Címke: trapping

  • Principles for Teaching Zone Presses

    Principles for Teaching Zone Presses

    The following principles can be applied when teaching different types of zone presses.

    Regardless of the exact alignment, an effective pressing zone depends on constant movement, pressure on the ball, communication and disciplined positioning.

    Make the Ball Move

    Always force the offense to move the ball.

    Every pass changes the responsibilities and positions of the defenders.

    The defense must adjust immediately.

    If the players fail to react to the movement of the ball, the press will break down.

    This is one of the most fundamental principles of zone pressure — and one of the easiest to forget.

    Define the Type of Press

    Players must clearly understand what type of zone press the team is playing.

    Are you:

    • trapping, or
    • simply pressuring and containing?

    If the objective is to trap, two defenders must consistently apply pressure to the ball after the appropriate passes.

    If the objective is pressure without trapping, the defender on the ball must still apply enough pressure to prevent easy long passes that can immediately break the press.

    The entire team must understand the objective of the system.

    Force the Worst Pass

    Do not allow the offense to make the easiest and most dangerous pass.

    The defense should try to influence the ball toward less favorable passing options.

    A successful press does not simply react to the offense.

    It attempts to decide where the offense can go.

    Force the Ball Handler to Pick Up the Dribble

    Every defender should look for opportunities to force the offensive player to end the dribble.

    Once the dribble has been picked up, the defense can increase pressure on the ball without the same danger of being beaten off the dribble.

    This creates an important advantage for the press.

    Use Active Hands

    Teach continuous and purposeful hand activity around the ball.

    Defenders should look for opportunities to:

    • deflect passes,
    • disrupt passing lanes,
    • or create steals.

    But active hands must remain disciplined.

    Aggressiveness should not result in unnecessary fouls.

    A Press Requires Sprinting

    No team can play an effective zone press without running.

    If even one defender is late reaching the correct position, the entire structure of the press may be compromised.

    Players must sprint to their responsibilities.

    Aggressiveness, however, does not mean uncontrolled play.

    Running hard and playing with intensity are not excuses for committing fouls.

    Get a Hand on Every Pass You Can

    Encourage players to deflect every pass they can reach.

    Even when the defense does not immediately gain possession, a deflection can:

    • change the direction of the ball,
    • slow the offense,
    • disrupt timing,
    • and create another opportunity for the defense.

    Small disruptions can eventually create turnovers.

    Keep the Ball Away from Dangerous Areas

    An aggressive zone press should direct the ball away from the most dangerous areas of the floor.

    In particular, the defense should try to keep the ball away from:

    • the middle of the court,
    • and dangerous passing or advancing lanes on the ball side.

    Allowing the offense easy access to the middle often creates passing angles that can break the press.

    The defense should therefore use positioning and pressure to influence the offense toward less favorable areas.

    The Press Is a Team Defense

    A zone press cannot function as five separate defensive actions.

    Every pass changes:

    • who pressures the ball,
    • who protects the next pass,
    • who covers behind the pressure,
    • and where every defender must move.

    That is why the press demands constant awareness and collective movement.

    The basic principles are simple:

    • move with every pass,
    • know whether you are trapping or containing,
    • force difficult passes,
    • make the ball handler pick up the dribble,
    • use active hands,
    • sprint into position,
    • deflect passes,
    • and keep the ball away from dangerous areas.

    When all five defenders follow these principles together, the zone press becomes more than pressure.

    It becomes an organized defensive system.

  • Keys to Effective Full-Court Pressure

    Keys to Effective Full-Court Pressure

    Practical advice on pressing defense from the head coach of Metro State University in Denver.

    • When the offense breaks your press, the defense must remain just as solid and aggressive.
    • If you want to become a pressing team, your entire program has to be built around that mentality.
    • One of the greatest advantages for a pressing team is simply making shots. Scoring gives you more opportunities to organize and vary your pressure defense.
    • The goal of the defense should be to become disruptive.

    Step by Step

    Take the Primary Ball Handler Out of the Game

    One of the first objectives of the press should be to disrupt or remove the opponent’s primary ball handler from his usual role.

    Make someone else organize the offense.

    You Have to Be in Excellent Condition

    Pressing requires conditioning.

    The press may not immediately produce a steal, but the reward can appear later in the game as the opponent becomes increasingly tired and uncomfortable.

    Control the Tempo

    Use pressure to influence the rhythm of the game.

    Sometimes you want to speed the opponent up.

    At other times, you may want to slow them down and prevent them from comfortably entering their offense.

    Force Turnovers

    The defense should actively create mistakes.

    Do not simply wait for the offense to make one.

    Force Poor Shots

    Pressure should encourage the opponent to take:

    • rushed shots,
    • quick shots,
    • poorly prepared shots,
    • and shots outside the normal offensive rhythm.

    Pressing Is About Effort

    An effective press is not primarily about athletic ability.

    It is about effort.

    That effort has to be consistent if the defense is going to work.

    Transition into the Press

    Your team must be excellent at changing from offense to defense.

    Players have to take their positions quickly.

    The press cannot begin late.

    The first few seconds after possession changes are critical.

    Forget Your Matchup When You Trap

    When a trap is initiated, players must stop thinking only about their individual matchup.

    The team has to rotate.

    Once two defenders commit to the ball, the remaining defenders must understand the resulting responsibilities.

    Pressing and Trapping Are Not the Same Thing

    Players need to understand the difference between a pressing defense and a trapping defense.

    Not every press has to produce a trap.

    And not every trap has to occur within a full-court press.

    The purpose, timing and rotations are different.

    The “NOW!” Call

    Whenever the ball is passed to a center or another interior player in the backcourt or far away from your own basket, the entire team should immediately communicate:

    “NOW!”

    This becomes an emergency signal.

    It tells everyone that the defense has an opportunity to increase pressure.

    From that moment, your own assignment must not receive an easy pass.

    The whole team has to react together.

    Let the Big Players Experience the Front of the Press

    Occasionally place your interior players at the front of the press.

    This allows them to experience how much effort perimeter players normally have to produce at the top of the defense.

    It can improve understanding and appreciation of each player’s role within the system.

    Sometimes the Press Is Only There to Slow the Game

    A press does not always need to be extremely aggressive.

    Sometimes its purpose is simply to slow the opponent down.

    In those situations, there may be no need to trap.

    The objective may simply be to reduce the time available for the opponent to organize the offense.

    Your Centers Must Direct the Defense

    Interior players must communicate extremely well from the back of the press.

    They can see almost everything in front of them.

    For that reason, they have a major responsibility for organizing and directing the defense.

    An effective full-court press is therefore not simply five players running aggressively after the ball.

    It requires:

    • effort,
    • conditioning,
    • communication,
    • clear responsibilities,
    • intelligent trapping,
    • coordinated rotations,
    • and a shared defensive mentality.