Join our NewsletterGO Sign u p to get free tips, plays & coaching resources!FOCUS LISTMain Page Products for Sale Hispanic Page Our Mission Ken's Bookstore Advertising GYM RAT MANUAL Preface Defense Offense Training Motion Rebounding Passing & Catching Dribbling Screens 1 on 1 Moves Post Player Workout How to attackhalf- court basketball zone defenses In recent articles I have been explaining how the Backdoor Trap Offensive pattern is used against man-to-man defenses. I did this because in most majorconferences the man-to-man offense is predominate and coaches must design their basic offense to combat the type ofdefenses they will most likely face. It is beyond me why so may youth leagues allow zone defenses to prevail. After all, isn't it our goal t o t each our youngsters the f undamen tals of this great game, called basketball. I suspect the reason is because most coaches are not knowledgeable enough to properly teach the man-to-man. On the other hand, every high school coach knows that his team must be prepared to attack the zone at some time during the season. College coaches are no different. Those teams who shy away from the 3-point shot are apt to run into more zone defenses than is normal. Whatever the reason, it becomes necessary that every team have a zone attack in theiroffen sive s ystem. In this article, it is my intention to describe how the features of the Backdoor Trap half-court offense that will work successfully against zone defenses. Theory of the Basketball Zone Defense ►Howto Play ►Kids Basketball ►Basketball Teams Ads by Google
Transcript
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
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FOCUS LIST
Main PageProducts for SaleHispanic PageOur Mission
Kens BookstoreAdvertising
GYM RAT MANUALPrefaceDefenseOffenseTraining
MotionReboundingPassing amp CatchingDribblingScreens1 on 1 MovesPost Player Workout
How to attack half-court basketball zonedefenses
In recent articles I have been explaininghow the Backdoor Trap Offensive patternis used against man-to-man defenses Idid this because in most major conferences the man-to-man offense is
predominate and coaches must designtheir basic offense to combat the type of defenses they will most likely face
It is beyond me why so may youthleagues allow zone defenses to prevail
After all isnt it our goal t o t each our youngsters the f undamentals of this great game calledbasketball I suspect the reason is because most coaches are not knowledgeable enough toproperly teach the man-to-man
On the other hand every high school coach knows that his team must be prepared to attackthe zone at some time during the season College coaches are no different Those teams whoshy away from the 3-point shot are apt to run into more zone defenses than is normalWhatever the reason it becomes necessary that every team have a zone attack in their offensive s ystem
In this article it is my intention to describe how the features of the Backdoor Trap half-courtoffense that will work successfully against zone defenses
Theory of the Basketball Zone Defense
How to Play
Kids Basketball
Basketball Teams
Ads by Google
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
Zone defenses are used for several different yet valid reasons Small floors are the biggestreason in high school because defenders can cover both the dangerous under-the-basket areaand the vulnerable corners with the least amount of spread to the side
Also since the purpose of a z one defense is to guard an area rather than an ass igned playerthe best rebounders can be kept in better rebounding position Fast-breaking teams using azone can be certain that their outlet players are always in the proper position to start a fastbreak
Defense is easier to play in a zone than in a man-to-man defense Movement of the balldictates movement rather than the movement of the individually assigned offensive playerFree-lancing screens and fakes lose much of their effectiveness because they work best in aone-on-one situation Over all the defensive team expends much less energy in a zonedefense than in a man-to-man therefore zone defenses have great appeal to high schoolcoaches Their players generally have less pre-season practice lack individual defensiveskills and do not possess the stamina required to play an entire game of aggressive man-to-man defense than college players
College teams do not use zones because they are easier to play They use such defenses toupset their opponents regular attack During the course of a game a college team maychange from ma-to-man to zone and back to a man-to-man varying defenses to break thetempo of the opposition This forces the opposition out of their more successful patterns or allows them to better match-up with a stronger rebounding team
Whenever I view the standard zone defense objectively I must admit its value is evident inmany different situations Zones have been a part of basketball for an awful long time and willcontinue as a part of basketball for ages to come
Basic Basketball Zone Attacks
In setting up the Opportunity Offense against the standard zone Im generalizing the attackas follows
1 Against any zone with an odd number of players out use an even number of playersout
