Pick and roll
A two-player basketball action where one player screens for the ball-handler, then rolls to the basket.
Overview
The pick and roll is a fundamental basketball play: one player sets a screen (the pick) on the defender guarding the ball-handler, then cuts (rolls) towards the basket to receive a return pass.
It forces the defence to make a choice — switch, fight over the screen or drop back — and each option opens a scoring chance for either the ball-handler or the rolling player. Its versatility makes it one of the most-used actions in the game.
Key points
- The screener blocks the ball-handler’s defender to create separation.
- After screening, the roller cuts to the basket looking for a pass.
- How the defence reacts decides who is open — the shooter or the roller.
- A variation, the pick and pop, has the screener step out for a jump shot instead.
- It is a cornerstone action for point guards and pairs endlessly with other plays.
Where it’s used
Sports that use pick and roll:
Related tactics
Counter-attack
Winning the ball and moving forward at speed to attack before the opponent can reorganise their defence.
Zone defence
A defensive system where each player guards an area of the court rather than a specific opponent.
Man-to-man marking
A defensive tactic where each defender is assigned a specific opponent to track and contain.
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Positions
- Point guardThe point guard is basketball’s primary ball-handler and playmaker, running the offence and setting up teammates to score.
- CenterThe center is usually the tallest player on a basketball team, playing near the basket to score inside, rebound, and protect the rim.
- GoalkeeperThe goalkeeper is the last line of defence in football and the only player allowed to handle the ball inside their own penalty area.
- Shooting guardThe shooting guard is a perimeter player whose main role is to score, especially from mid-range and beyond the three-point line.
- StrikerA striker is the main attacking player in football, positioned furthest forward with the primary job of scoring goals.
Coaching concepts
- Decision-Making PracticeTraining athletes to read cues and choose the right action under pressure — coupling perception to action, not just rehearsing physical technique in isolation.
- Constraints-Led PracticeA coaching approach that adjusts the task, environment or rules so a desired movement or decision emerges in practice, rather than being explicitly instructed.
- Transfer of TrainingWhether practice carries over to real performance — and why game-like, varied practice tends to transfer better than isolated, repetitive drills.
Scoring systems
- Basketball scoringBasketball is scored by shooting the ball through the hoop, with baskets worth one, two or three points depending on where the shot is taken.
- Tennis scoringTennis is scored in points, games and sets, using the distinctive 15–30–40 point sequence and a win-by-two margin at every level.
Rules
- Tennis serving rulesThe rules governing how a tennis point begins, including where the server stands and where the serve must land.
- Out of boundsThe rule that a ball or player leaving the marked playing area is out of play and possession is decided at the boundary.
- Double dribbleA basketball violation for dribbling with two hands at once, or for dribbling again after picking up the ball.
- GoaltendingA basketball violation for interfering with a shot while the ball is on its downward path to the basket or above the rim.
- Personal fouls and free throwsThe basketball rules covering illegal contact and the uncontested shots awarded when a player is fouled.