Many young players need to be taught how to run in basketball – particularly how to move in offence without the ball. In particular, knowing when to move is just as important as knowing where to move.

Three common mistakes are losing sight of the ball, running sideways and running along the wrong “pathways”.

To correct these mistakes:

Players must learn to run while turning their necks to see the ball – “chin to shoulder” will keep the ball in sight (e.g. when running a fast break) whilst still being able to run as quickly as possible;
Players should also learn when it is appropriate to run sideways. For example, it may be appropriate when cutting into the keyway to run sideways in order to prevent the defensive player (if behind them) from intercepting the pass;
Finally, they must learn to run using the right pathways. For example, it would be inappropriate to run the Fast-Break without respecting the lanes or to cut to the basket leaving a gap between themselves and a screener. In both instances, the wrong movement makes the defensive task easier.