Zone Defense

[MikeWojokowski]

With the Men’s and Women’s National Championships upon us. Is it me, or was there a lot of zone defense this tournament? More than normal? Are we getting away from teaching kids man to man?

 

[colhenrylives]

A well-coached, well-executed match-up zone includes many solid man principles. By the way, when did it become smart to allow baseline drives toward the hoop?

 

[ClayK]

Zones are especially effective when defenders are reasonably tall and long -- when my 1-3-1 trap worked best was when I had a lot of girls between 5-8 and 5-11. People will say a team is tall when it has a 6-3 girl, but height up and down the lineup is probably more difficult to deal with.

So with the increased emphasis on wingspan, you're getting longer players, to use the modern term, and thus zones are more effective.

The other issue is lack of shooting. As I've mentioned way too many times, the way the game is coached and played at the youth levels -- win, win and then win some more, and who cares about player development? -- the style that's rewarded is getting to the rim. Consequently, shooters don't get developed.

And if you can't make perimeter shots consistently, it's very difficult to get teams out of a zone.

As for baseline drives, there are a couple theories: some don't want baseline drives, and some don't want drives to the middle. My rule was neither -- I wanted to force kids to dribble with their weak hand, and if that was baseline or middle, that was fine.

 

[OnBall8]

By the way, when did it become smart to allow baseline drives toward the hoop?

Allowing baseline drives to the hoop and forcing to the baseline are 2 different things. A pressure defense can benefit greatly from forcing baseline, but again that shouldn't be "allowing" the ball handler to get to the block/key. One should be forcing to the short corner area of the baseline. And forcing baseline allows you to help and rotate on the backside, as opposed to helping from the strongside. Most teams will pitch to the corner on a strongside help for an easy catch and shoot 3.

Obviously the old pack-line defense will still work too but I tend to see less ball pressure in those systems. As long as the kids/players understand the system and can rotate efficiently both ways can be very effective.

 

[mkbgdns]

in the girls' game, I see players taking the baseline because "it's there", and ending up pinned down "there" with no shot/pass. offensive players need to be able to read the situation, and have a plan A and B for their penetration. I guess I'm saying, don't assume the defense made a mistake, it may be, as you say, forcing to the baseline. I think in any defense, having a strategy for channelling a ball handler is a good thing, which means overplaying. at the high school level, a strong ball handler will have her way with most defenders,

 

[ClayK]

You always have to adjust, but generally if a girl is dribbling on the baseline with her weak hand, that's the hand she has to pass with -- and that pass will not be pretty.

And few girls really can convert on a reverse layup with any kind of pressure so I don't mind letting them dribble under the basket. (I tell my kids that if you're confused at all, just dribble out to the other corner and try to figure something out then ...)

Obviously, though, they have to be forced even with or below the basket so they can't shoot from the strong side.

 

[coachlittle]

The other issue is lack of shooting. As I've mentioned way too many times, the way the game is coached and played at the youth levels -- win, win and then win some more, and who cares about player development? -- the style that's rewarded is getting to the rim. Consequently, shooters don't get developed.

And if you can't make perimeter shots consistently, it's very difficult to get teams out of a zone.

I was just telling my wife this last night. Not sure if she was listening but i let it out .