTAL MECHANICS

Elite players can throw softer, touch passes and “no look passes” in given situations. When learning to pass, however, the fundamentals are important to pass accuracy. Players should know and understand the mechanics of a solid pass. They understand that to throw crisp, accurate passes they must step to their target when possible – the front foot pointing directly to the receiver. The power for the pass comes primarily from the back leg and the snap of the wrist on the follow through. Passes thrown off the front leg or with a push from the shoulders and elbows, without leg and wrist power, will float and drift.

Hand placement is the same for the chest pass, bounce pass and overhead pass. The hands are on the side of the ball with the thumbs behind the ball, facing up. The elbows are behind the ball as well. When passing the ball is pushed from the elbows through the hands. As the arms are extended the thumbs move down and the palms move out. This action creates ball rotation. The faster the rotation on the pass the faster the pass moves.

In many instances passes are thrown under pressure from the defense. Defenders are taught to “walk in” on a player when they pick up the ball. If they keep their hands high, they will seldom be called for a foul if they bump the ball handler with the hips, legs and shoulders. To execute a pass under pressure a player must be in a low, strong, balanced position, keep the ball away from the defender, while still seeing the court, and pivot to create space for the pass. When players stand with a narrow base and raise the ball overhead, they will be pushed off balance, travel and throw weak passes.

Short, hard passes are more effective than long soft passes. A defender can easily move into the passing lane of a long pass and intercept or deflect the pass.

COMPLETING THE PASS

Effective passing is the result of the fundamental performance of both the passer and the receiver.

To execute a pass the passer faces the receiver using the dribble or a pivot if needed. The passer identifies the defender nearest the receiver and quickly decides if she can complete the pass. This is determined by two factors –

1.    Is the receiver open (or can she get open)

2.    Does the passer have an open passing window through which the pass can be thrown?

GETTING OPEN

If the receiver is closely guarded, she must create space from the defender so the pass can be completed. The pass must be thrown to the outside hand – the hand farthest away from the defender. If the receiver is already open the pass should be directly to the shot pocket allowing for a quick and efficient assessment of nay scoring opportunities.

Players can learn the details that separate average players from good players. When closely guarded a player can execute one of a variety of cuts to get open – V-cuts, L- cuts, Backdoor cuts, Curl cuts, Seal and Release moves etc.

Once open the receiver must stay open by moving strong to meet the pass. When a receiver stops or remains stationary a moving defender can step to the ball and intercept it.

If a receiver comes to meet the pass she can step in front of the defender to get her body between the ball and the defender.

USING PIVOTS TO FACE THE BASKET AND BALL POSITION

If you are coming from the baseline or across the lane to meet a pass you will frequently catch the pass with your back to the basket. As you pivot to face up on the catch the defender will most likely have her hands waist high. As the player faces up she holds the ball back away from the defender, then raises it slightly higher than her shoulder, with her passing arm bent (90◦). Ball fakes from this position should be efficient. Moving the ball up high and down low, back and forth can be inefficient. From the 90◦ position the passer can effectively open a passing window.

PASSING WINDOWS

If the passer is closely guarded, she looks for a “passing window” – space where the pass can be made without allowing the defense to deflect or intercept it. The passing windows are - over each shoulder, over the top of the head, and under each arm (arm pit). The old adage, “fake a pass to make a pass” still holds true. The best way to assure a completed pass is to close a window to open a window.

Holding the ball as noted above, the player can use her eyes and slight height adjustments to “open” passing windows. For example, holding the ball at shoulder height, with the passing arm at 90◦, the passer can get the defender to open the top passing window by simply lowering her eyes and shoulders slightly towards the bottom window and passing through the top window when the defender lowers her hands. If the player needs to protect the ball she can pivot and rip high or low, returning to the passing position on either side of the body. Avoid moving the ball through the middle, waist area. This is where many turnovers and the majority of jump ball situations occur because player leave the ball exposed where defenders can easily deflect or grab the ball.

Players learn to read the defender’s hands and open the window she wants to pass through. When using a top window a quick wrist snap can pass the ball over the defender’s shoulder, or top of the head, where it is difficult (almost impossible) for the defender to react and deflect the pass. Bottom window passes will almost always be bounce or wrap around passes.

