Floppy Action

What it is

• Floppy is an off-ball action designed to free a shooter coming off staggered or sequential screens.

How it works

• - Over the Top: The defender tries to stay between the shooter and the ball at all times, fighting through every screen.
• Over the Top: The defender tries to stay between the shooter and the ball at all times, fighting through every screen.
• Under the Screens: The defender goes under the screens, conceding a catch at the three-point line or mid-range. This works if the shooter is not a threat from that range, but against elite shooters it is a death…
• Switch: If the two screeners are similar in size/type to the defenders, switching both screens is viable. However, switching often creates mismatches — a guard guarding a big, or a big chasing a guard.
• Top-Lock / Deny: Some teams try to top-lock (deny) the shooter before they reach the screens, but this requires exceptional athleticism and often leaves the screeners open.

Reads and counters

• Read 1 — Curl (Defense Sags or Trails Inside) If the defender sags into the lane to cheat over the top of the screens, the shooter curls off the first screen, cutting tight off the screener's hip and angling toward the basket.
• This creates a catch in the mid-lane or at the elbow for a mid-range shot, a floater, or a drive.
• Read 2 — Fade / Flare (Defense Chases Aggressively) If the defender fights hard over both screens (chasing the shooter's hip), the shooter fakes toward the screens and then flares out to the corner or the three-point line on the same side.
• The shooter widens back to the arc for a catch-and-shoot three-pointer.
• The defender's momentum carries them into the screen and they cannot recover.

Bilingual terms

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