Foundations Quick Reference

All 10 games — study anytime

Zone Tag

Find open space — only one player per zone

Setup

Divide the court into 6 zones using cones or lines (5 offensive players + 1 open zone at all times).

How You Play

Use 6 zones for 5 players, so there's always one open zone. After passing, move to the open zone. Everyone else shifts to fill the next open zone as it appears — sometimes that means staying put, but usually it means relocating. The ball keeps moving zone to zone as players keep resetting the open space.

The Rule

If two players end up in the same zone, the coach blows the whistle. Players must spread out before play resumes.

Coaching Cues

  • › Find the empty zone
  • › Move your feet
  • › Eyes up — where's open?

Success Looks Like

Players naturally fill open zones without being told. No bunching.

Pass & Chase

Pass it, then sprint — you cannot stay where you are

Setup

Half court. 5 offensive players, one per zone — 4 perimeter zones + 1 middle zone (cones or tape). No defense. Ball starts at the top.

How You Play

Players pass and immediately sprint to any open zone besides the one they just left. The receiver has 3 seconds to pass again before the rep resets. The floor stays in constant motion — no one is allowed to stand still after passing.

The Rule

After you pass, you must sprint to a new spot. If you stay still, the coach stops play.

Coaching Cues

  • › Pass and move!
  • › Don't stand!
  • › Sprint to the open spot

Success Looks Like

Every player moves immediately after every pass. No one stands and watches the ball. Continuous movement — no freeze after passing.

Freeze Check

Freeze — are you too close to someone?

Setup

5 offensive players. No defense. Players move freely — passing, dribbling, relocating.

How You Play

Players move freely, passing and relocating, until the coach yells 'Freeze.' Everyone stops exactly where they are. If any two players are within arm's length, the team takes 3 jumping jacks and resets. Players learn to space themselves proactively so they're never caught bunched up when the whistle hits.

The Rule

Coach yells 'FREEZE' at random. Players stop. If anyone is too close to a teammate, they reset.

Coaching Cues

  • › Spread when you hear freeze
  • › Check your spacing
  • › Arm's length apart

Success Looks Like

When frozen, players are evenly spaced. No clustering around the ball.

Keep Away from the Ghost

The ball cannot stop moving

Setup

4-on-0 or 5-on-0. No defense. The 'ghost' is imaginary pressure.

How You Play

Players pass the ball around as a team, trying to string together 5 consecutive passes without the ball stopping for 2+ seconds. If it stops, the 'ghost' steals it and the count resets to zero. The team counts each pass out loud together to build rhythm and urgency.

The Rule

The ball cannot stay in anyone's hands for more than 2 seconds. The team counts the streak out loud together — 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Coaching Cues

  • › Move it!
  • › Quick quick quick!
  • › See your teammates

Success Looks Like

Ball moves rapidly. Players anticipate the next pass. No panic, just flow.

3-Zone Scoring

Ball must travel through all three zones before a shot

Setup

Divide court into 3 horizontal zones. Ball starts in Zone 1 (backcourt).

How You Play

The court is split into 3 horizontal zones. The ball must be passed through all 3 zones before a shot counts — no dribbling zone to zone. This forces the offense to spread vertically instead of collapsing around the ball.

The Rule

Before anyone can shoot, the ball must touch a player in each zone. No skipping zones.

Coaching Cues

  • › Move it through the zones
  • › Be patient
  • › Find the open zone player

Success Looks Like

Teams move the ball through all zones. Shot attempts come from good ball movement.