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.
How it connects
The meaning-bearing relationships that place Pick and roll in the wider knowledge graph — each one with the reason it exists.
Frequently learned together
Taught side by side in the same stage of a learning path.
- Counter-attackBoth are taught in the “Understand tactics & strategy” stage of the Basketball learning path.
- Zone defenceBoth are taught in the “Understand tactics & strategy” stage of the Basketball learning path.
- Man-to-man markingBoth are taught in the “Understand tactics & strategy” stage of the Basketball learning path.
- Fast breakBoth are taught in the “Understand tactics & strategy” stage of the Basketball learning path.
- Full-court pressBoth are taught in the “Understand tactics & strategy” stage of the Basketball learning path.
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect Pick and roll to the rest of SocialSportHub.
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.
- Power forwardThe power forward plays near the basket in basketball, using strength to rebound, score inside, and defend the paint.
- PivotThe pivot is a handball attacker who plays close to the opposition defence, setting screens and looking for chances near the goal 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.
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.
Techniques
- Chip ShotA compact lofted shot from close to the green that carries a short distance and then rolls to the hole.
- LayupA close-range basketball shot taken while moving toward the basket, laying the ball softly off the backboard or over the rim.
- Flat, slice and kick servesThe three serves and what actually separates them — the contact point on the ball and the toss that makes it possible — plus what each one does to the ball after it bounces.
- Rugby union passingHow a rugby pass is actually made — the sideways swing that replaces a throw, why every pass must travel backwards, and what separates a spiral pass from a pop.
- Crossover DribbleA basketball dribbling move that switches the ball quickly from one hand to the other to change direction and get past a defender.
Go deeper with Pick and roll
Everywhere else on the platform that covers Pick and roll — assembled from what actually references it, so nothing here is a dead end.
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Tactic
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-09-12
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