What is Kick It Out in Basketball?

Kick It Out is a popular term in basketball, referring to a specific offensive strategy often used by teams to create scoring opportunities. This tactic primarily involves a player with possession of the basketball driving towards the basket and then passing, or “kicking,” the ball out to an open teammate on the perimeter. The action is typically executed when the driving player encounters a strong defensive presence or when the defense collapses on them, opening up opportunities for perimeter shooters.

This basketball strategy is highly effective when a team has players who possess both strong penetration abilities and accurate outside shooters. The player driving to the basket attracts the attention of the defenders, causing them to converge and try to prevent an easy layup or dunk. Meanwhile, the perimeter players position themselves strategically, maintaining enough spacing to receive a kick-out pass and successfully convert it into a scored basket, commonly a three-pointer. By employing the Kick It Out technique, teams can maximize their offensive potential and create high-percentage shots for their players.

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Overview of Kick It Out

Kick It Out Definition

Kick It Out refers to an offensive strategy in basketball where the player with possession of the ball drives towards the basket, attracts the defense, and then passes, or “kicks,” the ball to an open teammate located near the perimeter. This play involves a coordinated effort wherein one player creates an opportunity by making the defense collapse and finding a teammate with a better shooting chance from beyond the arc.

Significance in Basketball

In basketball, the Kick It Out strategy holds significant importance for various reasons:

Offensive spacing: The play provides an opportunity to maintain spacing on the offensive side, making it difficult for the defense to guard all offensive players effectively.
Exploiting defensive weaknesses: By driving towards the basket, the player can force the opposition defense to collapse, thus freeing up their teammates for open shots.
Three-point shooting opportunities: If the player kicking the ball out finds an open teammate in the perimeter, it often results in high-percentage three-point shooting opportunities.

Creating opportunities through the Kick It Out strategy relies on a combination of individual skills and effective teamwork. A team with a strong penetrator who can draw in defenders and sharpshooters who can hit their open shots from beyond the arc can benefit significantly from utilizing this tactic.

Rules and Penalties

When is Kick It Out Called

In basketball, the term “kick it out” is often used to describe a situation when a player intentionally kicks the ball or uses any part of their leg to control or touch the ball. This is considered a violation and is referred to as a “kicked ball violation.” Typically, a kicked ball violation is called when a player intentionally strikes the ball with their leg or foot in an attempt to gain an advantage over the opposing team or disrupt their offensive play.

Consequences for Violating

When a kicked-ball violation occurs, the following consequences are enforced:

Change of possession: The team that committed the violation loses possession of the ball, and the other team gains possession.
Reset of the shot clock: In professional leagues such as the NBA, the shot clock will reset to 14 seconds, giving the opposing team a new opportunity to score.
Out-of-bounds reset: The ball is awarded to the opposing team at the boundary line nearest the spot of the violation.

It’s important to note that a kicked ball violation is not considered a personal or team foul; instead, it’s categorized as a “violation.” Consequently, it doesn’t count toward the personal or team foul limit that leads to free throw opportunities. However, consistently violating this rule might lead to a technical foul called against the player or the team for unsportsmanlike conduct.

In summary, a “kick it out” or kicked ball violation occurs when a player intentionally kicks the ball or uses any part of their leg to touch or control the ball, which is against the rules in basketball. The consequences include loss of possession, a reset of the shot clock, and an out-of-bounds reset for the opposing team.