"CAT" Offense
| Back Cuts | Post Roll | Opposite Corner Rule | Dribble Penetration |
The CAT offense is a simple, but very successful offense to deploy when the defense traps or double teams. It can also be extended and used very effectively as a weapon in attacking full and half court zone presses.
The Cat Offense entails setting up in a 2-1-2 spread alignment and moving the ball with sharp accurate passing. The post or middle position is the key position of the CAT offense and it should be filled by a highly skilled, triple threat player. Although, the majority of attack is comprised of just moving the ball, there are a couple of basic rules that should be applied.
Baseline Back Cuts
Anytime the ball goes to the middle, baseline players look to back cut to the basket.
When O1 passes to O5 in the middle, O3 and O4 back cut along baseline. O5 then looks to feed O4 or O3.
When O2 passes to O5, O3 and O4 make back cuts along the basket. O5 looks to feed O3 or O4.
Post Roll Action
CAUTION: Post O5 should never receive a pass with back to the basket. Inside foot should be forward to seal off the defender and provide peripheral vision to the basket.
Anytime the ball is passed to a baseline corner, the post player looks to roll to the basket.
Anytime the ball is passed to a corner player, post O5 looks to roll to the basket for shot.
When defender plays high and denies O5's roll to basket, post O5 should pivot and back cut to the basket.
If the post does not receive the ball on roll to basket, they simply go back to the original high position.
Post Roll Variation
If desired, a post interchange can occur on a post roll to the basket. When Corner O3 does not feed O5 on roll to basket, O5 clears out to the opposite corner and O4 fills the middle position.
When Corner O4 does not feed O5 on roll to basket, O5 clears out to the opposite corner and O3 fills the middle position.
Opposite Corner Rule
"When in trouble always look to pass to the opposite corner."
If O3 corner is trapped, O3 should look to make a skip pass out to O2.
If O1 receives a hard double team, O1 should look to make a skip pass to opposite corner O4.
If O4 corner is trapped, O4 should look to make a skip pass out to O1.
If O2 receives a hard double team, O2 should look to make a skip pass to opposite corner O3.
Dribble Penetration
Use dribble penetration sparingly to get out of trouble. Drive and kick. Keep the ball, along with the clock, moving and avoid taking a foul. If the defense does quits double teaming, hold the ball or flow directly into one of the penetrating spread offenses.
