Home/Basketball/Elevator Screen Drill
OffenseAdvanced

Elevator Screen Drill

An advanced screening action where two screeners close together behind a cutter, sealing the defender out entirely — a staple of late-game and out-of-bounds sets at the high-school level and above.

Age RangeAges 14+
Duration12–15 minutes
Group Size5 players
SportBasketball

Equipment Needed

  • One basketball
  • Half court

Build out your practice kit

This screening action just needs a ball and two screeners, but a basic coaching-aid kit keeps the rest of practice moving.

Shop Basketball Coaching Gear on Amazon As an Amazon Associate, FreeCoachingDrills.com earns from qualifying purchases.

Setup

  • Two screeners stand a few feet apart near the free-throw line; a shooter starts near the baseline.
  • A passer sets up on the wing with the ball; a defender trails the shooter.
Elevator Screen DrillSSOPcutScreeners close together; cutter clears through them for a catch-and-shoot

Instructions

  1. The shooter cuts up between the two screeners as they close together, sealing the defender behind them.
  2. The passer delivers the ball the instant the shooter clears the screens.
  3. The shooter catches and shoots without hesitation — the whole action is designed for a clean look.
  4. Reset and rotate screeners and shooter every few reps.
Coaching Points
  • Screeners must close the gap together on cue, not one at a time, or the defender slips through.
  • The cutter's path has to be tight off the screeners' shoulders, not a wide, looping route.
  • Timing between the screen closing and the pass being delivered is the entire action — rep it until it's automatic.
  • This is a catch-and-shoot action; a hesitation dribble defeats the purpose.

Variation

Run it out of a sideline out-of-bounds set for full game context, or have the shooter fake using the elevator and back-cut instead for a counter look.

More High School Basketball Drills