2 Against any zone with an even number of players out use an odd number of playersout
Against various zone defenses assign players to a position that best fits their own i ndividualabilities Try to keep your attack balanced so as it will be effective either to the left or rightMost of all strive for simplicity Keep it simple stupid Strive for simple patterns and minimumpassing while looking for the good close-in high percentage shot
Attacking the 2-3 2-1-2 1-3-1 3-2 and 1-2-2 Zone Defenses
Diagram 1 - First step in attacking a 2-3 zone Send a guard through
Following the rule of odd against even the attack against the 2-3 starts as illustrated inDiagram 1 The pivot player (5) is at the high post and forwards (3) and (4) are wide at thefree-throw line extended Guard (1) cuts through as shown This puts one guard (2) as the
Our 10 Most FrequentlyRead Articles
1 How to Play Basketball
Defense
2 How to Play Basketball
Offense -
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
Special SituationsIndiana WeaveOut-of-Bounds PlaysSteps in BuildingReading the DefenseBox WeaveRebounding PositionsOpportunity OffenseAttacking Zones
Team DefensesMan-to-Man Normal Tight
Loose Turn and Double Switching Run and Jump Defending GuardsStunting Flexing Zone
odd man outside (2) is assumed to have theball
The free-throw line extended positions of theforwards usually split the positions of the twodefenders on the sides of the zone makingthese forwards the responsibility of theoutside deep defenders in the zone
Diagram 2 - Attack ing t he 2-3 Zone X5 andX3 must cover three offensive players once(1) has moved deep into the zone
By sending (1) deep to the free-throw lanewe have now gained the advantage of havingthree players in the zones covered by onlytwo of our opponents Since our deep guard(1) can move from one side of the lane to theother this advantage can shift from side toside even though the ball stays in thepossession of an outside guard This diagramillustrates our advantage to the left withdefenders X5 and X3 responsible for three of our offensive players (5) (3) and (1)
Diagram 3 - Attack ing t he 2-3 Zone
Once our offense is in the 1-3-1 offensiveformation the attack consists of reactions tothe defensive moves Be prepared to counter whatever decisions defenders X5 and X3make They must choose whom to coverbecause there is one player free in their zones
This diagram illustrates one option availableafter forcing X5 to cover the deep guard (1)Here the outside guard (2) passes to thestrong-side forward (3) bringing defender X3out (3) then passes to (1) forcing X5 tocover him
3 One-on-one basketball
moves
4 Basketball Coachs
toolbox
5 How to Teach the 8 Basic
Fundamental Plays inBasketball
6 How to Teach Players to
Dribble a Basketball
7 How to coach and teach
the basketball pick-and-roll play
8 How to Coach the
Basketball Give and GoPlay
9 How to Coach the 1-3-1
Basketball Zone PressureDefenses
10 How to Coach and Teach
the Wheel Man-to-ManBasketball Offense
3 2 C bi ti A X5 it hi h t (5) ll t th b k t d k id f d (4) t t th f
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
3-2 Combination 2-1-2 Combination Alternating Pressure ConcealedZones 1-2-1-1 Zone 1-2-2 Zone 1-3-1 Zone 3-2 Zone 2-1-2 Zone 2-2-1 Zone 2-3 ZonePressure
As X5 c ommits high post (5) rolls to the bask et and weak-side forward (4) cuts to the f ree-throw line
Continuity is achieved by moving the weak-side forward (4) to the high post positionwherever he can receive an outlet pass should (1) or (5) fail to score In that case (5) swingsacross to the opposite side of the foul lane still deep and (3) is in good position to either
take a jump shot or hit (1) or (5) who are now at the base ends of our offensive triangle
Diagram 4 - Attack ing t he 2-3 Zone
This 1-3-1 offensive attack against thisparticular zone is also when the player at thehigh post (5) gets the original pass from the
outside guard (2) (5)s pass options areillustrated with this diagram In this caseboth forwards move quickly into open areaswhich are good positions for a shot and thedeep guard (1) is still in good position for ashot should the opportunity present itself for him to receive a quick pass
Whenever (5) gets the ball X5 must cover him which opens up the baseline for a passIf X3 and X4 collapse both forwards (3) and(4) will be open for short jump shots
The only weakness to this attack is the fact we have a guard inside which seemingly leavesthe offensive team vulnerable to a fast break however we are in great rebounding position
and will get many put-backs Play the long rebound keep one player back as safety and tryto prevent the outlet pass by tying up a defensive rebounder
You can attack the 2-1-2 Zone in exactly the same way you attack the 2-3 Zone Simplyexecute the options I just described
Diagram 5 - Attack ing a 1-3-1 Zone
The guards remain in their normal position following our rule of odd or even fronts The twoforwards take positions on the baseline about 10 to 15 feet from the basket as shown in thisdiagram and post player (5) assumes the high post position
Sending the forwards deep may force the defenders into a 2-3 Zone If so (5) can easily befed from outside This is especially effective if the opponent plays its own pivot player as
