Strong vs. Weak Side: Basketball Concepts (Sports)
August 15, 2024
The terms “strong side” and “weak side” refers to the positioning and movement of the players on the court relative to the location of the ball on the court. In the most simple terms, the “strong side” is the side that contains the ball, and the weak side is the side opposite away from the ball.
The strong side is the side of the court where the ball is currently located, and it’s called the strong side because most of the offensive action and player attention is focused there. An example of this would be an offensive player in the front-court with possession of the ball at the top, and passes it to another player on the right side wing (the right side of the court is the strong side in this situation). Common plays such as pick-and-rolls, post-ups, and isolations will often start on the strong side of the court.
The weak side is the side of the court that is opposite to where the ball is located (opposite to the “strong side”), and it’s called the weak side because the side will usually have fewer players and less direct action. Players on the weak side of the court will help setup off-ball screens, cutting, or catch and shoot the ball.