High-Low Motion Offense: How It Works and How to Teach It

The high-low is a motion offense for teams with two post players. It plays three on the perimeter and two inside, and it uses one big at the top of the floor to feed the other at the rim. It is best known from Bill Self’s Kansas teams, but it works at any level where you have two players who can catch, pass and seal.

How it works

One post plays low on the ball side. The other plays high, around the top of the key. The three perimeter players fill the point and both wings. When the ball goes to a wing, the low post works for position. When the defense takes that away, the ball is reversed through the high post.

That reversal is the heart of the offense. As the ball moves to the top, the low post’s defender is usually on the wrong side. The low post seals him and the high post throws the ball inside, big to big, for a layup.

The rules to teach

• Posts work as a pair. One high, one low. When one goes to the block, the other fills the top.
• Look inside first. Every catch on the perimeter starts with a look at the post.
• Reverse the ball. If the first side is covered, get it to the high post and change sides quickly.
• Seal on the reversal. The low post finds his defender, gets a body on him and shows a target hand.
• Perimeter players pass and screen. After a pass, screen away or cut. Standing still kills the spacing.
• Both posts go to the glass. Two bigs near the rim should mean second shots.

How to build it in practice

Start with the posts alone. Two on two in the lane: one high, one low, a coach passing from the wing and the top. Work on the seal and the big-to-big pass until the timing is automatic. Then add the three perimeter players with no defense and run the reversal from side to side. Add the screens away from the ball next, and finish five on five.

Keep it moving. Short segments, quick rotations, and correct on the fly.

Who it fits

The high-low suits teams with size and guards who are willing to feed the post. It punishes opponents who front the post or play behind without help, and it is a good answer to a zone because the high post sits in the gap. The trade-off is spacing: if neither big can pass or hit a short jump shot from the high post, the defense will sag and the lane gets crowded.

For more ways to play through the post, see the 1-4 Continuity Offense playbook and the Flex Offense baseline series. The coaching library has more offense playbooks, all included with Coaching Plus.

About the author: Coach Chris Murray coached basketball for more than 17 years at every level and won over 220 games, including the 2026 state championship at Parkersburg. R&G Basketball is where he shares the practice plans, playbooks and drills he used. More about Coach Murray.