A box out in basketball is when a player puts their body between an opponent and the basket after a shot goes up, so the opponent can't get to the rebound.
It's the first step of every rebound... and it's the reason a 6-foot player can out-rebound someone half a foot taller.
In this guide, I'll explain what a box out is, the 3-step method I use to teach it, what's legal and what's a foul, the situations where a missed box out costs you the game, and the biggest mistake coaches make when they teach it.
What is a Box Out in Basketball?
A box out (also called a "block out") is the act of sealing an opponent behind you the moment a shot is taken, keeping your body between them and the basket until you or a teammate can go and get the ball.
You'll see it on both ends of the floor. A defender boxes out to stop an offensive rebound. An offensive player boxes out to steal one.
Here's why it matters so much:
1. Rebounds Decide Possessions – Every defensive rebound ends the opponent's possession. Every offensive rebound you give up starts a new one. Over a full game, the team that boxes out is playing with more possessions than the team that doesn't.
2. Size Isn't the Deciding Factor – George Raveling said rebounding is 75% desire and 25% ability. The box out is the 25%. A player who gets to their opponent first and seals them doesn't need to out-jump anyone, which is why an undersized post player can beat bigger opponents.
3. It's a Habit, Not a Talent – Nothing about boxing out is athletically difficult. It's a matter of doing it every single time a shot goes up, which is exactly why it's the skill players forget most often.
How to Box Out in Basketball: Find. Hit. Get.
Most coaches teach boxing out as a hold. Find your player, turn, make contact, and stay there until the ball comes down.
I teach it differently.
The method I recommend is three steps:
Find. Hit. Get.
Instead of holding the box out and praying the ball drops into your lap, players make contact and then go after the basketball.
1. Find
The moment a shot goes up, locate your opponent.
Don't watch the ball. Don't drift toward the rim. Your first movement is toward the player you're responsible for.
If you're the defender guarding the shooter, this is easy. You're already standing in front of them.
For everyone else, it means turning your head and finding a body before the ball has even reached the rim.
2. Hit
Now step into your opponent and make contact.
Use your forearm. Firm enough to stop their momentum, not a shove.
Then pivot so your backside is on their thighs and seal them behind you.
Get low while you do it. Knees bent, feet wider than your shoulders. A player who boxes out standing straight up gets pushed aside or jumped over.
Keep your arms out wide and your hands up. This makes you bigger and puts your hands in position for the ball.
3. Get
This is the step most coaches leave out.
Once you've made contact, go and get the basketball.
Don't hold the box out for two seconds waiting for the ball to find you.
Release from the contact, get off the floor, and grab the ball at the highest point you can reach with two hands.
Bring the ball straight to your chin with your elbows out. Guards love to poke at a rebounder who brings the ball down to their waist.
Box Out or Go for the Ball?
Find. Hit. Get. is the philosophy...
But it's not a rule for all 5 players on every shot.
When a shot goes up, a player has three options:
1. Hit and Hold – Make contact, seal, and stay on the opponent until the ball comes down.
2. Hit and Go – Make brief contact to stop the opponent's momentum, then release and attack the ball.
3. Go – Skip the contact and get to the ball.
Some coaches act like boxing out is something EVERY player must do EVERY time the opponent puts up a shot.
That's not true.
In reality, we want some players boxing out while others pursue the ball. If everyone is holding a seal, nobody is going to get it.
Which option a player takes depends on:
1. Floor Position – Under the basket, hit and hold. The ball is coming down close and there's nowhere to pursue it to. From midrange out, hit and go, because a held seal out there gets stepped around.
2. The Matchup – If your player is guarding an elite offensive rebounder, they hit and hold. Every time, wherever they are.
3. Athleticism – Your best leaper is often more valuable going to the ball than sealing a body.
4. Team Strategy – If you release a guard early on every shot to start the fast break, the other four have to hit and hold more often. Fewer bodies boxing out means less room for anyone to go.
5. Your Teammates – A player surrounded by strong rebounders can afford to go. A player surrounded by weak ones can't.
Teach your players which of the three to use, not just how to box out.
Box Out Rules: What's Legal and What's a Foul
Boxing out is physical, and contact is expected.
But there's a line, and players who don't know where it is either foul or get pushed around because they're scared to make contact.
