The target of the player without the ball is to get advantageous positions, either in terms of space or in terms of time, being able to create difficulties for his opponent and induce him to the error. The attacker has to bear in mind his position on the playground and, in every moment, has to be ready to help and be assisted, but understanding always the development of the match.
During the match (48 minutes of effective play), each of the team attacks for 24' and, consequently, defends for 24'; but every player, in the 24' of attacking play, possesses the bal for 3, 4' only, while in the other 20, 21' does not manage the ball.
These real data, duly timed, are enough for understanding the relevance of the attacking play without the ball.

1. Fundamental position

It is the starting position of every action, then of attacking phase. The position has to be easy and dynamic, allowing the player the easiest and quickest move of his body.
It is the position that the player assumes when his team attacks: this position depends from his location in the playground and from his proximity to the ball. Normally, the attacker without the ball has to focus continually the ball during own action of “management of correspondent opponent”, in this way the defender will not help the team-mates.

2. Peripheral vision

During the match, in order to have a global view of the game, the player is obliged to focus simultaneously several points of the playground in the quickest time. The player must learn to focus the moves of the team-mates and the opponents without move the head.

3. Stop

This fundamental allows the attacker, with or without the ball, to stop the running.
There are two types of stop:

a) stop in one time:
in one-time stop the feet brake simultaneously and the body bends back. This assumed position stops immediately the running. It is not possible do that when the player run very fast, in this case the action pivots on one feet.

b) stop in two times:
in most of the cases, the two-time stop occurs when a very fast running has to be arrested. The feet do not stop simultaneously, but in two different moves, and the barycentre locates centrally. At the end of the move, the burden of the body relies upon the feet which stopped firstly, i.e. the feet remaining behind and acting as pivot. The other feet assumes a position that ceases the pushing ahead of the body. Then, opposite to the previous one, this type of stop does not allow to chose which feet acts as pivot.

4. Running

It is the skill for commanding a coordinated run in all directions – forward, backward, laterally and obliquely – towards the basket or the ball, focusing simultaneously the correspondent opponent and the ball. As in all the sports with acyclic gestures, the basic element of the run has to be “operational” permitting, even in its doing, to be reactive to every change of situation.

5. Rotation

Normally, this move follows the stop and is applied for be freed and for block the opponent’s free (cut off). It is used for change front or direction, or both them, with a body rotation – front or back - pivoting onto the feet. Executing the rotation, the length between the feet do not change. When the rotation is made in running, the feet behind acts as pushing force and feet ahead, face the ball and the front, marks the direction.

6. Change of front

It means to interrupt own way and go back to the previous position. This move serves for leave the opponent or for get back to defend, when the team loses the ball possession. In case of walking or running to a direction, the stop develops in two times and, rotating the feet, an about-turn has to be done. The movement of the arms helps this action.

7. Running back

It is used for distancing the opponent, but keeping the same front. The player runs back or, in case of ball possession, uses the technique of the “gliding back”.

8. Change of direction

It means a sudden change of direction, executing the move with a strong push of the advanced feet towards the new direction, putting the front to the new direction.

9. Variations of speed

This technique is very important in the modern basketball and strictly connects with the change of direction. To change the speed means to alternate different speeds in order to fit with the requirements which the game demands. The player has to increase or decrease the power and the tempo of the run. The change of speed has to be quick, instantaneous, because allow the surpass of the correspondent opponent when this one get close.

10. Freeing action

It is a move used for freeing from the close marking of the correspondent opponent and helps to reach the best conditions for receive the ball. There are various type of freeing which depend from the particular position on the playground and from the close marking of the correspondent opponent.

11. Cuts

The cut is the move the attacker uses for reach another zone of the playground for receiving the ball and for leaving more space to a mate, etc.

12. Block

The attacker has to be continually ready to produce and to receive ‘blocks’ when the ball approaches or leaves own location. The blocks represent the type of “most helpful collaboration” and serve for break off the marking of the direct opponents.

13. Cut-off and rebounds in attack

This technique helps to recover the ball after a shooting and to continue the attack trying for a “second shoot”. When the shoot is executed, the attackers closer to the basket approaches that zone and, avoiding the cut-offs of the defender with a change of direction or other technique, attempt to reach a favourable position possibly before the defender. Once the position is obtained, at the right time they jump for capturing the ball and, recovered, they do a shoot or they pass the ball to a mate.

14. Feint of the attacker

To feint means to provoke the reaction of the opponent with a move; when this reaction develops, the feinted move is stopped and the player use another and better move. If the opponent does not react, the player continues the original move. The classic example occurs in the one-against-one with the ball close to the basket: the attacker feints the shoot – i.e. begins the move introducing the shoot – in order to provoke the approaching of the opponent and thus getting a chance for the penetration; if the defender does not react to the “feinted shoot”, the attacker continues the shooting, because the defender is apparently unable to contrast the action. The continuation of the move serves for the successive actions, the defender believes the attacker can do more than one move.