This is the third article of the 3 offenses that youth basketball teams can easily implement. I’m not considering any plays, just basic moves that players should have in their arsenal.

It is simply called the propagation crime.

This offense works very well against zone defenses if players are patient and don’t chase the ball en masse.

Usually dribbling penetration is a great way to beat a zone but if you ever watch youth play the ball handler most of the time dribbles and gets caught in the corner or middle by penetrating too much . We finished with a game full of ties and alternating possessions.

What makes this offense work is that you can add simpler pieces to it once players feel comfortable passing it around the buzzer. Most notably, he can implement dribbling penetration and pass and cut offense.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s break down the nuances of this offense.

First, you line up your players in a spread formation around the perimeter.

The ball is passed until a player has an open shot or lane to penetrate the defense. What I found is that when passing the ball around the perimeter, the defense they were playing couldn’t move fast enough to keep up with the ball, and the lanes were wide open and the dribbler ends up with a layup. This may seem oversimplified, but remember that we are talking about youth basketball. The tendency is for the defense to overdo it.

If you don’t get a layup or open jumper a couple of times around the perimeter, then you can have them pass and cut or start setting up screens and shoots.

This offense also works well against teams that allow one defensive player to freelance or spy while the rest play in the standard zone. Eventually, the player tires of chasing the ball, and the result is open lanes. Typically, teams allow their best offensive player to roam because most of their points scored are steal layups.

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