Shuffle out of bounds. (out-of-bounds series for basketball)

An out-of-bounds series that allows the players to make a swift and smooth transition into the shuffle offense

I have always believed that innovative coaches will build their out-of-bounds plays right into their basic continuity, enabling the players to make a smooth transition into their regular offense.

As a former manager at North Carolina, I had the opportunity to observe how Dean Smith modified Bob Spear's shuffle offense to produce high-percentage shots.

The offense was built around five interchangeable spots on the floor, and everyone on the team had to learn every spot and every cut in the options.

As a coach later on, I found that none of my out-of-bounds plays blended in well with the shuffle offense. It was necessary to design an out-of-bounds series that would allow the players to move into the shuffle quickly and efficiently.

For simplicity's sake, I called the series the "Shuffle Out of Bounds," though I used it only under our offensive basket. Instead of numbering the players, I lettered them A to E, and set them up in a close box formation under the basket.

Two players set up at the elbows (D and E) and two at the blocks on either side of the lane (B and A). C took the ball out of bounds. On his call ("Shuffle!") and slap of the ball, the players would fan out as shown in Diag. 1. A was the first cutter, D the second, B became the point man, E the post man, and C the outlet man, or feeder.