Short Corner Zone Offense: “Bones” vs a 2-3 Zone

“Bones” is a zone offense with a strong focus on getting the ball into the short corner. Against a 2-3 zone, a catch in the short corner pulls the bottom of the zone out of position and opens up the middle. The offense keeps a player flashing to the high post and a player in the short corner on every side of the floor, and sometimes even has wing players flash into the short corner.

Initial Set

• 1 at the top with the ball.
• 2 and 3 on the wings.
• 4 and 5 on either side of the lane around the mid post.

How It Runs

1. Wing Entry

1. 1 dribbles toward a wing to pull the top of the zone, then passes to 2.
2. On the pass, the weak side post (4) flashes to the middle of the zone, and the ball side post (5) drops to the short corner.
3. 2 hits 4 in the middle. 2 then slides down to the short corner area, and 5 runs the baseline to the opposite block.
4. 4 faces up and reads the zone: the short corner, the opposite block, or back out to the top.

2. Reverse the Ball

5. If nothing is open, 4 kicks it back to 1 and 2 lifts back up to the wing.
6. 1 swings the ball to 3 on the other wing, and the posts run the same rules on that side: one flashes to the middle and one fills the short corner.
7. When the zone shifts hard to the ball, the high post can skip it back to the weak side wing.

3. Short Corner Feed and Cut

8. With the ball on the wing, one post flashes to the middle and the other dives to the ball side short corner.
9. The wing passes to the short corner and cuts hard into the gap in the middle of the zone.
10. The short corner hits the cutter, or kicks it back out and the offense resets.

The offense can run continuously, swinging the ball side to side until the zone breaks down. In the animation, the last possession ends with the high post finding a cutter on the weak side block for a layup.

Coaching Points

• Always fill the middle and the short corner. When the ball moves, someone flashes to the high post and someone drops to the short corner. Those two spots are what stretch the bottom of a 2-3.
• Face up on every catch. The high post and the short corner have to catch and look at the rim. If they don’t look like a threat to score, the zone won’t react.
• Move the ball faster than the zone. Quick reversals and the occasional skip pass are what open up the short corner on the other side.
• Cut after you pass. The wing who feeds the short corner should cut into the gap right away, while the defense is turned toward the ball.
• Crash the glass. With players in the short corner and on the block, you’re in good position for offensive rebounds.

Common Mistakes

• The short corner player drifting into the corner, where the pass is easy to cover
• Nobody flashing to the middle after the ball is reversed
• The wing standing after feeding the short corner instead of cutting
• Holding the ball at the high post instead of looking for the quick pass

Diagrams and animation of Bones, a short corner zone offense.

More zone plays: see all of our zone offense plays for beating a 2-3, 1-3-1 or 1-2-2 zone.