About
Sources and Editorial Standards
How Bball Vault decides what it teaches, which references it leans on, and how it keeps basketball terminology and rules accurate.
Direct answer
Our standard
Every concept aims to teach a decision, not just a definition: what it is, when it appears, how it works, the reads and counters, how to defend it, and the common mistakes. Tactical terminology follows how coaches actually use it — drop, ICE, hedge, blitz, switch, and Spain pick-and-roll each mean a specific thing, and we hold the content to that meaning.
How concepts are built and checked
- Concepts are written from a structured basketball knowledge base, then enriched and cross-checked against the coaching references below.
- Keystone tactical concepts must carry reads, counters, and coaching cues before they publish — this is enforced by an automated content gate.
- A multi-agent fact-check pass flags terminology and rule errors (for example, misusing ICE for off-ball defense, or describing drop coverage as staying with the ball handler) for correction.
- Static pages are regenerated from the same source data as the interactive app, so summaries never drift out of sync or publish mid-thought.
Official development and rules
Used for developmental progression, level framing, and rules accuracy.
Coaching implementation and teaching
Used for rules, reads, counters, drills, and how concepts are taught.
Tooling and scouting patterns
Referenced for diagram, scout, share, and teach patterns — not for tactical claims.
How to read source attribution
Official sources back rules and developmental framing. Coaching sites back implementation and teaching patterns. Film and statistical claims about specific teams, players, or eras are only stated when we are confident in them; otherwise content stays scheme-general.