deep man in the zone since our pivot player can take advantage of the overmatched one-on-one situation either by getting off a shot or feed a guard or forward for a 10 to 15 foot jumpshot Should the defenders be able to keep the pivot player (5) from feeding the forwards intheir deep positions then you will not be able to force a 2-3 alignment and use another modeof attack
Basketball Teams Youth Basketball
Basketball Shot
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8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
This diagram illustrates how to set up anoverload using your best corner shooter taking the shot Low post (5) acts as adecoy opening up the shot getting into arebounding position and places himself inthe corner position should the need be toswing the ball back outside and around thehorn for a possible shot from the oppositecorner
Diagram 7 - Attack ing t he 1-3-1 Zone
Although s creens do not generally play acritical part in zone offensive attacks here isa way using a screen that will get an openshot along the baseline
In studying this diagram please note that (4)and (5) can move into deep positions oneither side of the free-throw lane Assumingthe corner shot by (4) is not available In this
situation (4) could pass the ball back to (3)then immediately set a screen on the deepdefender X4 Using this screen (5) curlsaround it looking for a pass from (3) Thisoften gets a good uncontested shot over teammate (4)
As a s tandard practice against any z one defense in which two players are positioned in
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
As a s tandard practice against any z one defense in which two players are positioned intandem in the free-throw lane be attacked with a triangle attack That is with a high postletting him feed the deep players as they screen for each other
Diagram 8 - Attack ing the 3-2 Zone
This defense is strong against the outsideattach but extremely weak against a stronginside attack Therefore I recommend youput your best turn-around shooter and passer in the high post (5) position and two tallplayers (4) and (5) deep along the free-throwlane Keep both guards in normal outside
positions and keep feeding (3) at the highpost This forces X5 and X4 into tandempositions and allow (3) to hit either (4) or (5)as they screen for each other
If the defenders do not go into tandempositions described above (3) will haveuncontested shots all night
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
Diagrams 9 and 10 illustrate screening and cutting techniques by (4) and (5) These show thescreening possibilities should X5 and X4 assume the tandem position Also note how theguards can also hit the open cutter from their outside position
Occasionally send a guard cutting through the zone and pull (4) and (5) out wide at the free-throw line extended send (3) to the low post position (as shown in the 1-3-1 zone offensiveattack in Diagram 6 This sets up an overload with (3) then being the corner shooter
A 1-2-2 Zone defense is similar to the 3-2 therefore it can be attac ked t he same way
Translate GuideToCoachingBasketball Website into any of the following languages using Google Translator
Zone defenses are used for several different yet valid reasons Small floors are the biggestreason in high school because defenders can cover both the dangerous under-the-basket areaand the vulnerable corners with the least amount of spread to the side
Also since the purpose of a z one defense is to guard an area rather than an ass igned playerthe best rebounders can be kept in better rebounding position Fast-breaking teams using azone can be certain that their outlet players are always in the proper position to start a fastbreak
Defense is easier to play in a zone than in a man-to-man defense Movement of the balldictates movement rather than the movement of the individually assigned offensive playerFree-lancing screens and fakes lose much of their effectiveness because they work best in aone-on-one situation Over all the defensive team expends much less energy in a zonedefense than in a man-to-man therefore zone defenses have great appeal to high schoolcoaches Their players generally have less pre-season practice lack individual defensiveskills and do not possess the stamina required to play an entire game of aggressive man-to-man defense than college players
College teams do not use zones because they are easier to play They use such defenses toupset their opponents regular attack During the course of a game a college team maychange from ma-to-man to zone and back to a man-to-man varying defenses to break thetempo of the opposition This forces the opposition out of their more successful patterns or allows them to better match-up with a stronger rebounding team
Whenever I view the standard zone defense objectively I must admit its value is evident inmany different situations Zones have been a part of basketball for an awful long time and willcontinue as a part of basketball for ages to come
Basic Basketball Zone Attacks
In setting up the Opportunity Offense against the standard zone Im generalizing the attackas follows
