BYU Basketball Plays: Mark Pope Pistol, Ricky and STS Sets

BYU basketball plays: Mark Pope's Pistol, Ricky and screen the screener actions, plus three older BYU sets, drawn frame by frame.

BYU basketball plays on this page are three actions from Mark Pope's BYU teams and three older BYU sets from earlier seasons, with every frame drawn and every player placed.

BYU basketball plays on this page come from different seasons, and they are kept apart. The first group is three actions from Mark Pope's BYU teams, built on a spread floor: Pistol, a dribble hand-off continuity that BYU also ran under Dave Rose, then Ricky, a screen and rescreen action, and STS, a screen the screener set for baseline out-of-bounds. The second group is three older BYU sets from earlier playbooks, one of them dated 2012. Those pages name no coach, so none is named here. This page draws 6 plays across 18 frames, and the text under each frame names where all five players go.

Every Pope action here gives one player two chances: a second hand-off in Pistol, a second screen for the same shooter in Ricky, and a second screen for the first screener in STS.

BYU Basketball Plays at a Glance

The first three rows are the Pope actions: Pistol in four frames, Ricky in four, and STS in two. The STS diagrams stop before its last action, a pin down by 5 for 2, so that pin down is described in the text but not drawn. The last three rows are the older sets: a post loop around a double screen, a box set that frees a shooter at the elbow, and a pass and dribble push against a 2-3 zone. A second playbook draws the post loop in two frames as Double Post, so it is drawn only once, from the fuller three-frame version.

Play	Family	Frames	What it does
Pistol	Mark Pope's BYU Actions	4	A dribble hand-off continuity: four perimeter players keep handing the ball off, 5 comes out to ball-screen, and the two players away from the ball spot up or cut backdoor.
Ricky	Mark Pope's BYU Actions	4	A screen and rescreen action: a hand-off sends the ball across, a big steps out for the reversal, and then every shooter gets a second screen.
STS (Screen the Screener)	Mark Pope's BYU Actions	2	A box set under the basket, against man or zone: the first screener gets screened next, and a pin down finishes it.
Double Post Loop	Older BYU Set Plays	3	A reversal to the trailer, a pop to the slot, and then two bigs stand in a line so the 4 can loop around them into the post.
Box Elbow Diagonal Slant	Older BYU Set Plays	3	From a box, the ball goes to the elbow side, a big screens the low defender and the shooter pops to the opposite elbow. A late closeout gives him the drive.
Push Base In	An Older BYU Set Against the 2-3 Zone	2	Against a 2-3 zone: a pass and return, a dribble push, a reversal that the zone forward has to take, then a baseline runner behind a screen on the middle defender.

How to Read These Diagrams

Every play is drawn frame by frame, one diagram for each frame of the original, and the text under each diagram says where every player starts and where he goes. The basket is at the bottom of each diagram. Sides are named as a player sees them facing the basket, so the left wing is on the right side of the picture. A solid arrow is a cut, a dashed arrow is a pass, a wavy line is a dribble and a line ending in a short bar is a screen. The diagram guide covers the symbols in full. No offensive player starts a frame standing in the lane. Where a source frame had someone there, he is drawn on the nearest lane line or block.

Mark Pope's BYU Actions

Pistol

A dribble hand-off continuity: four perimeter players keep handing the ball off, 5 comes out to ball-screen, and the two players away from the ball spot up or cut backdoor.

Pistol, frame 1: 1 dribbles at 2 for the hand-off.

Frame 1. Four out and one in. 1 has the ball on the left wing, 2 is in the left corner, 5 at the left block, 3 on the right wing and 4 in the right corner. 1 dribbles down toward 2, and 2 comes up out of the left corner to take a dribble hand-off from him on the left wing.

Pistol, frame 2: 2 brings it to the top and swings it.

Frame 2. After the hand-off, 2 steps out above 1 with the ball, a move with no arrow. 2 has the ball high on the left wing, 1 is just below him on the left wing, 5 at the left block, 3 on the right wing and 4 in the right corner. 2 dribbles across to the top of the key, then swings the ball to 3 on the right wing.

Pistol, frame 3: the next hand-off, and 5 comes out to screen.

Frame 3. 3 has the ball on the right wing, 4 is in the right corner, 2 in the left slot, 1 on the left wing and 5 at the left block. 3 dribbles down toward 4, and 4 comes up out of the right corner to take the hand-off on the right wing. 5 cuts from the left block across the lane and out toward the right slot, just inside the arc, to set the next ball screen. 1 drops from the left wing to the left corner, and 2 holds the left slot.

Pistol, frame 4: 5 ball-screens for 4.

