Cross Screen

What it is

• The Cross Screen is an off-ball screen set horizontally across the lane — from one side of the paint to the other — for a player posting up or cutting to the ball.
• The screener starts on one side of the lane (say, the left block or left elbow).
• The screener cuts across the lane and sets a screen on the back or hip of the target player's defender.

How it works

• The screener starts on one side of the lane (say, the left block or left elbow).
• The screener cuts across the lane and sets a screen on the back or hip of the target player's defender.
• The screen angle is horizontal relative to the basket — the screener moves from one side of the lane to the other.
• The target (the player receiving the screen) reads the defender's position and cuts to the ball-side block, elbow, or wing.
• One of the most sophisticated uses of the cross screen is the Cross Screen into Ball Screen combo: 1.

Reads and counters

• Read 1 — Post Catch and Score: The target player uses the cross screen to establish post position on the ball side, catches the entry pass, and scores from the post.
• This is the primary purpose of a cross screen.
• Read 2 — Roll/Pop from the Screener: After the screener sets the cross screen, they are often in a strong interior position.
• If the defense switches or the screener's defender helps on the target, the screener rolls to the ball-side block or pops to the elbow for a pass.
• Read 3 — Target Pops Instead: If the defense fights the cross screen aggressively on the inside, the target player can pop to the perimeter (wing or short corner) for a catch-and-shoot opportunity.

Bilingual terms

Learn before and after

These graph neighbors help place Cross Screen in the larger basketball map.

Related concepts