1 Against any zone with an odd number of players out use an even number of playersout
2 Against any zone with an even number of players out use an odd number of playersout
Against various zone defenses assign players to a position that best fits their own i ndividualabilities Try to keep your attack balanced so as it will be effective either to the left or rightMost of all strive for simplicity Keep it simple stupid Strive for simple patterns and minimumpassing while looking for the good close-in high percentage shot
Attacking the 2-3 2-1-2 1-3-1 3-2 and 1-2-2 Zone Defenses
Diagram 1 - First step in attacking a 2-3 zone Send a guard through
Following the rule of odd against even the attack against the 2-3 starts as illustrated inDiagram 1 The pivot player (5) is at the high post and forwards (3) and (4) are wide at thefree-throw line extended Guard (1) cuts through as shown This puts one guard (2) as the
Our 10 Most FrequentlyRead Articles
1 How to Play Basketball
Defense
2 How to Play Basketball
Offense -
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
Special SituationsIndiana WeaveOut-of-Bounds PlaysSteps in BuildingReading the DefenseBox WeaveRebounding PositionsOpportunity OffenseAttacking Zones
Team DefensesMan-to-Man Normal Tight
Loose Turn and Double Switching Run and Jump Defending GuardsStunting Flexing Zone
odd man outside (2) is assumed to have theball
The free-throw line extended positions of theforwards usually split the positions of the twodefenders on the sides of the zone makingthese forwards the responsibility of theoutside deep defenders in the zone
Diagram 2 - Attack ing t he 2-3 Zone X5 andX3 must cover three offensive players once(1) has moved deep into the zone
By sending (1) deep to the free-throw lanewe have now gained the advantage of havingthree players in the zones covered by onlytwo of our opponents Since our deep guard(1) can move from one side of the lane to theother this advantage can shift from side toside even though the ball stays in thepossession of an outside guard This diagramillustrates our advantage to the left withdefenders X5 and X3 responsible for three of our offensive players (5) (3) and (1)
Diagram 3 - Attack ing t he 2-3 Zone
Once our offense is in the 1-3-1 offensiveformation the attack consists of reactions tothe defensive moves Be prepared to counter whatever decisions defenders X5 and X3make They must choose whom to coverbecause there is one player free in their zones
This diagram illustrates one option availableafter forcing X5 to cover the deep guard (1)Here the outside guard (2) passes to thestrong-side forward (3) bringing defender X3out (3) then passes to (1) forcing X5 tocover him
3 One-on-one basketball
moves
4 Basketball Coachs
toolbox
5 How to Teach the 8 Basic
Fundamental Plays inBasketball
6 How to Teach Players to
Dribble a Basketball
7 How to coach and teach
the basketball pick-and-roll play
8 How to Coach the
Basketball Give and GoPlay
9 How to Coach the 1-3-1
Basketball Zone PressureDefenses
10 How to Coach and Teach
the Wheel Man-to-ManBasketball Offense
3 2 C bi ti A X5 it hi h t (5) ll t th b k t d k id f d (4) t t th f
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
3-2 Combination 2-1-2 Combination Alternating Pressure ConcealedZones 1-2-1-1 Zone 1-2-2 Zone 1-3-1 Zone 3-2 Zone 2-1-2 Zone 2-2-1 Zone 2-3 ZonePressure
As X5 c ommits high post (5) rolls to the bask et and weak-side forward (4) cuts to the f ree-throw line
Continuity is achieved by moving the weak-side forward (4) to the high post positionwherever he can receive an outlet pass should (1) or (5) fail to score In that case (5) swingsacross to the opposite side of the foul lane still deep and (3) is in good position to either
take a jump shot or hit (1) or (5) who are now at the base ends of our offensive triangle
Diagram 4 - Attack ing t he 2-3 Zone
This 1-3-1 offensive attack against thisparticular zone is also when the player at thehigh post (5) gets the original pass from the
outside guard (2) (5)s pass options areillustrated with this diagram In this caseboth forwards move quickly into open areaswhich are good positions for a shot and thedeep guard (1) is still in good position for ashot should the opportunity present itself for him to receive a quick pass
Whenever (5) gets the ball X5 must cover him which opens up the baseline for a passIf X3 and X4 collapse both forwards (3) and(4) will be open for short jump shots
The only weakness to this attack is the fact we have a guard inside which seemingly leavesthe offensive team vulnerable to a fast break however we are in great rebounding position
and will get many put-backs Play the long rebound keep one player back as safety and tryto prevent the outlet pass by tying up a defensive rebounder
You can attack the 2-1-2 Zone in exactly the same way you attack the 2-3 Zone Simplyexecute the options I just described
Diagram 5 - Attack ing a 1-3-1 Zone
The guards remain in their normal position following our rule of odd or even fronts The twoforwards take positions on the baseline about 10 to 15 feet from the basket as shown in thisdiagram and post player (5) assumes the high post position
