Meaning & use
bubble screen
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablesport
In American football, a quick pass thrown sideways or slightly backward to a receiver standing close behind the line, who then runs forward.
Grammar: Countable: say 'a bubble screen' or 'two bubble screens'; it names one specific play.
Patterns
- run a bubble screen
- throw a bubble screen to someone
- a bubble screen pass
The coach called a bubble screen to get the ball to the fast receiver in space.
They ran a bubble screen on third down, but the defense read it and stopped it for a loss.
A well-blocked bubble screen can turn a short throw into a big gain.
nouncountablesport
In basketball, an offensive move in which a player blocks a defender so a teammate can get open.
Grammar: Countable and much rarer than the football sense; usually clear from the sport being discussed.
Patterns
- set a bubble screen
- use a bubble screen
She set a bubble screen so her teammate could cut to the basket.
The point guard used a bubble screen near the top of the key.
Word forms
| plural | bubble screens |
|---|
Common combinations
- run a bubble screen
- They love to run a bubble screen when the cornerback plays far off.
- throw a bubble screen
- The quarterback threw a bubble screen to the slot receiver.
- bubble screen pass
- It was a simple bubble screen pass that gained eight yards.
- defend a bubble screen
- Teams practice how to defend a bubble screen without giving up blocks.
- a bubble screen to the wide receiver
- The play was a bubble screen to the wide receiver on the short side.
Synonyms and how they differ
- screen pass
- A broader term for any pass caught behind the line of scrimmage; a bubble screen is one specific, quick type.
- quick pass
- Emphasizes speed rather than the blocking scheme; it does not name the exact play.
Word family
- screen noun
- A blocking move or play in sports that uses a player as an obstacle.
Commonly confused: bubble screen or screen pass?
bubble screen vs screen pass
A screen pass is the general category; a bubble screen is a particular kind thrown quickly to a receiver near the sideline.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'bubble screen' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Bubble screen' is a football play, so the pass to a receiver behind the line fits. The other options confuse it with a physical screen or a message.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bubble screen”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.