POST ENTRY PASSES

When passing into the post the angle of the pass is important. You’ll know if the angle is correct when the passer can see the post player’s chest or the number on her jersey. Bad angle passes are easier to deflect or intercept. If the passer can’t see the post player’s chest or number either the passer, the post player, or both must adjust. The post player can re-post, moving to show her numbers and /or the passer can use the dribble to create a better passing angle.

Post players often turn to the basket before receiving the pass, similar to a pass receiver in football turning up field before he catches the pass. In doing so the post player opens up and allows a quick defender to step to the pass and intercept it – a scoring opportunity lost! The post player has to step to the pass and step over the defender’s leg, keeping the defender from striding to the ball.

TRANSITION PASSES

In fast break transition from offense to defense it is difficult to pass accurately when the passer and the receiver are on the same plane. Rather than run on a straight line, directly to the basket, the receiver should run wide and allow the passer to throw the ball out in front, leading the receiver towards the basket where it is easier to see and catch the ball. Running wide also creates optimal spacing, making it more difficult to defend. Getting the ball to the middle of the court with the pass or the dribble increases the options the offense has in transition. When players run down the middle of the court without the ball they eliminate offensive opportunities.

CATCHING THE PASS

A perfectly thrown pass is only useful if it is caught. Once space is created between the receiver and the defender and the receiver steps strong to the ball she now has to catch and secure the ball.

To improve on catching the ball* -

Watch: Visually track the ball. The longer you see the ball - ideally from the time it leaves the passer’s hands until the time you receive it - the better.

Reach: The receiver moves to the ball, arms slightly bent and extends the arms towards the pass. The fingers point slightly out, thumbs up, forming a “pocket” for the ball. Note: if a pass is thrown poorly, below the waist, the receiver turns the thumbs out and away with the fingers down to catch it.

Give and Grasp: Absorb the force of the ball while watching it move into your “pocket”. Try to avoid tensing up. Bring the ball slightly back into the body as you grasp it, squeezing the fingers around the ball.

* modified for basketball - Radford University “The Gentle Art of Catching & Throwing” By Artie Kamiya

PREDICTABLE OFFENSIVE SETS

When the majority of the offensive plays begin with a predictable pass, such as a pass to a wing, smart coaches and defenders anticipate this pass and either deny the pass, bogging down your offense, trap it or intercept it – leading to lost scoring opportunities.

Using different cuts to get space on the wing makes the entry pass less predictable. Back door cuts keep the defender “honest” and more tentative / less aggressive.

Coaches can take the pressure off the passer/ receiver by teaching multiple entry options. As an example, rather than continually passing to the wing to start the offense, the ball can be dribbled to the wing with the wing player replacing the point guard at the top. The wing player can either shallow cut to the top or pick for the point guard and “pop” to the top. The wing player can execute a back door cut to reduce pressure. The point guard can vary her approach, occasionally reversing direction and driving down the lane. A post player can flash to the elbow, receive a pass from the point guard and pass to the wing to start the offense.

TURNOVERS

Effective passing is a critical factor in determining the outcome of a game. Every possession is a scoring opportunity. Every turnover is a lost scoring opportunity for your team and a found scoring opportunity for your opponent. Some reasons for passing turnovers:

Ø A passer does not read the receiver’s defender position.

Ø A passer does not open a passing window.

Ø A passer throws a soft pass, standing upright and off balance.

Ø A passer throws a soft pass, failing to get power from the legs and wrists.

Ø A passer throws a soft pass over the top, allowing the defender to intercept it.

Ø A passer does not pass from a balanced position.

Ø A passer does not step into the pass effecting accuracy.

Ø A passer throws a long diagonal pass across the court (and the defense).

Ø A passer and receiver do not create a good angle for a post entry pass.

Ø A passer uses her inside hand to pass while defended.

Ø A passer throws a long pass when two or more short, quick passes will work.

Ø A receiver does not get separation from the defender.

Ø A receiver does not catch the ball.

Ø A receiver does not move to meet the pass.

Ø A receiver does not use pivots and body position to protect the ball.

Ø A receiver does not protect the ball with proper ball position.

Ø A post receiver opens up too early, does not seal allowing an interception.

Ø Predictable pass entries into offensive sets (usually wing passes).