Sending the forwards deep may force the defenders into a 2-3 Zone If so (5) can easily befed from outside This is especially effective if the opponent plays its own pivot player as
deep man in the zone since our pivot player can take advantage of the overmatched one-on-one situation either by getting off a shot or feed a guard or forward for a 10 to 15 foot jumpshot Should the defenders be able to keep the pivot player (5) from feeding the forwards intheir deep positions then you will not be able to force a 2-3 alignment and use another modeof attack
Basketball Teams Youth Basketball
Basketball Shot
Ads by Google
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
This diagram illustrates how to set up anoverload using your best corner shooter taking the shot Low post (5) acts as adecoy opening up the shot getting into arebounding position and places himself inthe corner position should the need be toswing the ball back outside and around thehorn for a possible shot from the oppositecorner
Diagram 7 - Attack ing t he 1-3-1 Zone
Although s creens do not generally play acritical part in zone offensive attacks here isa way using a screen that will get an openshot along the baseline
In studying this diagram please note that (4)and (5) can move into deep positions oneither side of the free-throw lane Assumingthe corner shot by (4) is not available In this
situation (4) could pass the ball back to (3)then immediately set a screen on the deepdefender X4 Using this screen (5) curlsaround it looking for a pass from (3) Thisoften gets a good uncontested shot over teammate (4)
As a s tandard practice against any z one defense in which two players are positioned in
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
As a s tandard practice against any z one defense in which two players are positioned intandem in the free-throw lane be attacked with a triangle attack That is with a high postletting him feed the deep players as they screen for each other
Diagram 8 - Attack ing the 3-2 Zone
This defense is strong against the outsideattach but extremely weak against a stronginside attack Therefore I recommend youput your best turn-around shooter and passer in the high post (5) position and two tallplayers (4) and (5) deep along the free-throwlane Keep both guards in normal outside
positions and keep feeding (3) at the highpost This forces X5 and X4 into tandempositions and allow (3) to hit either (4) or (5)as they screen for each other
If the defenders do not go into tandempositions described above (3) will haveuncontested shots all night
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
Diagrams 9 and 10 illustrate screening and cutting techniques by (4) and (5) These show thescreening possibilities should X5 and X4 assume the tandem position Also note how theguards can also hit the open cutter from their outside position
Occasionally send a guard cutting through the zone and pull (4) and (5) out wide at the free-throw line extended send (3) to the low post position (as shown in the 1-3-1 zone offensiveattack in Diagram 6 This sets up an overload with (3) then being the corner shooter
A 1-2-2 Zone defense is similar to the 3-2 therefore it can be attac ked t he same way
Translate GuideToCoachingBasketball Website into any of the following languages using Google Translator
Special SituationsIndiana WeaveOut-of-Bounds PlaysSteps in BuildingReading the DefenseBox WeaveRebounding PositionsOpportunity OffenseAttacking Zones
Team DefensesMan-to-Man Normal Tight
Loose Turn and Double Switching Run and Jump Defending GuardsStunting Flexing Zone
odd man outside (2) is assumed to have theball
The free-throw line extended positions of theforwards usually split the positions of the twodefenders on the sides of the zone makingthese forwards the responsibility of theoutside deep defenders in the zone
Diagram 2 - Attack ing t he 2-3 Zone X5 andX3 must cover three offensive players once(1) has moved deep into the zone
By sending (1) deep to the free-throw lanewe have now gained the advantage of havingthree players in the zones covered by onlytwo of our opponents Since our deep guard(1) can move from one side of the lane to theother this advantage can shift from side toside even though the ball stays in thepossession of an outside guard This diagramillustrates our advantage to the left withdefenders X5 and X3 responsible for three of our offensive players (5) (3) and (1)
Diagram 3 - Attack ing t he 2-3 Zone
Once our offense is in the 1-3-1 offensiveformation the attack consists of reactions tothe defensive moves Be prepared to counter whatever decisions defenders X5 and X3make They must choose whom to coverbecause there is one player free in their zones
This diagram illustrates one option availableafter forcing X5 to cover the deep guard (1)Here the outside guard (2) passes to thestrong-side forward (3) bringing defender X3out (3) then passes to (1) forcing X5 tocover him
3 One-on-one basketball
moves
4 Basketball Coachs
toolbox
5 How to Teach the 8 Basic
Fundamental Plays inBasketball
6 How to Teach Players to
Dribble a Basketball
7 How to coach and teach
the basketball pick-and-roll play
8 How to Coach the
Basketball Give and GoPlay
9 How to Coach the 1-3-1
Basketball Zone PressureDefenses
10 How to Coach and Teach
