Basketball Defense - 1-3-1 Zone Defense

From the Coach’s Clipboard Basketball Playbook, @ http://www.coachesclipboard.net

The 1-3-1 zone defense has the advantage of being able to apply pressure on the outside arc and high post, and allows for some trapping. The major weakness is when the offense attacks from the corners and into the low post. Coaches may differ on who covers what, but you have to decide which is best for your team and make sure your players all understand how you want them to shift and defend. Rebounding can also be a problem with only one low defender. See Zone Rebounding.

Study the diagrams below to understand the how the zone shifts and players move. Below are two ways of playing the zone. The first is more conservative with less gambling and trapping. The second is a more aggressive, trapping defense which requires quick athletic players.

The top three defenders X1, X2 and X3 (diagram A) should be quick, athletic. X4 also needs to cover a lot of territory. Your actual player numbers (assignments) could be different depending on your personnel. X5 is your strong post defender. The basic rules are:

X5 plays the offensive post player man-to-man, denying him the ball (fronting most of the time)
The wing defenders X2 and X3 must drop to the weak-side block when the ball is on the opposite wing.
X4 stays even or below the block and when the ball moves to a wing, moves out about halfway to the corner.

Conventional, more conservative 1-3-1 zone defense

Diagram A shows the basic setup... X1 on the top, X2 and X3 on the wings (near the arc, free-throw line extended), X5 on the post player, and X4 down low. The arrows show how the defenders generally move in the zone. X2 and X3 are moving vertically up and down as the ball moves, while X1 and X4 move laterally, sideways with ball movement. X5 just follows his man, denying the pass. These are general guidelines, and players must always remember that the ball is the most important thing, and they must talk and communicate. Most offenses will set up with a two guard offense, a 2-1-2 set (diagram B).

Diagram B. As the ball crosses half-court, X1 tries to direct the ball to one side, to the awaiting wing player X2 who then takes the ball. X1 drops toward the high post. X4 moves sideways, outside the paint. The opposite wing X3 drops to the weak-side block to give inside help. X5 is denying.

If the ball is passed to the corner (diagram C), X4 closes-out on the ball and X2 can either drop inside a little, or trap the corner with X4. X5 goes with his man O5 and denies the pass inside. X1 drops to the ball-side elbow, and the zone now looks like diagram D.

1-3-1 zone defense

In diagram D, the ball is passed back out to the wing. X1 will initally cover the ball until X2 can get there, and then X1 will slide over more toward the top. X4 drops back toward (but not in) the paint. X5 denies the post player.

On ball-reversal (diagram E), X1 follows the ball and contains until X3 can get there. (X1 might anticipate and intercept this pass, and get a lay-up on the other end). X3 sprints out and closes-out on the ball on the wing. The opposite wing X2 drops down to the weak-side block to give inside help. X4 sprints across ball-side, again just a little outside the paint. X5 denies the post. The zone now looks like diagram F.

As the ball is passed to the corner (diagram F), X4 closes-out on the ball. X3 can either trap or drop inside. X1 drops to the ball-side elbow. X5 denies the post player. X2 gives help down low, but has weak-side responsibility. Now the zone looks like diagram H.

Trapping, more aggressive 1-3-1 zone defense

The rules are basically the same as outlined above. Two players will trap the ball and the other three defenders should be "interceptors", looking to deny and steal a pass. Starting with diagram I, X1 directs O1 to one side, to the awaiting wing defender (X2) and then X1 and X2 trap O1 on the wing. X5 denies the post player. X4 rotates outside the paint half-way toward the corner, while X3 our weak-side wing defender, drops to the weak-side block area.

If the ball is passed to the corner (diagram J), X4 closes-out on the ball, while X2 sprints down and double-teams with X4. X1 drops to the ball-side elbow, X5 denies the post, and X3 has back-side responsibility.

1-3-1 zone defense

Diagrams K and L show the ball coming back out of the corner, and reversal to the opposite wing. The rotations are exactly the same as outlined above. The initial pass from the corner back out to the wing cannot usually be trapped, and here we are just trying to contain the ball. The difference is on ball-reversal to O3. Here, X1 and X3 will trap O3 on the opposite wing (diagram L). X4 moves across just outside the lane, X2 drops to the weak-side block, while X5 denies the post.

If the ball is passed to the corner (diagram M), O4 closes-out on the ball while X3 sprints down to trap. X1 goes to the ball-side elbow, and X5 is always denying the pass into the post O5. X2 has back-side responsibility. The zone now looks like diagram N.

In summary, we look to trap the wings and the corners, the circled areas in diagram O. Trappers should really harass and "squeeze" in on the ball. The level of the defenders' hands should mirror the height of the ball and trappers should not reach in and foul. They are trying to force a bad pass, or get the 5-second call. Occasionally they may get the tie-up,but remember that a jump ball is not as good as an interception or a 5-second call.

1-3-1 zone defense

Ball in the High-Post

Finally, no matter how good your X5 defender is, there will be times when the ball does get into the high post (diagram P). X1 can drop inside to help harass the ball and force O5 to pass the ball back out. This tactic is applicable to both styles of play. When the ball is in the high post, X4 must get back into the middle and X3 will also have to be aware of inside cutters. The offense will look to go "hi-lo" and pass inside. You can see from the diagram that this is not a good situation defensively as the offense could get a pass inside, or a pass to a wide-open shooter in the corner, or the wings.

Probably a better way of covering this situation would be to have X1 slide over on O1 (instead of dropping to the high-post), and have X2 drop immediately down toward O2. X4 would deny the pass into the paint, and X3 could hedge a little to help prevent O5 from dribbling left while still being able to close-out on a pass to O3.

To effectively play either of these defenses, all movements have to be made quickly... a split second too late can make the difference in the opponent scoring. Defenders must "get there" quickly.

Here are a couple of helpful videos on the 1-3-1 zone defense.

Half-Court 1-3-1 Trap -- Championship Productions, Inc.
with Seth Greenberg, Virginia Tech University Head Coach, former University of South Florida Head Coach
Coach Greenberg gives a detailed account of the half-court 1-3-1 trap, a great counter to other zone defenses played today. Areas covered include the responsibilities for each position, trap coverage and rotations, how to defend skip passes and dribble penetration, as well as rebounding assignments. Coach Greenberg also discusses how to use this defense to contain a dominant player. This is an excellent defense to disrupt opponents, change the pace of the game, and to create scoring opportunities... (more info)

Price: $39.99

Ed DeChellis: 1-3-1 Extended Half Court Zone -- Championship Productions, Inc.
with Ed DeChellis, Penn State University Head Coach
The biggest reason for playing the 1-3-1 zone defense is to neutralize your opponent's best post player. It also gives you the ability to move different players around in the defense. The point of the 1-3-1 zone must be a player who is athletic and can finish on the other end. DeChellis breaks down the zone by putting the ball in different areas of the floor. Drills are included to fine-tune this defense. DeChellis calls the 1-3-1 zone "a high risk, high reward attack" that can change tempo quickly and make athletic opponents lethargic in a hurry... (more info)

Price: $39.99