Coaches’ Corner- Last Second Plays at End of Quarters

Whether it is NBA, WNBA, college, or high school basketball, when the other team scores with seconds left in a game, coaches will usually take a time out to set a length of the court play. 

Situation #1

1) Team A hits a free throw with 4 seconds to go. Team B takes a time out to set up a length of the court play. 

2) Team A hits a free throw with 4 seconds to go. Team B lets the ball bounce on the floor so all the players can set up in spots to run a predetermined play, then the inbounder picks up the ball and they run the play. 

3) In college women, NBA, and WNBA- the team will take the time out and move the ball to half-court. 

Situation #2

1) Team A hits a ft with 7 seconds left to go, Team B will get the ball to half court and then take a time out. 

2) Team A hits a free throw with 4 seconds to go. Team B takes a time out to set up a length of the court play. 

3) Team A hits a free throw with 4 seconds to go. Team B lets the ball bounce on the floor so all the players can set up in spots to run a predetermined play, then the inbounder picks up the ball and they run the play. 

4) In college women, NBA, and WNBA- the team will take the time out and move the ball to half-court. 

My Questions

1) As a coach, do you have a set last second play you can run after a made free throw last in a game- without taking a time out? Can you during the free throw call out the play to either go to score or get the ball to half-court without calling a time out?

2) On a high school level, and the other team scores with under 10 seconds on a made basket (so the clock keeps running), do you have a play your team practices so they can get it out of the net and go to score without a timeout?

3) Obviously in a close game, if the other team scores late, you are going to want to either have a plan of what you want to run or you are going to take a time out to put in your play. 

A- How often do you practice these length of the floor plays?

B- If you are going to do this at the end of game, why don’t you use these plays or these timeouts at the end of the first, second, and third quarter? 

My Observation

It is amazing how many teams “throw away” possessions at the end of quarters. I am not saying that if the other team scores with 3 seconds that I would take a time out but if there were 5-10 seconds left, I would make sure that either I had an action planned and practiced to run without a time out, or I would be willing to take a time out.