Regardless of how you decide to break and attack full court pressure, the players must learn various fundamentals that are helpful in beating pressure. Teach your players these skills and devote practice time so they will understand them and develop confidence against pressure. Here are the 20 fundamentals to be stressed: Do not waste your dribble. Dribble with a purpose Stay under control when dribbling. Out of control dribbling often leads to a turnover. Throw diagonal passes. Know where … [Read more...]
Flash Middle Overload Zone Offense
The Flash Middle Overload zone offense is designed to put pressure on the middle of a zone defense, especially an even-front zone such as the 2-3 zone defense. The continuity is simple; keep flashing players into the middle of the zone. O1 can initiate the offense to either wing. In this diagram, O1 starts by passing to O2 on his right. At the same time, O3 flashes middle while O4 fills the wing area vacated by O3. O5 flashes to the ballside low block. If nothing is available, O2 reverses … [Read more...]
1-3-1 Rotational Zone Offense
The 1-3-1 Rotational Zone Offense is designed to keep the offensive players moving. Teams will often do a good job of moving the ball against a zone defense, but they do a poor job of moving players. If you have ever seen your team stand around against a zone, this offense may be just what you need. This 1-3-1 offensive set with the rotational pattern will keep players moving to open up passing lanes and to overload the zone areas. The players can be placed in this offense as shown in the … [Read more...]
7 Principles for Attacking Half Court Zone Defenses
The following 7 strategies are necessary and helpful when attacking zone defenses. Regardless of the zone defense formation, you should be teaching your players these concepts so they will understand zone defense weaknesses and learn to be successful against zones. Rapid Ball Movement The basketball should be moved quickly with the pass. Passes can be made much faster than the zone can shift; therefore, openings will be found against even the toughest of zones. Utilize skip passes when … [Read more...]
3 Around 2 Middle Clear Through Offense
The 3 Around 2 Middle Clear Through Offense is designed to utilize a quickness advantage and mid-range game of your post players. It can be run as a set with options or as an offense in and of itself. With smart movement and ball control, this offense can reverse itself if a shot isn't initially available. It isn't an exact 3-2 offense because the post players are spread wider than the lane. It also is not a true 5-out offense because they aren't all the way out to the three-point line … [Read more...]
2-3 Zone Buster Offense
The 2-3 zone buster is a zone offense that incorporates the concept of attacking zones by passing inside and then going weak side or reversing the ball from the inside to the weak side and then going inside. This zone offense will enable you to get the ball inside and attack any style of 2-3 zone defense. The offense can be launched from a variety of formations, but the 1-2-2 (as shown above) or the 1-4 (next diagram) is most recommended. The above diagram shows the offense being launched … [Read more...]
1-4 Attack Offense
The 1-4 Attack Offense is a great attack vs. any type of defense, man or zone. It is also simple enough and easy enough to execute that your players will pick it up in no time. The 1-4 Attack Offense gives you the winning edge because it supplies you with three unbeatable advantages: More versatility in the use of offensive personnel Much, MUCH better rebounding An attack so strategically foolproof that your opponent will have more defensive problems than he can possibly handle Because the … [Read more...]
Basic Rules for Zone Offenses
The following rules are fundamental for any zone offense. Whether you are coaching a beginning youth team or high school/college, these basics should be built into your zone offense system if you desire success. Obviously your zone offense can get as advanced as you want ... these, however, are the building block fundamentals for playing zone offense. Rule 1: Set Up Opposite the Defense To best counter the zone defense formation, the offense should set up with an opposite front from what the … [Read more...]
How to Score Against a 2-3 Zone
A defense will run a 2-3 zone for several different reasons. It could be because they don’t think that your team shoots well, they might be undersized, also could be what they do well, or maybe to take you out of your normal man to man sets. Whatever the reason is, it is your job as the head coach to have your team prepared to play against a 2-3 zone. Before talking about how to beat the zone it is important to recognize what the defense is trying to get you to do by playing your team in … [Read more...]
High-Low Post Drill
Purpose: To teach the post players the basics of flashing to the high post and then looking for the low post teammate on a pass or for their own shot. Drill: This drill uses four defenders set up in somewhat of a box zone. The drill starts with #1 passing to #2. #4 flashes to high post elbow looking for a pass from #2. Upon receiving the pass, #4 looks to #5 pinning his defender. If #5 is not open, #4 can also look for his own shot or kick it back out to a guard. Coaching Points: If … [Read more...]