the Wheel Man-to-ManBasketball Offense
3 2 C bi ti A X5 it hi h t (5) ll t th b k t d k id f d (4) t t th f
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
3-2 Combination 2-1-2 Combination Alternating Pressure ConcealedZones 1-2-1-1 Zone 1-2-2 Zone 1-3-1 Zone 3-2 Zone 2-1-2 Zone 2-2-1 Zone 2-3 ZonePressure
As X5 c ommits high post (5) rolls to the bask et and weak-side forward (4) cuts to the f ree-throw line
Continuity is achieved by moving the weak-side forward (4) to the high post positionwherever he can receive an outlet pass should (1) or (5) fail to score In that case (5) swingsacross to the opposite side of the foul lane still deep and (3) is in good position to either
take a jump shot or hit (1) or (5) who are now at the base ends of our offensive triangle
Diagram 4 - Attack ing t he 2-3 Zone
This 1-3-1 offensive attack against thisparticular zone is also when the player at thehigh post (5) gets the original pass from the
outside guard (2) (5)s pass options areillustrated with this diagram In this caseboth forwards move quickly into open areaswhich are good positions for a shot and thedeep guard (1) is still in good position for ashot should the opportunity present itself for him to receive a quick pass
Whenever (5) gets the ball X5 must cover him which opens up the baseline for a passIf X3 and X4 collapse both forwards (3) and(4) will be open for short jump shots
The only weakness to this attack is the fact we have a guard inside which seemingly leavesthe offensive team vulnerable to a fast break however we are in great rebounding position
and will get many put-backs Play the long rebound keep one player back as safety and tryto prevent the outlet pass by tying up a defensive rebounder
You can attack the 2-1-2 Zone in exactly the same way you attack the 2-3 Zone Simplyexecute the options I just described
Diagram 5 - Attack ing a 1-3-1 Zone
The guards remain in their normal position following our rule of odd or even fronts The twoforwards take positions on the baseline about 10 to 15 feet from the basket as shown in thisdiagram and post player (5) assumes the high post position
Sending the forwards deep may force the defenders into a 2-3 Zone If so (5) can easily befed from outside This is especially effective if the opponent plays its own pivot player as
deep man in the zone since our pivot player can take advantage of the overmatched one-on-one situation either by getting off a shot or feed a guard or forward for a 10 to 15 foot jumpshot Should the defenders be able to keep the pivot player (5) from feeding the forwards intheir deep positions then you will not be able to force a 2-3 alignment and use another modeof attack
Basketball Teams Youth Basketball
Basketball Shot
Ads by Google
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
This diagram illustrates how to set up anoverload using your best corner shooter taking the shot Low post (5) acts as adecoy opening up the shot getting into arebounding position and places himself inthe corner position should the need be toswing the ball back outside and around thehorn for a possible shot from the oppositecorner
Diagram 7 - Attack ing t he 1-3-1 Zone
Although s creens do not generally play acritical part in zone offensive attacks here isa way using a screen that will get an openshot along the baseline
In studying this diagram please note that (4)and (5) can move into deep positions oneither side of the free-throw lane Assumingthe corner shot by (4) is not available In this
situation (4) could pass the ball back to (3)then immediately set a screen on the deepdefender X4 Using this screen (5) curlsaround it looking for a pass from (3) Thisoften gets a good uncontested shot over teammate (4)
As a s tandard practice against any z one defense in which two players are positioned in
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
As a s tandard practice against any z one defense in which two players are positioned intandem in the free-throw lane be attacked with a triangle attack That is with a high postletting him feed the deep players as they screen for each other
Diagram 8 - Attack ing the 3-2 Zone
This defense is strong against the outsideattach but extremely weak against a stronginside attack Therefore I recommend youput your best turn-around shooter and passer in the high post (5) position and two tallplayers (4) and (5) deep along the free-throwlane Keep both guards in normal outside
positions and keep feeding (3) at the highpost This forces X5 and X4 into tandempositions and allow (3) to hit either (4) or (5)as they screen for each other
If the defenders do not go into tandempositions described above (3) will haveuncontested shots all night
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
Diagrams 9 and 10 illustrate screening and cutting techniques by (4) and (5) These show thescreening possibilities should X5 and X4 assume the tandem position Also note how theguards can also hit the open cutter from their outside position
Occasionally send a guard cutting through the zone and pull (4) and (5) out wide at the free-throw line extended send (3) to the low post position (as shown in the 1-3-1 zone offensiveattack in Diagram 6 This sets up an overload with (3) then being the corner shooter
