5-Out Motion

What it is

• 5-out motion places all five players on the perimeter.

Why it matters

• This is increasingly common because teams now have big men who can shoot and handle the ball.
• 5-out removes the interior presence and forces offense to be generated through continuous perimeter movement, screening, and off-ball cuts.

How it works

• 5-out motion relies heavily on off-ball screens (pin-down screens, cross screens, back screens) because there is no designated interior player to initiate high-low action.
• A player sets a screen for a teammate in the mid-range or on the perimeter, generating a cut or a step-out opportunity.
• The offense is more spaced and demands more sophisticated screening angles.
• 5-out motion is potent against man-to-man defense because defenders cannot sag into the paint.
• It is vulnerable to zone defense because the zone can cover five perimeter players more easily than it covers four perimeter players plus a low post.

Reads and counters

• Cutter reads the defender's eyes: if he turns to track the ball, cut backdoor; if he ball-watches up top, curl the pin-down.
• Screener reads the coverage: if the cutter's man trails, slip or pop behind; if they switch, seal and dive into the vacated paint.
• The ball handler reads spacing on a closeout: drive the open gap, and on help rotation kick to the next open perimeter player to keep the ball moving.
• The passer reads the help at the rim: an open driving lane means attack; if help collapses, spray to the weak-side shooter.
• Against a hard switch on an off-ball screen, immediately read the mismatch and attack it before the defense reloads its help.

Teaching cues

• Read his eyes
• Cut him open then screen the screener
• Slip it
• Backdoor on the deny
• Drive the closeout, then spray it

Bilingual terms

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