[Coach Rick]

Todd,

I think it would help if you were to go into Read & React 2.0 and watch the entire first layer. The reason that I don’t think that you’ve watched it is because you said “There’s no “rule” that goes with the layer, such as “you must cut after you pass” or “you must fill spots near the ball”. Those are the rules of the first layer of R&R.

Perhaps you were talking about Layer 4 – the Circle Movement of those without the ball whenever someone drives. You won’t be teaching Layer 4 until your players have acquired the skills and RULES of Layers 1, 2, and 3. These actions create the opportunities to drive.

You’ll find Real Estate, Draft Drives, etc, in Layer 1.

Thanks!
Rick

[Todd]

Rick in all honesty it would surprise me if anybody on this forum has watched your stuff more than I have, including 2.0! I’m truly a disciple!

Sorry for not being clearer. I’m talking about a pretty specific detail so let me try again.

The scoring opportunities within the first layer can be outlined as such:

1. Hitting the CUTTER (Rule: you must cut after you pass or when defense overplays). Sub groups would include FRONT CUT, REAR CUT and LOGO catches.

2. Hitting the FILLER (Rule: you must fill spots near the ball). Sub groups include READ LINE (back cut), CURL PUPPY DOG, OPEN SHOT, RIP, etc.

3. DRIVING off the spot (no rule, but notice that “real estate” is created when the corner cutter fills out). Sub groups include ???

So my point (and question) is really about how to break down driving in that first layer. I started this week by drilling the uphill pass from the corner, then the cutter clearing out and setting the back pick on the weak side, but are there other actions I should isolate to encourage the drill in this first layer?

I fully understand later in Layer 4 we’ll get to circle movement and that will be another kind of action to drill, but in this first layer I want to be able to place driving in the same context I’m placing cutting and filling, both of which are based on rules, not recognizing a situation.

Does that make sense? Thanks so much, Rick! Really appreciate you reading.

todd

[Coach Rick]

Yes, that makes sense. The breakdown of your third section in Layer 1, what you call “Driving Off the Spot” is a list of 4 situations that can be taught as “driving triggers”. If a player is inexperienced and/or often drives without an advantage, then I teach 4 triggers. i.e., 4 DRIVING OPPORTUNITIES that are based on the Spacing created in Layer 1.

These Driving Opportunities are the Subgroups you asked about. The Subgroups are the 4 below:

1. READING REAL ESTATE: This is commonly referred to as “wait until a Double Gap” occurs. I start with the uphill pass from the corner, because I want the cutters to seek action on the other side of the floor and off course it creates a good driving opp. If you are 4 OUT 1 IN (either intentionally or not) then corners are often empty. When the wing passes uphill, the guard should follow the cutter with a drive because of the empty space.

2. KILLING CLOSE-OUTS: This is a recognizable trigger and you don’t need Real Estate to beat the defender. This also is easy to set up in a daily drill. The decisions to train are (a) Should I shoot (b) drive left, or (c) drive right based on the nature of the close-out. A drill example is located at the 24:00 minute mark.

3. DRAFT DRIVES: When a teammate passes to you and cuts, before the spot is filled, there is a brief moment of double-gap-spacing-real-estate that you can take advantage of. Again, it’s the Trigger that I want to train. This is a good time to drive and I want that thought entering the mind of my players when the pass is on its way to them. This can be set up as a two player drill and then defense can be added, etc. You’ll find a progression of drills from 28:20 to 30:57.

4. OOPS DRIVE or OOPS SCREEN: When a teammate passes you the ball and cuts poorly, arcing in your direction, WITH BOTH HANDS UP, it’s a signal or trigger for you drive as close to your teammate as possible and try to brush your defender off this “moving screen”. For those that cannot recognize an OOPS DRAFT DRIVE, you must teach the cutter to throw up both hands. This is the signal that says “Drive off my tail immediately”. You can see examples and drills at the end of the video: 31:17+

Let me know if I missed you point again. That’s always possible! 🙂

[Todd]

Thanks for all that, Rick. Really appreciate it. Last question: Isn’t the draft drive and Reading Real Estate essentially the same thing? Both are driving into space created by a cutter. What’s the difference?

[Coach Rick]

Yes
However, there are situations where Real Estate is available without being created by a cutter and I want the player triggered to drive it (or at least consider it). Like 4 OUT with 2 guards and 2 wings. The corners are empty because of the formation. It’s Real Estate.

Or, a Ball Screen occurs with a Triple formation (your 3 teammates are on one side of the screen and empty space (Real Estate) on the other side. I want the ballhandler to recognize the advantage.

So, the Uphill pass from the corner followed by a draft drive is just the first way I want to point out Real Estate before teaching the Draft Drive.

I don’t know if this is the best way to teach “drive open spaces”. I’m wide open if you have any better ideas. And I’m very serious about new ideas. Let me know!

[Todd]

Makes a lot of sense what you are saying about the difference between Real Estate and Draft— I got you.

Your question to me about how best to teach “drive open spaces” pretty much brings this thing full circle, because that’s what I mean in my original question: It’s hard to teach a scoring opportunity that is not defined by an action or rule, but rather by the perception of something. Whereas previously in layer 1 you are essentially saying “Here’s the action, and here are the places you can score off the action,” yet with Driving in the first layer, that organizing structure gets turned on it’s head: “Here’s the scoring opportunity (driving), and here are a bunch of situations in which you can use it.” I may be quibbling with details but to me it matters because I rely on a consistent organizing principal to create my drills and define my practices.

In fact, what I’m working on may be interesting to you (not that I haven’t taken up enough of your time!). I’m creating an organizing structure– a kind of map, if you will— that will allow coaches to implement the R&R— or really any offense, using clear progressions that give tons of context for players, actively bridging concepts by gradually increasing randomness, combining concepts, and defensive pressure. Of course we all do this naturally as coaches, but I’m looking to literally define how we teach so that if an individual, group or team isn’t getting a concept, it’s absolutely clear where to go from there, forward, backward or even laterally. A map doesn’t tell you how to go every time, but it does show you where you are in relation to where you want to be, and different paths to get there, and that’s what I’m trying to do.

In a nutshell, my system will use a flexible but predictable drill-format in which numbered dots are set out to define any action, say dribble-at, in such a way that a coach can work from 1v0 to 2v1 to 3v2, 3v3… all the way up to 5v5, adding or subtracting players to the situation but retaining a clear player rotation that everyone understands, and running it with no D, dummy D and live D (which is essentially small-sided games once you are at 3v2 and above). My goal is to give coaches something they can tinker with on the fly, as well as through planning, such that they can decide to focus on footwork one day, but another day the 3 or 4 player motion, all under the umbrella of the same action.

So I know that’s probably confusing and maybe sounds like what you’ve already laid out, but essentially I’m taking your drills, combining with my own drills and games, and creating a database and a specific method for using the database.

I’ll have 3 coaches working under me next season, and I’m going to insist for the first time that they all run the R&R. So part of my motivation is to be able to communicate your offense AND my methods to other coaches. The other part is I just can’t get enough R&R and nerding out on how best to teach to younger players.

Thank you for creating this incredible thing called the Read & React, Rick. It opened up so much for me as a coach!!

[Coach Rick]

Thanks for the kind words! Of course I’m interested in your map and you methods! I’m always looking for a better way or different path. If it’s not too much trouble, keep me up to date as you go through this season. I would love to follow along!

[Todd]

Will do! I’ve just been running a little off-season clinic with my teams this spring, but got them a nice head start on the R&R for the upcoming season, which starts in the late fall. I’ll be in touch!