Flex offense
Encyclopedia
The Flex offense is an offensive strategy in basketball
developed in the 1970s. It is a patterned offense relying on cuts across the key (called a "flex cut") and down screens to create a "pick-the-picker" action. This offense is most effective against a man-to-man defense, though some ambitious coaches have used it against odd front zones. It is the favored offense of many high school programs because it requires players to be in constant motion and the patterns of screens and cuts are easy to remember. Though dismissed by many coaches at the college level for its predictability, some notable programs still rely on it. It is currently run by many NCAA
teams, perhaps most famously by Gary Williams
of the University of Maryland
. Williams used the flex offense to lead the Terrapins to the 2002 NCAA National Championship. Also, Gordie James of Willamette University
used the flex offense to lead the Bearcats
to the 1993 NAIA Division II National Championship. Additionally, Jerry Sloan
famously ran his variation of it for years with the Utah Jazz
.
The flex is a type of continuity offense
, similar to (and in fact derived from) the earlier shuffle offense
.
The basic theory behind the flex offense is that all players are interchangeable--no player has a traditional role. The point guard advances the ball up the court to start the offense, while other players set screens to create openings. Typically, the point guard sets the offense on the same side as a low-post player positioned at the right block. The point guard passes opposite to a high-post at the top of the key while a wing player cuts off a screen by the low post player towards the ball to receive a pass from the high post player. The point guard screens down to the low post player who moves to the top of the key to receive a pass from the high post player. The same cut occurs on the other side of the ball and the offense begins its continuous cycle.
both run modified versions of the simplistic flex offense. Maryland attempts to run a version of the flex offense that allows for closer shots at the basket, and is less focused on obtaining open perimeter jump shots. Boston College
under Coach Al Skinner
also ran the flex; the BC version was very compact, creating an extremely physical game and limiting a team's ability to help because of how collapsed the floor is.
Variations of the flex include the 5 man flex, utilizing all 5 players in the cutting and screening action and the 4 man flex, which utilizes 4 players. Since this offense is classified as a continuity offense, in which players repeat specific actions, some teams will build in options within the offense to keep defenses from anticipating a particular cut or screen.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
developed in the 1970s. It is a patterned offense relying on cuts across the key (called a "flex cut") and down screens to create a "pick-the-picker" action. This offense is most effective against a man-to-man defense, though some ambitious coaches have used it against odd front zones. It is the favored offense of many high school programs because it requires players to be in constant motion and the patterns of screens and cuts are easy to remember. Though dismissed by many coaches at the college level for its predictability, some notable programs still rely on it. It is currently run by many NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
teams, perhaps most famously by Gary Williams
Gary Williams
Gary B. Williams is an American university administrator and former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, Ohio State University, Boston College, and American University. In 2002, he led Maryland to the NCAA Tournament Championship...
of the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
. Williams used the flex offense to lead the Terrapins to the 2002 NCAA National Championship. Also, Gordie James of Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
used the flex offense to lead the Bearcats
Willamette Bearcats
The Willamette Bearcats are the athletic teams of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, United States. Competing at the non-scholarship National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III level, the school fields twenty teams. Most teams compete in the Northwest Conference with their primary...
to the 1993 NAIA Division II National Championship. Additionally, Jerry Sloan
Jerry Sloan
Gerald Eugene "Jerry" Sloan , is an American former National Basketball Association player and head coach, and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. NBA commissioner David Stern called Sloan "one of the greatest and most respected coaches in NBA history." Sloan had a career regular-season...
famously ran his variation of it for years with the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
The flex is a type of continuity offense
Continuity offense
A continuity offense is one of two main categories of basketball offenses, the other being motion offense.Continuity offenses are characterized by a pattern of movement, cuts, screens and passes which eventually leads back to the starting formation...
, similar to (and in fact derived from) the earlier shuffle offense
Shuffle offense
Shuffle offense as an offensive strategy in basketball, developed in the early 1950s by Bruce Drake at the University of Oklahoma. It was later used by Bob Spear, who was the first head basketball coach of the United States Air Force Academy from 1957-71. The shuffle offense is an offense that has...
.
The basic theory behind the flex offense is that all players are interchangeable--no player has a traditional role. The point guard advances the ball up the court to start the offense, while other players set screens to create openings. Typically, the point guard sets the offense on the same side as a low-post player positioned at the right block. The point guard passes opposite to a high-post at the top of the key while a wing player cuts off a screen by the low post player towards the ball to receive a pass from the high post player. The point guard screens down to the low post player who moves to the top of the key to receive a pass from the high post player. The same cut occurs on the other side of the ball and the offense begins its continuous cycle.
Variations
University of Maryland and Gonzaga UniversityGonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
both run modified versions of the simplistic flex offense. Maryland attempts to run a version of the flex offense that allows for closer shots at the basket, and is less focused on obtaining open perimeter jump shots. Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
under Coach Al Skinner
Al Skinner
Albert L. Skinner is an American men's college basketball head coach and a former collegiate and professional basketball player. He was formerly the head coach of the Boston College men's basketball team.-College:Skinner played at the University of Massachusetts...
also ran the flex; the BC version was very compact, creating an extremely physical game and limiting a team's ability to help because of how collapsed the floor is.
Variations of the flex include the 5 man flex, utilizing all 5 players in the cutting and screening action and the 4 man flex, which utilizes 4 players. Since this offense is classified as a continuity offense, in which players repeat specific actions, some teams will build in options within the offense to keep defenses from anticipating a particular cut or screen.