Physical Screen Contact and Establishing Position
Once at the screen location, the screener must establish legal position (feet set, stable base, chest wide) before contact occurs.
Individual Skills
Coming Off Screen Tight and Hip-to-Hip Contact
The moment the ball handler uses the screen is critical.
Direct answer
What is Coming Off Screen Tight and Hip-to-Hip Contact?
The moment the ball handler uses the screen is critical.
Quick facts
| Category | Individual Skills |
|---|---|
| Source volume | Basketball Knowledge Vault/vol2_intermediate_building_your_game.md |
What it is
- The moment the ball handler uses the screen is critical.
Why it matters
- A handler who comes off the screen too wide (more than one dribble away) wastes the screen because the defender can recover laterally.
How it works
- "Coming off tight" means the handler moves through the screening area immediately after the screener is set, maintaining hip-to-hip contact or nearly touching.
- This proximity shields the handler from the defender and maximizes the separation created.
- Proper mechanics involve: approaching the screen at the correct angle, making deliberate contact (hip-to-hip, using the screener's body to shield), and accelerating away immediately after.
- The spacing is measured in feet; even a difference of 1-2 feet changes the effectiveness dramatically.
- Defenders often try to go under the screen (staying attached to the handler) or going over it (pushing through).
Bilingual terms
| English | Coming Off Screen Tight and Hip-to-Hip Contact |
|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese | 贴紧掩护与臀对臀接触 |
| Traditional Chinese | 離開熒幕時，臀部與臀部的緊密接觸 |
Related concepts
Double Screen (Off-Ball)
An Off-Ball Double Screen involves two offensive players setting simultaneous screens for one cutter — not in sequence (that is a stagger), but at the same time, side by side.
Curl Cut: Movement Off Screens
A curl cut occurs when an off-ball player cuts around a screen set by a teammate, typically using the screen to change direction and cutting toward the ball or rim.
Off-Screen Shooter
Definition: Scores almost exclusively off designed screening actions: pin-downs, flare screens, handoffs, back screens.
Legal Screen Requirements
A screen is a legal basketball action in which an off-ball player positions their body between a defender and their teammate, creating separation.
Setting Up the Defender Before Using the Screen
The effectiveness of a pick-and-roll is determined partly by initial setup: how well the ball handler has positioned the defender before using the screen.