Here's what's legal:
1. Establishing Position – Stepping into an opponent's path and holding your ground is legal. You're allowed to be there first.
2. Sealing With Your Body – Contact with your backside and hips is the box out. As long as your arms aren't wrapped around the opponent, this is normal rebounding contact.
3. Arms Out, Hands Up – Extending your arms to make yourself bigger is legal. Referees won't call it unless those arms swing or grab.
And here's what gets called:
1. Hooking – Reaching back and wrapping an arm around the opponent's arm or hip to keep them in place. This is the most common box out foul, and it's usually called as a loose ball foul.
2. Holding – Grabbing a jersey or an arm.
3. Pushing With the Hands – Driving an opponent backwards with your hands or extended arms instead of your body. Backing them up with your hips is legal. Shoving them is not.
4. Swinging Elbows – Hands up is fine. Elbows swinging to clear space is a foul, and at most levels it's a flagrant.
What about "over the back"?
There is no such rule.
"Over the back" is what some people yell when a taller player reaches over an opponent to get the ball. Reaching over someone isn't a foul. It only becomes a foul if the taller player pushes, climbs, or displaces the player in front of them to get there... the call is for illegal contact, not for being taller.
For players, the takeaway is simple:
Be first, be low, and keep your hands to yourself.
When to Box Out: 4 Situations
Every player knows to box out "when a shot goes up."
These are the four situations where it gets skipped most, and costs the most.
1. The Shooter – The shooter knows before anyone else where the miss is going, and they have a head start on it. Whoever is guarding the shooter boxes them out before doing anything else.
2. Free Throws – Treated as a formality, and it shouldn't be. The players on the lane box out the shooter and the players beside them. Nobody runs to the rim.
3. In a Zone – Nobody has a direct opponent in a zone, so nobody feels responsible. The rule is simple: box out the nearest offensive player, whoever it is.
4. From the Weak Side – The weak-side defender is a few steps off their player in help position when the shot goes up, which is exactly why smart offenses crash from the corner. Your box out starts the moment the ball is released, not when it hits the rim.
Common Box Out Mistakes
These are the mistakes I see most often, at every level.
1. Turning Before Making Contact – Players spin around early and expect the opponent to run into their back. A good offensive rebounder simply steps around them. Make contact first, then turn.
2. Standing Straight Up – A tall stance is easy to move and easy to jump over. If your player keeps getting pushed off their spot, check their knees.
3. Running to the Basket – For some reason players love sprinting under the rim on every shot. The only rebounds under the rim are airballs and made shots. Neither needs rebounding.
4. Ball-Watching – Turning your head to follow the shot before you've found your opponent. By the time you look back, they're gone.
5. Holding the Box Out and Waiting – Making contact and then standing there while the ball bounces. The seal creates the space. You still have to go and take the ball.
6. Making It a Rule Instead of a Read – Demanding that all five players box out on every shot. Some players should be holding a seal and some should be going to the ball. Teach them which is which.
Box Out Drills
Teaching the box out takes reps, and the reps need to be physical.
I've put together my favourite box out drills on their own page, including the drill I use to teach Find. Hit. Get. from day one: box out drills.
For drills that cover positioning, pursuit, and team rebounding, see rebounding drills.
FAQ
Is it "box out" or "block out"?
Both. They mean the same thing. "Box out" is the more common term in the United States today, while a lot of older coaches (and a lot of college programs) still say "block out." Use whichever one your players understand.
Should you box out on offense?
Yes, but selectively. An offensive player who gets inside position on their defender can seal them exactly the same way. The bigger question on offense is who crashes and who gets back. Two simple team rules that work: (1) two guards sprint back on every shot and the other three crash, or (2) everyone below the free-throw line crashes and everyone above it gets back.
Which positions need to box out?
All of them. Your center and power forward will do it most often because they're closest to the rim, but a guard who doesn't box out the shooter gives up more offensive rebounds than a big who does.
Conclusion
A box out in basketball is simple to understand and hard to do every time.
Find your opponent. Hit them with your forearm and seal them behind you. Then go and get the basketball.
Teach your players where the line is between contact and a foul, drill the situations that decide games (the shooter, the free throw, the zone, the weak side), and teach them when to box out and when to just go get the ball.
Do that, and your team will win more rebounds than teams with taller players... which means more possessions, and more possessions means more wins.