How to Coach and Teach The Basketball Stack Offense

This type of offense is an oldie, but still works in this era of the 3-pointer. I have no idea who first used it first, but Bob Cousy got a lot of miles out of it while guiding Boston College to many successful seasons. 

To use this offense you better have a good ball-handling point guard who is capable of running the show. This is very important since he handles the ball most of the time and signals plays from out front.

The "Stack" has many advantages. Most of all it reduces errors because your best ball handler, depicted as #1 in all the diagrams, handles the ball most of the time. He pushes  the ball down-court. Once the ball is in the offensive set position, the only person who is required to dribble the ball is #1, whose dribbling movement keys the offense. His observations of the defenders dictates which play to use in a given situation.

Against a person-to-person defense, he can call the plays by number. One or two short passes, this offense will usually get your team a good shot at the basket, either a high percentage medium jump shot or a shot from the low post area.

Other advantages of the Stack Offense are as follows:

• The stack tends to neutralize any defense forcing it to play you person-to-person.
• Double teaming a star becomes difficult as the open player is in position for a close shot near the basket.
• As the coach, you can easily arrange mismatches by altering the starting position of players, except for player #1.
• The stack is difficult to defend. The offense can go left or right quickly from the starting position. The one player front is the most difficult offense to press person-to-person.
• Most teams practice defense against the normal set systems.
• It is an excellent offense for rebounding. Once a shot is taken, all the bigger players jam the offensive boards for a second and third attempt at the basket. If you have two tall players, not adaptable to a perimeter position, you can use this offense effectively by keeping them in their best rebounding and shooting positions with a minimum of movement.
• The stack is not tiring, fun to play, and its simple patterns are easily understood.
• If properly timed and executed, it is impossible to keep this offense from getting a good shot.

The Stack Offense in not without faults, either. A few are:

• This offense is susceptible to fast-breaking teams if the ball is stolen from the outside man, or if the team can not control the offensive board consistently.
• The stack is not as effective if used as the only half-court offense for an entire game. In my opinion, all teams should have more than one offense. I prefer to use a fast-break offense at all times, penetrating against the defense whenever possible, even if the defense has three players back against our three players. I like the stack as a primary set half-court offense after the fast-break and secondary break fails to obtain a desired shot.
• If the entire team does not move together on the outside man's keys, this offense will fail. Timing and surprise are essential to this type of offense.

Player Qualifications

Player #1 is the quarterback, the best dribbler, best ball handler, play-maker with quickness, and a 3-point threat. He must be able to take defensive pressure and must always be able to get back on defense quickly.

Player #2 should be a big, strong, tough offensive player, probably the best scorer among your bigger players. This person should be able to work well at the low post position using the body to seal-off the opponent. This player should always jump toward the ball, catching it with both feet in the air, and landing on both feet at the same time. This allows either foot to become the pivot foot which makes him, or her, harder to defend. Player #2 should master the drop-step, hook shot and shot fake and duck-under move. If double-teamed, he, or she should pass-off to Player #5 on the weak side if 5's defender leaves to form the double team.

Player #3 is the best shooter facing the basket. This person should be an excellent short-to-medium jump shooter and a good feeder from the wing or corner into the pivot. #3 should be capable of playing 2 on 2 basketball with Player #2, and should be able to move 1 on 1 from his, or her, side position. #3's position is good for a left-handed shooter.

Player #4 is usually a smaller player than #3. Player #4 should be an excellent jump shooter from the medium shooting area. #4's position is good for a right-handed jump jump shooter or for the second guard if there is a good shooting forward to play in the #3 position.

Player #5 is usually the second tallest player and should be a strong rebounder who can block out well. This player must be alert of all movement when away from the ball because he, or she, will be open frequently because his, or her, defender is often called to help a teammate toward the ball.

Player #1 will always be back as the defensive safety in all plays except those in which he moves to the basket. On those occasions, either #3 or #4, depending upon the movements, will assume #1's defensive position. #2, #4, and #5, the three best rebounders, are normally in a triangle arrangement moving to the board whenever a shot is taken, with #3 the intermediate rebounder in most situations. After the initial movement to the left, or right,  #1 is in position to pass to #2, #3, #4, or #5 from either side off the dribble, depending on the defensive alignment and position.

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The distance of the inside players from the baseline will be determined by #2's position. Player #2 will pivot counterclockwise on his, or her, right foot after initial movement to his, or her, side to assume a low-pivot position with his back to the basket. Once #2 has found a low pivot position he, or she, prefers, he, or she, will always set up where he, or she, can make the pivot into this position. Everyone else sets up accordingly

"It is possible to be closer to the foul line than the original positions indicate, or anywhere from 1 to 4 feet farther back from the foul lane if the offense works better from that alignment. The position varies slightly, but normally #2's left foot will be about even with the broken line of the lower half of the free-throw circle.

#1 passes and screens away for player #4 cutting to the free-throw line.

Once the ball is in his hands, #3 has three passing options. Option one and main goal (if #2 has done his job) is to feed the low post for an easy basket. It is OK for #3 to dribble to improve his passing angle into #2.

In case this option is not available, #3 can pass to #4 who can either shoot a jump shot or drop a pass down to #2 or #4 in the low post positions.

If neither of these options are available, #3 can pass back to #1 at the point. Everybody resets and the same play options are run on the opposite side of the court.