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betterbasketbal... - The Pin & Skip layer in the Read & React Offense is a little bit odd. It has nothing to do with a reaction to the ball (like all the previous layers do). Instead, it is a reaction to help-side defense. Because of this, you can put this layer in at any time during your team's development. And, if you know you'll be facing a bunch of zones or sagging defenses, you should probably put it in early and drill it often.
Why does the Pin & Skip work?
The answer is pretty simple: most coaches teach defense the same way (you probably do too).
So, generally, we know how a good defender is going to react in almost every predictable situation. His job is to counter an offensive player's attack usually with little more than good help-side position (which is sometimes more difficult than it sounds).
The job of the offense is to counter the defense's counter. Then, if necessary, counter the counter to the counter. And, that progression could continue comically on and on. The trick is to choose the counter that impacts the defense the most - a lot of times that counter is the Pin & Skip.
In the video below Rick Torbett explains the purpose of the Pin & Skip layer and offers a couple of progressions to get your players thinking about how best to use it as a counter to solid defense.
This video was taken from our new DVD set, Read & React Clinics: Planning the R&R Practice. It covers practice planning in the detail that such a universal topic deserves. If you've ever had a question about how to run a Read & React practice or how to implement the offense, these DVDs are for you.
Make a great defender pay for being a great defender. If you do it often enough, he may start second guessing himself and that's when huge holes will start to open up in the defense.
Side Note: Just because your team makes a skip pass, doesn't mean the receiver of that pass has to shoot. Try driving off the skip on a recovering defender, or feeding the pin screener shaping up in the post, or even skipping it back to the other side of the floor. The Pin & Skip is effective even if you don't have great outside shooters.