No-Look Pass
A pass delivered while the passer looks in another direction to deceive defenders about its destination.
Definition
A no-look pass is a deception technique in which the passer directs the ball to a teammate while looking elsewhere, freezing or misdirecting defenders who read the passer's eyes. It relies on the player having already located the receiver through peripheral vision or prior court awareness before disguising the delivery.
Most associated with basketball playmakers, the no-look pass also appears in football and other invasion sports. It is high-risk, high-reward: executed well it creates an open scoring chance, but a telegraphed or mistimed attempt can be intercepted. Coaches generally treat it as an advanced skill layered on top of sound fundamental passing.
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Techniques
- Chest PassA two-handed pass thrown directly from chest height in a straight line to a teammate, the most basic pass in basketball and netball.
- Crossover DribbleA basketball dribbling move that switches the ball quickly from one hand to the other to change direction and get past a defender.
- LayupA close-range basketball shot taken while moving toward the basket, laying the ball softly off the backboard or over the rim.
- HeaderA technique for controlling or striking the ball with the forehead in football, used to pass, shoot or clear the ball in the air.
- Inside-of-the-Foot PassThe most reliable short pass in football, played with the inside surface of the foot for accuracy over a short to medium distance.
Physical qualities
- AgilityChanging direction quickly and under control while staying balanced.
- SpeedHow quickly you can move your body or a part of it from one point to another.
- Core stabilityThe ability of the muscles around your trunk to keep it stable while your limbs move.
- Cardiovascular enduranceThe ability to sustain whole-body activity for a long time while your heart, lungs and muscles keep up.
Skills Academy
- Ball-sport skillsThe skills that recur across ball games — control, passing, dribbling, shooting and defending.
- Object-control skillsHandling a ball or implement — controlling, receiving, passing and moving it with intent.
- Team-play skillsThe skills that make a team work — combining, covering and communicating through the ball.
- Precision skillsSkills where accuracy is everything — placing a serve, a shot, a pass or a set exactly where you want it.
Rules
- GoaltendingA basketball violation for interfering with a shot while the ball is on its downward path to the basket or above the rim.
- Badminton serve rulesThe rules for how a badminton serve must be delivered and where it must land.
- TravelingA basketball violation for moving illegally with the ball without dribbling it.
- 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.
Skills
- PassingThe skill of moving the ball to a teammate accurately to keep possession and create chances.
- HeadingThe skill of directing the ball with the head to pass, clear or attempt to score.
- ReboundingThe basketball skill of gaining the ball after a missed shot.
- BalanceThe skill of keeping the body stable and controlled while still or moving.
- ShootingThe skill of striking or releasing the ball toward the goal or basket to score.
Decision making
- Pass selectionChoosing which pass to play, and to whom, from the options a moment offers — weighing space, risk and what the team is trying to do.
- Reading spaceSeeing where space is — and is not — on the field or court, and using it to decide where to move, pass or play.
- Transition decisionsThe choices made at the moment a situation flips — winning or losing the ball, and switching between attack and defence.
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- Tier A — evergreen educational
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- Content updated
- 2026-08-04
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