5 Out Backdoor Cut

Purpose

“5 Out Backdoor Cut” creates a scoring opportunity at the rim when a defender overplays the pass from the wing to the top. With 2 holding the ball on the wing, 3 fills the top spot, reads the denial, and cuts behind the defender toward the basket.

Use this action within your 5-out motion offense to punish pressure on the ball reversal. The backdoor pass is an opportunity, not a requirement: when the passing window is closed, 2 keeps the ball and the other players refill the perimeter.

Setup

The sequence starts during a perimeter refill, with 1 near the basket and the other four players outside.

• 1 — Point Guard: Near the rim, preparing to exit to the corner opposite the ball.
• 2 — Shooting Guard: On the wing outside the three-point line, holding the ball.
• 3 — Small Forward: On the opposite wing, preparing to fill the top.
• 4 — Power Forward: In the ball-side corner, below 2.
• 5 — Center: In the opposite corner, preparing to lift to the wing.

The spacing targets are the top, both wings, and both corners. Although 1 begins inside, this is not a post-up alignment: 1 clears the basket area during the opening rotation.

For the defensive read, place a defender on 3 who can move into the passing lane between 2 and the top.

Execution

1. Clear the basket area and fill the perimeter. 1 exits to the opposite corner. As that happens, 5 lifts from that corner to the opposite wing, and 3 moves around the perimeter from the wing to the top. Each player fills the space being vacated by a teammate. Meanwhile, 2 keeps the ball on the wing and 4 holds the ball-side corner.

2. Read the denial at the top. As 3 arrives at the top, the defender moves onto the ball side of 3 to take away the pass from 2. Rather than drifting farther away from the basket to receive the ball, 3 changes direction and cuts behind the defender toward the rim.

3. Look for the backdoor pass. 2 watches for a clear passing window as 3 gets behind the defender. When that window is available, 2 leads 3 toward the basket for a finish. If the defender recovers or help blocks the passing lane, 2 keeps possession rather than forcing the ball inside.