What Is a Screen in Basketball? Types, Rules & How to Set One

A screen in basketball — also called a pick — is a legal blocking move where an offensive player positions their body to obstruct a defender, freeing a teammate to shoot, pass, or drive. To be legal, the screener must be stationary and vertical at the moment of contact, with reasonable space for the defender to avoid them.

Basketball Screen Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Other Name	Pick
Type	Legal blocking move by offensive player
Most common screen	Ball screen (pick-and-roll)
Off-ball vs on-ball	Both legal
Illegal version	Moving screen (offensive foul)
Required stance	Stationary, feet shoulder-width, arms tucked
Required spacing	One step from a stationary defender
Most famous play	Pick-and-roll (Stockton-Malone, Nash-Stoudemire)

The 2 Main Categories of Screens

According to Wikipedia, a screen in basketball is a blocking move by an offensive player who stands beside or behind a defender to free up a teammate to shoot, pass, or drive — also known as a pick — and the screener must remain stationary at the moment of contact.

Category	Definition	Example
On-ball screen	Set for the player with the ball	Pick-and-roll, pick-and-pop
Off-ball screen	Set for a player without the ball	Down screen, back screen, flare screen

Most modern basketball offenses are built around on-ball screens. Off-ball screens free shooters and cutters away from the action.

The 8 Most Common Types of Screens

1. Ball Screen (Pick)

A screen set for the ball-handler. The most common screen in basketball. After the ball-handler uses it, the screener "rolls" to the basket or "pops" out for a shot.

2. Down Screen (Pin Down)

The screener faces the baseline, screening for a teammate cutting up to the perimeter. Used to free shooters.

3. Back Screen

The screener sets a screen behind a defender, freeing a cutter to slip to the basket. Often produces dunks and layups.

4. Cross Screen

A horizontal screen, usually inside the paint, freeing a teammate to cut across the lane to a low block on the ball side.

5. Flare Screen

An off-ball screen that frees a shooter to fade away from the ball — usually toward the corner — for a catch-and-shoot 3.

6. Double Screen

Two screeners side-by-side. Difficult for defenders to fight through; often used to free a knockdown shooter.

7. Staggered Screen

Two screens set in the same direction but a few feet apart. The cutter uses one or the other depending on defensive reaction.

8. Hammer Screen

A back screen on the weak side that frees a shooter to cut to the corner. Often used after a baseline drive — Manu Ginobili made it famous with the Spurs.

Modern Screen Variations

Variation	Setup
Spain Pick-and-Roll	Back screen for the roller during a regular ball screen
Ram Screen	Off-ball screen leads directly into an on-ball screen
Horns Screen	Two screeners at the elbows; ball-handler chooses left or right
Flat Screen	Screener's back to the basket; very hard for defenders
Slip	Screener fakes the screen and cuts to the basket
Dribble Handoff (DHO)	Passer dribbles toward teammate, hands off, then screens

How to Set a Legal Screen

Get to the spot before the defender. Sprint to the screen location.
Plant a wide, vertical base. Feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, arms crossed or tucked.
Make solid contact with chest aligned to the defender's hip-shoulder. Don't lean — let the defender hit you.
Stay still until the defender clears. Any movement after contact = moving screen.
Open up to the ball. Pivot 180 degrees after the cutter passes — you're often the open one.

Practice tip: I drill screens 5 minutes every practice. Players set 10 screens against pressure; if they move, they redo it. The habit builds in two weeks.

How to Use a Screen as the Cutter

Wait for the screen to be set. Cutting too early gets the screener called for a moving screen.
Set up the defender. Take the defender a couple of steps in the wrong direction first.
Cut shoulder-to-shoulder with the screener. The closer you cut, the harder the defender's path.
Read the defender's reaction:

Goes under → catch and shoot
Goes over → drive to the rim
Switches → look for mismatch
Hedges → screener slips to the basket

When a Screen Becomes Illegal

A screen is illegal — a "moving screen" — when:

The screener moves into the defender (any direction)
The screener leans, sticks out a hip, or extends a leg or arm
The screener doesn't give a stationary defender one step of space
The screener doesn't give a moving defender time and space to react

The penalty is an offensive foul: turnover, no free throws (team-control foul).

How to Defend a Screen

Defense	When to Use
Fight over	Against shooters — keep the ball-handler from getting open
Go under	Against non-shooters — pack the paint
Switch	When defenders are similar size
Hedge	The screener's defender briefly steps out to slow the ball
Ice / Down	Force the ball-handler away from the screen
Trap	Two defenders blitz the ball-handler off the screen

Data from [VERIFY: needs second authority link from approved list] tracks the dramatic increase in pick-and-roll usage as the NBA shifted toward perimeter-oriented offense.

Conclusion

A screen is the simplest tool in basketball — a body in the way — but mastering its angles, timing, and legality opens up the entire offense. Set them well and your teammates score; defend them well and the opponent stalls.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a screen and a pick?

There's no difference. "Screen" and "pick" mean the same thing — a legal block by an offensive player to free a teammate. "Pick" is the more casual term often used in pick-and-roll.

Is a screen the same as a block?

No. A screen is legal contact by an offensive player without the ball. A block in basketball is a defender's contact on a shot attempt — completely different action.

Can you move while setting a screen?

Only before contact. A screener may sprint to position, but once the defender arrives, the screener must be stationary. Moving during contact is an illegal screen and an offensive foul.

What's the most common screen in the NBA?

The ball screen — particularly the pick-and-roll — is the most common screen in the NBA. It's used on the majority of offensive possessions in modern professional basketball.

How do you defend a screen?

Defenders can fight over, go under, switch, hedge, ice, or trap. The choice depends on the offensive personnel: shooters require fighting over; non-shooters allow going under or icing.