3 Man Weave Drill: Setup, Rules and Variations

How to run the 3 man weave drill: the setup, the pass and go behind rules, the finish, scoring and 3-point versions, the 5 man weave, and its limits.

The 3 man weave is a full-court passing and finishing drill where three players pass and cut behind each other to a layup, and this guide covers the setup, the rules, the variations and its limits.

The 3 man weave is a full-court drill for three players and one ball. They pass to each other without a dribble, cut behind the player they passed to, and finish with a layup at the far basket. Coaches use it to warm up the body and to build passing, catching, communication and finishing on the move. This guide covers the setup, the rules, the finish, the variations and what the 3 man weave does and does not teach.

Run it at full speed with the same rules on every rep. If the pace drops, stop the drill and run sprints.

The 3 Man Weave at a Glance

Question	Answer
Players	Three per group, at least three in total
Equipment	One ball per group and a basket at each end. A second ball speeds up the group changes
Dribbling	None, except one bounce to finish the layup
Core rule	After you pass, you cut behind the player you passed to
Ends with	A layup, then a second weave back to the first basket

3 Man Weave Drill: Setup and Rules

3 man weave drill diagram with three players across the baseline and the middle player passing to a wing

3 man weave drill. Three players line up across the baseline, the middle player (1) has the ball and throws the first pass to a wing (3).

Form three even lines on the baseline. The middle player starts with the ball. He calls go or slaps the ball and passes to a wing. Then he cuts behind that wing. The ball moves to the other wing, that passer cuts behind, and the pattern repeats up the floor.

No dribbling. Passes stay crisp.
Receivers move toward the ball and show a target.
Players stay wide and cut behind the person they passed to.
The passer calls the receiver's name and the number of the pass. The receiver yells "ball."
The next group starts as the group ahead finishes with a layup.

The Pass and Go Behind Pattern

3 man weave diagram with the passer cutting behind the receiver into the outside lane

3 man weave. The passer (1) cuts behind the player he passed to (3) and fills the outside lane while 3 passes to the middle (2).

The pattern is one action repeated. Catch, pass, cut behind. Each player handles the ball several times and cuts several times on every trip. Coaches split on the pass type. Some ask for chest passes throughout. Others make the last pass to the shooter a bounce pass. Pick one and keep it the same for every group.

High school teams often start by requiring five passes before the layup. Then they tighten it to three passes, which forces full sprint speed.

The Finish and the Return Trip

3 man weave diagram on the trip back with the last pass going to the middle player for the layup

3 man weave finish. On the trip back to the first basket the last pass from 3 goes to the middle player (2), who takes one bounce to the layup while 1 fills the other lane.

The last pass sets up a layup, and the shooter takes one bounce to finish. After the made layup the same group weaves back down to the first basket for a second layup. Then they file into the ends of the lines so the next group can go. Run the drill continuously with a make count or a limit on dropped passes to keep it competitive.

Variations and Scoring

Scored weave. Give points for made layups and take away points for misses, bad passes and fumbles. A stopwatch ranks each group of three for bonus points.
Made-in-a-row target. Set a target equal to the roster count and restart at zero on any error.
Three-point option. After the layup the trailer and the original passer fan out to the wings and catch a pass from a manager or an assistant on the baseline. Each trip is worth up to five points, one for the layup and two for each three. Run it in two-minute timed sets against a team target.
Called finishes. The coach calls one of three finishes at the end of the trip.
Weave into a screen read. Run a pass-and-cut weave into a live screen read against defenders.
Half-court weave. Start at the half-court line with two more players on the baseline. After the layup the shooters catch passes at the elbows and shoot mid-range jumpers while the baseline players close out, call "ball" and "shot," then box out and rebound.

5 man weave diagram with three attackers against two defenders on the way back

Five man weave, 3-on-2 return. The shooter and the passer (X1 and X3) become the two defenders and the other three (2, 4 and 5) attack them.

Five man weave. Five players run the traditional weave and finish with a layup. On the way back the shooter and the passer who made the assist become the two defenders. The other three attack them in a 3-on-2. The drill can then turn into a 2-on-1 with the last ball handler as the lone defender going the other way. It adds a fast switch from offense to defense and it teaches players to sprint back after a score.

What the Weave Does Not Teach

The 3 man weave is a warm-up tool. The wide-open chest passes and the cut behind the passer almost never happen on a real fast break, where passing lanes and layups are rarely that open. Use it to warm up the body and the mind, and to reinforce passing and catching. Rely on live, game-like drills to build passing, finishing and transition offense.

Pair it with live work, such as a 3-on-2 or 2-on-1 break. See Fast Break Basketball Drills, Drills to Teach Transition Offense and Basketball Fast Break Offense.

Coaching Points

Stay wide and cut behind the player you passed to.
Require the calls. Names, pass numbers and "ball" keep everyone talking.
Use the drill early in practice to warm up and to keep group changes quick.
Stop it and run sprints if the group is not at full speed. Fewer reps at game intensity beat more reps at a jog.
Tired reps are where correct execution is trained, so hold the standard late in the drill.

Questions Coaches Ask About the 3 Man Weave

What is the 3 man weave drill?

A full-court drill where three players pass without dribbling, cut behind the player they passed to, and finish with a layup.

What is the main rule of the 3 man weave?

After you pass, cut behind the player you passed to. The players stay wide and there is no dribbling.

How do you score the 3 man weave?

Give points for made layups and take away points for misses, bad passes and fumbles. A stopwatch adds bonus points for the fastest groups.

Is the 3 man weave a good drill?

It is a good warm-up for passing, catching, communication and finishing. It does not look like a real fast break, so pair it with live drills.

What is a 5 man weave?

Five players run the weave and finish. On the way back the shooter and passer defend a 3-on-2 against the other three.

All offense pages sit under the Offense hub and Fast Break Basketball. Related pages are Basketball Passing Drills, Basketball Warm-Up Drills and How to Run the Fast Break.

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