Frame 4. Between frames, 4 has stepped out with the ball and 2 has slid wider in the left slot, moves with no arrows. 4 has the ball on the right wing, 3 is just below him on the right wing, 5 just inside the arc on the right side, 2 in the left slot and 1 in the left corner. 5 sets a ball screen for 4, and 4 drives off it toward the free-throw line. 5 rolls to the right block. 3 drifts down toward the right corner. 2 and 1 spot up on the left side and cut backdoor if their defenders overplay them.

Ricky

A screen and rescreen action: a hand-off sends the ball across, a big steps out for the reversal, and then every shooter gets a second screen.

Ricky, frame 1: the hand-off, and 2 brings it across.

Frame 1. 1 has the ball in the right slot, 2 is on the right wing, 5 at the right elbow, 4 at the left block and 3 in the left corner. 1 dribbles out to the right wing and hands the ball to 2. 2 comes off the hand-off and keeps dribbling, curling back behind 1 and across the top to the left slot.

Ricky, frame 2: 5 steps out and 3 cuts off 4.

Frame 2. 2 has the ball in the left slot, 5 is at the right elbow, 1 on the right wing, 4 at the left block and 3 in the left corner. 5 steps out from the right elbow to the right slot and 2 passes to him. On the pass, 4 screens for 3, and 3 cuts off the screen across the lane to the right block. 1 slides down the right wing toward the corner.

Ricky, frame 3: the hand-off to 1 and 4's flare screen.

Frame 3. 5 has the ball in the right slot, 1 is on the right wing, 3 at the right block, 2 in the left slot and 4 just outside the left block, where he set his screen. 5 dribbles toward the right wing, and 1 comes up from the wing to take a hand-off from him. At the same time 4 comes up to the left elbow and sets a flare screen for 2, and 2 fades off it to the left wing.

Ricky, frame 4: the pin down and the rescreen.

Frame 4. After the hand-off, 1 has the ball in the right slot, 5 is just below him, 3 at the right block, 4 just inside the arc to the left of the top of the key and 2 low on the left wing. 5 pins down for 3, and 3 curls off the screen out to the right wing. 4 screens for 2 a second time, the rescreen, and 2 comes up off it to the left slot. 1 can hit either shooter.

STS (Screen the Screener)

A box set under the basket, against man or zone: the first screener gets screened next, and a pin down finishes it.

STS (Screen the Screener), frame 1: the bigs pop and 3 screens for 2.

Frame 1. A box for a baseline out-of-bounds play. 1 takes the ball out on the right side of the basket, 5 is at the right block, 4 at the left block, 3 at the right elbow and 2 at the left elbow. 5 pops out to the right corner and 4 to the left corner, and 1 inbounds to 5. 3 screens across for 2 at the free-throw line, and 2 cuts off the screen down into the lane toward the right block.

STS (Screen the Screener), frame 2: 2 screens for 1, the screener gets screened.

Frame 2. 5 has the ball in the right corner, 4 is in the left corner, 3 at the free-throw line where he set his screen, 2 in the lane just above the right block, where that screen sent him, and 1 still out of bounds after his pass. 3 cuts out to the right slot and 5 passes to him. 2 screens down for 1, and 1 steps in from under the basket, comes off the screen and cuts up the lane to the free-throw line, which clears the space under the basket. The play then finishes with 5 setting a pin down for 2. That last screen is not drawn in this diagram.

Older BYU Set Plays

Double Post Loop

A reversal to the trailer, a pop to the slot, and then two bigs stand in a line so the 4 can loop around them into the post.

Double Post Loop, frame 1: the trailer reversal and 3's pop.

Frame 1. 1 brings the ball up the right side, 4 trails at the top of the key, 3 is on the left wing, 5 at the right block and 2 in the right corner. 1 dribbles to the right wing and passes back to 4 at the top of the key. 3 cuts hard to the left elbow, then pops back out to the left slot, and 4 passes to him. 5 lifts from the right block to the high post, and 2 lifts up out of the right corner.

Double Post Loop, frame 2: 4 steps in and 1 gets the ball back.

Frame 2. Between frames, 1 slides in from the right wing to the right slot and 2 moves up to the right lane line, moves with no arrows. 3 has the ball in the left slot, 4 is just inside the arc at the top of the key, 1 in the right slot, 5 at the high post and 2 on the right lane line above the block. 4 steps down toward the free-throw line after his pass. 1 steps up toward the top of the key, and 3 passes to him.

Double Post Loop, frame 3: 4 loops around the double screen into the post.

Frame 3. 1 has the ball in the right slot, 4 is just above the free-throw line, 5 at the high post, 2 below him on the right lane line and 3 in the left slot. 5 and 2 set a double screen in a line down the right side of the lane, and 4 loops around both of them into the post at the right block. 1 dribbles out to the right wing and feeds 4 in the post. 3 holds the left slot.

Box Elbow Diagonal Slant

From a box, the ball goes to the elbow side, a big screens the low defender and the shooter pops to the opposite elbow. A late closeout gives him the drive.

