Backdoor Cut

Skill drill

Beat an over-playing defender with a backdoor cut to the rim.

6 min groups of 3 Half court

PassingTeamworkU12U14U16

Read & react

groups of 3 · 1 ball, 1 hoop

Speed

Get everyone ready

● Player / attack■ DefenceGold: ballGreen C: coach

Illustrated steps · 5 seconds per step at 1×

Set up

A passer at the top, a cutter on the wing, and a defender over-playing the passing lane.

A coached example. In live play, players make their own decisions; the outcome can change.

Look for: Sell the first move up.

Playback options

Pause between chaptersIllustrated steps · 5 seconds per step at 1×

Coach’s notes & group organisation

A passer at the top, a cutter on the wing, and a defender over-playing the passing lane.

Cutter takes their defender high, as if coming to get the ball.
When the defender over-plays, cut hard backdoor to the rim.
Passer hits them with a bounce pass.
Finish the layup.

Suggested reset

Stop after the catch and finish, interception or ball out. The defender retrieves and returns the ball to the passer. Cycle passer to cutter, cutter to defender, defender to passer. The next repetition starts when the three are set; waiting trios stay outside the cutting lane.

Coaching cues

Sell the first move up.
Change speed to explode backdoor.
Bounce pass to the hand away from the defender.

Adapt the challenge

Easier: No defender — just time the cut and pass.

Harder: Add a live denying defender so the cutter has to read the deny before she goes.

Read the Deny: Defender chooses deny or sag on each rep — deny means backdoor, sag means pop out for the catch.

What this drill teaches

Punishing a defender for over-playing. The cut only works because of the set-up — walking the defender high as if wanting the ball — so kids learn that getting open is about deception and timing, not just running fast.

In games: Gives your team an answer to denial pressure — the aggressive defence that suffocates young teams becomes a layup machine for yours.

What good looks like

A convincing move up toward the ball before the cut
An explosive change of speed on the cut itself
Bounce passes delivered to the hand away from the defender

U12: no defender — just groove the timing between cutter and passer. U14–U16: expect the cutter to read a live defender choosing deny or sag, and pick the right response.