Zoom Action
Breaking down the most used action in all of basketball right now
The Most Popular Play in Basketball
“Zoom” action is one of the most effective and popular offensive actions in modern basketball—used heavily at all levels, including the NBA, college basketball, and international play. It’s not a full “play” but rather a powerful action or concept that teams often build entire sets or series around. Some programs, like the Kentucky Wildcats under Coach Mark Pope, have created entire motion offenses revolving around continuous zoom actions.
What Is Zoom Action?
Zoom Action is a three-man sequence involving:
A pindown screen
A dribble handoff (DHO)
This two-part sequence is typically designed to free a shooter or dynamic ball handler to attack off the dribble or get into a quick scoring opportunity. What makes the action difficult to defend is you have to defend two actions at the same time with the pindown screen and DHO occurring simultaneously
Typical Zoom Action Sequence:
Player 1 (PG) has the ball at the top. (Teams often run it through the 5 man however)
Player 2 (Wing Shooter) starts on the block or corner.
Player 3 (Big or another guard) sets a pindown screen for Player 2.
Player 2 comes off the pindown toward the wing or slot area.
Player 1 dribbles toward Player 2.
Player 1 hands the ball off to Player 2 (DHO).
From there, Player 2 can:
Shoot off the handoff
Attack downhill
Reject the DHO and backdoor
Swing it if defenses rotate
Throw the lob to the rim to the roller
Hit the lifter out of the corner who set the pin if his man tags and helps
Why It Works
Constant Movement: Keeps defenders engaged and forces communication.
Screen the Screener Confusion: The pindown into DHO makes it hard for the defense to switch or fight through screens.
Mismatch Potential: If defenders switch poorly, it creates scoring mismatches or open shots.
Flexible Entry: Can be run from multiple alignments—5-out, 4-out-1-in, horns, etc.
Zoom Action in Modern College Basketball
Zoom action has become a staple for many high-powered offenses because it flows seamlessly into other actions like:
Spain Pick-and-Roll
Chicago Action (pindown into DHO)
Spread Ball Screens
Examples of Teams That Use Zoom Action
Alabama (Nate Oats): Often runs zoom action for their star guard Mark Sears
Baylor: Uses it to get guards into side ball screen situations with an advantage.
Kentucky: Uses the action as the basis of their motion offense
Florida / Gonzaga: Flows zoom into their continuity ball screen offense.
NBA Examples: Virtually every NBA team uses it in some capacity, most notably the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors use zoom constantly for movement shooters.
Variants of Zoom
“Zoom Reject”: The player rejects the DHO and backdoors. If the reject pass is not there, then the pindown man will turn back to the ball, receive a pass, and get into an empty ball screen with the passer. Often, the empty ball screen will turn into a DHO that flips back into a ball screen angled towards a baseline attack