A 1-2-2 Zone defense is similar to the 3-2 therefore it can be attac ked t he same way
Translate GuideToCoachingBasketball Website into any of the following languages using Google Translator
3-2 Combination 2-1-2 Combination Alternating Pressure ConcealedZones 1-2-1-1 Zone 1-2-2 Zone 1-3-1 Zone 3-2 Zone 2-1-2 Zone 2-2-1 Zone 2-3 ZonePressure
As X5 c ommits high post (5) rolls to the bask et and weak-side forward (4) cuts to the f ree-throw line
Continuity is achieved by moving the weak-side forward (4) to the high post positionwherever he can receive an outlet pass should (1) or (5) fail to score In that case (5) swingsacross to the opposite side of the foul lane still deep and (3) is in good position to either
take a jump shot or hit (1) or (5) who are now at the base ends of our offensive triangle
Diagram 4 - Attack ing t he 2-3 Zone
This 1-3-1 offensive attack against thisparticular zone is also when the player at thehigh post (5) gets the original pass from the
outside guard (2) (5)s pass options areillustrated with this diagram In this caseboth forwards move quickly into open areaswhich are good positions for a shot and thedeep guard (1) is still in good position for ashot should the opportunity present itself for him to receive a quick pass
Whenever (5) gets the ball X5 must cover him which opens up the baseline for a passIf X3 and X4 collapse both forwards (3) and(4) will be open for short jump shots
The only weakness to this attack is the fact we have a guard inside which seemingly leavesthe offensive team vulnerable to a fast break however we are in great rebounding position
and will get many put-backs Play the long rebound keep one player back as safety and tryto prevent the outlet pass by tying up a defensive rebounder
You can attack the 2-1-2 Zone in exactly the same way you attack the 2-3 Zone Simplyexecute the options I just described
Diagram 5 - Attack ing a 1-3-1 Zone
The guards remain in their normal position following our rule of odd or even fronts The twoforwards take positions on the baseline about 10 to 15 feet from the basket as shown in thisdiagram and post player (5) assumes the high post position
Sending the forwards deep may force the defenders into a 2-3 Zone If so (5) can easily befed from outside This is especially effective if the opponent plays its own pivot player as
deep man in the zone since our pivot player can take advantage of the overmatched one-on-one situation either by getting off a shot or feed a guard or forward for a 10 to 15 foot jumpshot Should the defenders be able to keep the pivot player (5) from feeding the forwards intheir deep positions then you will not be able to force a 2-3 alignment and use another modeof attack
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8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
This diagram illustrates how to set up anoverload using your best corner shooter taking the shot Low post (5) acts as adecoy opening up the shot getting into arebounding position and places himself inthe corner position should the need be toswing the ball back outside and around thehorn for a possible shot from the oppositecorner
Diagram 7 - Attack ing t he 1-3-1 Zone
Although s creens do not generally play acritical part in zone offensive attacks here isa way using a screen that will get an openshot along the baseline
In studying this diagram please note that (4)and (5) can move into deep positions oneither side of the free-throw lane Assumingthe corner shot by (4) is not available In this
situation (4) could pass the ball back to (3)then immediately set a screen on the deepdefender X4 Using this screen (5) curlsaround it looking for a pass from (3) Thisoften gets a good uncontested shot over teammate (4)
As a s tandard practice against any z one defense in which two players are positioned in
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
As a s tandard practice against any z one defense in which two players are positioned intandem in the free-throw lane be attacked with a triangle attack That is with a high postletting him feed the deep players as they screen for each other
Diagram 8 - Attack ing the 3-2 Zone
This defense is strong against the outsideattach but extremely weak against a stronginside attack Therefore I recommend youput your best turn-around shooter and passer in the high post (5) position and two tallplayers (4) and (5) deep along the free-throwlane Keep both guards in normal outside
positions and keep feeding (3) at the highpost This forces X5 and X4 into tandempositions and allow (3) to hit either (4) or (5)as they screen for each other
If the defenders do not go into tandempositions described above (3) will haveuncontested shots all night
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
Diagrams 9 and 10 illustrate screening and cutting techniques by (4) and (5) These show thescreening possibilities should X5 and X4 assume the tandem position Also note how theguards can also hit the open cutter from their outside position
Occasionally send a guard cutting through the zone and pull (4) and (5) out wide at the free-throw line extended send (3) to the low post position (as shown in the 1-3-1 zone offensiveattack in Diagram 6 This sets up an overload with (3) then being the corner shooter
