YBCA

Here a problem we experienced over the weekend that I am not quite sure how to teach.  We faced alot of teams that pressed us full court.

Part of the problem was our inbound and how to get that first pass in.  We saw a number of different looks or defence.  One was the typical 1211 press with a player on the ball out of bounds and two players matching up to our guards that set up in a stack. Another was a simpler two guards playing either side of stack and they take who ever breaks in that area.   Another look was the person on the ball double teams the stack with the other two players.  Hope you could all visualize.

We taught are kids to stack at the elbow and one cuts either way and the other the opposite.  We continually ran in to trouble since they didn't get open or struggled with the pressure.  The other coach would change the look and it messed us up.  We we inconsistent at best. 

After some thought I tried to come up with some simple adjustment I could go to practice tomorrow and install and practice. One was to set up side by side and look screen and the opposite defender and than seals and looks for the ball, while the other guard takes the defender to the side line.  Should we set up in the middle of the key instead of the elbow  to give the guards more room?  Note if in trouble we have other players at half on the sideline that look to run in if they can get the ball.

Any thoughts?

Thanks I am kind of curious about your press break.  To visualize in my mind you have one player, throw the ball in, another at about the foul line extened, and two at approximately half court and one at three quarter court.

If they double the one at ft line the strong side comes back, ( if i understand correctly) and you look to cut and fill. what if they double the front one and match up on the two at mid cout – do you use the very long pass?

How do you teach you one to get open that is at the free throw line.

Thanks for you response.

Post edited 1:37 am – October 8, 2010 by Coach T

We also play in a league that has a lot of teams who press…and do it effectively at the 10-12 year old level. We also press on almost every made basket unless we know that a team is definitely talented enough to beat it. We use the 1-2-1-1 a little differently in that we do not pressure the inbounder. We set up a man in line with the inbounder, a man on the ball side around fouline extended, and another center of the foul-line, with the other two back; one at halfcourt ball side, the other around center court long. We allow the first pass in which will normally be around the baseline on either side. Then we trap after first pass, with others covering center court, sideline, and long. It works like a charm with two or three agressive boys at this age.

To break the press we have three ways we go about it. In every press break we run we have either our 5 man or our PG inbounding the ball. After the pass in, their job is to come out to the middle of the floor for the pass back to the center so that we can either get it into the passing lanes, or let our PG take care of business.

1: We stack with all four men, rolling the front man out and long, the 2nd man breaks to ballside, 3rd man breaks off side, fourth man can either cut straight to ball, or pop out to side on the ball side. 

2: We set up four wide, spread out along baseline. The two outside players set a pick(if man D) then curl to ball. Inside man ball-side pops out on wing, and other inside player comes across hard and goes out high on ball side. We then look for a man cutting to center court somewhere to get the ball moving, while every one else fills their lanes.

or 3: We call a time out, and run the baseline. Most presses happen after a made basket, so we are allowed to do this, and it works every time. What we do is to have our best ball handler inbounding the ball. We set up a stack, or four wide, then we break. We designate one man, usually our calmest othe player to run out of bounds on other side of lane take the pass, then pass it inbounds to oru ball handler coming inbounds. It catches the defense so off guard in most case that we can almost shoot wide open lay-ups while they are trying to figure out what just happened. On the pass in, our other players just spread out into passing lanes and run the floor.

These are just a few ways we do it effectively, and they work in most cases. But there will always be times when you are just outmanned and nothing you seem to do works. But so far, so good. Good luck coach.

Once you break the press, it's simply fast break or transition basketball. Just frame it the same way. Whatever you teach or whatever rules that you use in transition, incorporate those at the end of a press break.

Yes, I use the same press break with varsity players. In any offensive scheme, the goal is to disorganize the defense. If they play a 1-2-1-1, and you match up with a 1-2-2 press break, you're not disorganizing the defense unless you set a great screen and make two very quick passes. Don't match up with their numbers. Go to a 1-4 press break; you have an easy inbounds pass. Go to a 1-1-3 press break. Work to distort the defense and get the numbers in your favor.

If the trap is hard and immediate, inbounder trails. If not, I cut the inbounder down the middle and the opposite player trails behind the ball. The movement confuses defenses and the inbounder cuts in front of the next defender.

Agains at 2-2-1, it depends on the amount of pressure. If they allow the inbounds pass, I use one player to receive the pass.