The BLOB everyone runs, yet still can’t defend!  Check out this play by Patrick Pollock

As a coach, you see the other team lineup, there best shooter is taking the ball out of bounds under the basket, and you know what’s coming. Quickly you shout frantically, “watch the corner, watch the corner!” Referee hands the player the ball and you watch it all unfold. Pass, pass, screen, pass shot for 3, bucket! The ironic thing, your team runs the exact same BLOB yet you can’t stop it. I have seen the play ran a couple of different ways, but I run it out of a Box set. I had four BLOB plays, and kept it simple, 1-4, so for my teams this was called 2.

Click here to download the basketball play for this article!

How to set up:
I had my best shooter take the ball out of bounds. My best or biggest screener on the block in front of the ball. My PG at the same side elbow as the ball is being taking out. Opposite block I had my 4-man typically, someone who can post, screen, rebound and pass. Opposite elbow was just the opposite wing, person who can be the safety valve if needed.

The Action:
• Once the ball is handed to the player OB, the player on the block pops hard out to the corner to receive the pass.
• Player OB, must step in bounds, but not in the key. Player cannot stay out of bounds, that is a violation.
• The PG at the elbow will pop out to receive the pass from the player in the corner.
• At that time, player at the opposite elbow needs to step out looking for a pass, actually call for the ball to be swung. This is key for deception. I will often times have the PG take 1-2 dribbles that way to get the defense to take their eyes off the player who was out of bounds.
• When the PG begins his deception, the player in the corner dives hard to set a screen on the player who was OB. The player out of bounds must set their defender up to make sure they run into the screen.
• The shooter now pops hard to the corner, and the PG turns quickly to pass the ball back to the corner for a shot. I would anticipate getting a 3 out of this most of the time when we ran it.
Keys: Screener must wait to set the screen and they must be set. Shooter, must be patient and set their defender up, then cut hard to the corner to receive the ball for the shot. PG needs to really sell the misdirection.

There other variations and counters, but for any youth team or high school team, it will get you a good look or at least get the ball in bounds.