A 1-2-2 Zone defense is similar to the 3-2 therefore it can be attac ked t he same way
Translate GuideToCoachingBasketball Website into any of the following languages using Google Translator
This diagram illustrates how to set up anoverload using your best corner shooter taking the shot Low post (5) acts as adecoy opening up the shot getting into arebounding position and places himself inthe corner position should the need be toswing the ball back outside and around thehorn for a possible shot from the oppositecorner
Diagram 7 - Attack ing t he 1-3-1 Zone
Although s creens do not generally play acritical part in zone offensive attacks here isa way using a screen that will get an openshot along the baseline
In studying this diagram please note that (4)and (5) can move into deep positions oneither side of the free-throw lane Assumingthe corner shot by (4) is not available In this
situation (4) could pass the ball back to (3)then immediately set a screen on the deepdefender X4 Using this screen (5) curlsaround it looking for a pass from (3) Thisoften gets a good uncontested shot over teammate (4)
As a s tandard practice against any z one defense in which two players are positioned in
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
As a s tandard practice against any z one defense in which two players are positioned intandem in the free-throw lane be attacked with a triangle attack That is with a high postletting him feed the deep players as they screen for each other
Diagram 8 - Attack ing the 3-2 Zone
This defense is strong against the outsideattach but extremely weak against a stronginside attack Therefore I recommend youput your best turn-around shooter and passer in the high post (5) position and two tallplayers (4) and (5) deep along the free-throwlane Keep both guards in normal outside
positions and keep feeding (3) at the highpost This forces X5 and X4 into tandempositions and allow (3) to hit either (4) or (5)as they screen for each other
If the defenders do not go into tandempositions described above (3) will haveuncontested shots all night
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
Diagrams 9 and 10 illustrate screening and cutting techniques by (4) and (5) These show thescreening possibilities should X5 and X4 assume the tandem position Also note how theguards can also hit the open cutter from their outside position
Occasionally send a guard cutting through the zone and pull (4) and (5) out wide at the free-throw line extended send (3) to the low post position (as shown in the 1-3-1 zone offensiveattack in Diagram 6 This sets up an overload with (3) then being the corner shooter
A 1-2-2 Zone defense is similar to the 3-2 therefore it can be attac ked t he same way
Translate GuideToCoachingBasketball Website into any of the following languages using Google Translator
As a s tandard practice against any z one defense in which two players are positioned intandem in the free-throw lane be attacked with a triangle attack That is with a high postletting him feed the deep players as they screen for each other
Diagram 8 - Attack ing the 3-2 Zone
This defense is strong against the outsideattach but extremely weak against a stronginside attack Therefore I recommend youput your best turn-around shooter and passer in the high post (5) position and two tallplayers (4) and (5) deep along the free-throwlane Keep both guards in normal outside
positions and keep feeding (3) at the highpost This forces X5 and X4 into tandempositions and allow (3) to hit either (4) or (5)as they screen for each other
If the defenders do not go into tandempositions described above (3) will haveuncontested shots all night
8182019 How to Attack Half-court Basketball Zone Defenses
Diagrams 9 and 10 illustrate screening and cutting techniques by (4) and (5) These show thescreening possibilities should X5 and X4 assume the tandem position Also note how theguards can also hit the open cutter from their outside position
Occasionally send a guard cutting through the zone and pull (4) and (5) out wide at the free-throw line extended send (3) to the low post position (as shown in the 1-3-1 zone offensiveattack in Diagram 6 This sets up an overload with (3) then being the corner shooter
A 1-2-2 Zone defense is similar to the 3-2 therefore it can be attac ked t he same way
Translate GuideToCoachingBasketball Website into any of the following languages using Google Translator
Diagrams 9 and 10 illustrate screening and cutting techniques by (4) and (5) These show thescreening possibilities should X5 and X4 assume the tandem position Also note how theguards can also hit the open cutter from their outside position
Occasionally send a guard cutting through the zone and pull (4) and (5) out wide at the free-throw line extended send (3) to the low post position (as shown in the 1-3-1 zone offensiveattack in Diagram 6 This sets up an overload with (3) then being the corner shooter
A 1-2-2 Zone defense is similar to the 3-2 therefore it can be attac ked t he same way
Translate GuideToCoachingBasketball Website into any of the following languages using Google Translator