Box Elbow Diagonal Slant, frame 1: the pass to 4 and 3 runs the baseline.

Frame 1. A box: 2 at the left block, 3 at the right block, 4 at the left elbow and 5 at the right elbow, with 1 on the ball out top, well above the arc. 4 steps out from the left elbow to the left slot and 1 passes to him. 1 then cuts to the left wing. 3 runs the baseline from the right block, under the basket, to the left corner. 2 posts up hard at the left block to keep his defender, X2, low.

Box Elbow Diagonal Slant, frame 2: 5 screens X2 and 2 pops out on the right.

Frame 2. 4 has the ball in the left slot, 1 is on the left wing, 3 in the left corner, 2 at the left block with X2 on him and 5 at the right elbow. 5 comes down the lane and screens X2. 2 comes off the screen across the lane and pops out past the right elbow to the right slot, the area 5 left, and 4 passes to him for a quick jump shot.

Box Elbow Diagonal Slant, frame 3: a late closeout, so 2 drives.

Frame 3. Between frames, 2 steps in from the right slot to just outside the right elbow with the ball, a move with no arrow. 2 has the ball just outside the right elbow with X2 running at him, 5 is at the left block, 4 in the left slot, 1 on the left wing and 3 in the left corner. X2 closes out hard but late, so 2 drives past him to the rim. On the left side, 1 screens down for 3, 4 adds a second screen, and 3 runs up off both screens to the top of the key.

An Older BYU Set Against the 2-3 Zone

Push Base In

Against a 2-3 zone: a pass and return, a dribble push, a reversal that the zone forward has to take, then a baseline runner behind a screen on the middle defender.

Push Base In, frame 1: the pass and return, and 3 cuts in.

Frame 1. Against a 2-3 zone. 1 has the ball at the top of the key, 4 is on the left wing, 3 on the right wing, 5 at the left block and 2 at the right block. 1 passes to 4 and 4 passes right back to him. 3 cuts in from the right wing to the free-throw line.

Push Base In, frame 2: the push, the reversal and 2 behind the screen.

Frame 2. 1 has the ball at the top of the key, 4 is on the left wing, 3 at the free-throw line, 5 at the left block and 2 at the right block. 1 dribbles to the right slot, and 4 cuts behind him to the top of the key, where 1 passes back to him. 3 cuts out to the left wing and 4 reverses the ball to him, so the forward on that side of the zone has to come out and guard 3. 5 screens the middle defender of the zone, and 2 runs the baseline behind the screen from the right block to the left short corner, where 3 passes to him for a shot.

Ideas That Repeat

The ball keeps changing sides. Pistol and Ricky both swing it with a hand-off or a reversal before the real action starts.
The big is a screener and a passer. 5 comes out to ball-screen in Pistol, steps out for the reversal in Ricky and pops to the corner for the inbounds pass in STS.
A player who screens once often screens again. Ricky's 4 sets a flare screen and then a rescreen, and in STS the first screener gets screened next.
Players away from the ball are not resting. In Pistol they spot up or cut backdoor when they are overplayed.
The older sets use the low defender's habits. A big screens the man guarding the post in the box set, and a big screens the middle of the zone so a baseline runner gets free.
A late closeout turns a jump shot into a drive. The box set teaches the shooter to read how fast his defender arrives.

The hand-off ideas behind Pistol are on dribble hand-off, and the ball screen at the end of it on pick and roll. The screens in Ricky are covered in flare screen basketball and down screen basketball. STS fits beside the other sets on BLOB set plays and box set inbound plays. The older sets connect to set plays vs man to man and, for Push Base In, to zone offense vs the 2-3 zone. BYU is one of the programs on the college basketball plays page under the Offense hub. Teach one action at a time and rep it until the second screen or second hand-off comes without a call.

Questions Coaches Ask About BYU Basketball Plays

What is Pistol action at BYU?

A dribble hand-off continuity. Four perimeter players keep dribbling at each other and handing the ball off to create movement, while 5 comes out to set ball screens for the guards. The two players on the far side spot up or cut backdoor if their defenders overplay them.

What is a Ricky action?

A screen and rescreen action. After a hand-off and a reversal, the shooters get screened, and then the same screener comes back and screens them again. It looks a little like blocker and mover offense.

What does STS mean in basketball?

Screen the screener. A player sets a screen, and then a teammate screens for him right away. It is hard to guard because the defender on the first screener is busy helping on the first cut.

Does the STS set work against a zone?

Yes. It is a baseline out-of-bounds set meant for either defense, man-to-man or zone. The bigs pop to the corners to stretch the defense before the screens start.

Who coached the older BYU sets?

The pages they come from label each set as BYU's but name no coach, and they come from seasons before the Pope actions, so no coach is credited for them here.

School profile: BYU Cougars on College Basketball Recruit.

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