Basketball Defense - Selecting a Press Defense(s)

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

Press defenses can be categorized as:

• Full-Court Man-to-man Pressure Defense
• Zone Press Defenses
• Match-up Press Defenses (too complicated for youth teams)
• Half-court Press Defenses and Traps
• Deny Press Defenses

Many youth leagues do not permit full-court presses, especially for the younger ages, and this is probably a good thing. Our youth league allows full-court pressing only the last two minutes of the first half, and the last two minutes of the game (unless you are ahead by 10 or more points). We do however allow half-court presses, so the Viking press is an option (see below).

Press defense extends your defense into the opponent's back-court. Before selecting and teaching a defensive press system, you must first decide whether an uptempo, pressing defense is best for your team.

Do have team quickness, well-conditioned athletes, and a good bench? Will your players "buy into", or be committed to a pressing defense? There are man-to-man and zone presses. Our favorite (high school varsity level) is the full-court matchup press "system", but this too complicated for most youth teams.

Youth teams would be served best with the simple full-court pressure man-to-man defense, or a simple full-court zone defense. The Viking half-court press is simple and effective as well.

Advantages of a Good Press Defense

A good press can quickly produce back-court turnovers, steals and easy baskets for your team. So it is an offensive weapon as such, and a way to come from behind, or a way to break open a close game, and a way to wear down an slower, less well-conditioned opponent.

It may help nullify the opponent's "bigs", who may labor to get up and down the floor. You can turn the game into a "track meet", rather than a slow-down game that favors the opponent's big post players.

The press keeps the opponent off-balance, changes the tempo of the game, and often has the opponent doing things they don't normally like to do. It often forces the opposing coach to use valuable time-outs. It favors a well-conditioned team with a deep bench, and with more substitutions, allows more of your players to get playing time.

Disadvantages of a Press Defense

A fair amount of practice time is required to develop a good, cohesive press. Also, remember that any press is a gamble (especially trapping defenses). You risk giving up the easy transition lay-up, and you have to be willing to accept that fact.

If your players are not well-conditioned, fatigue can become a factor. Your players may be more apt to foul and get into foul trouble, so a good bench is very valuable in this regard as well as the fatigue issue. But you might want to press only in certain situations (e.g. after a made basket), or certain times of the game, as a "surprise" tactic.

See Transition Defense for important principles that apply to all press defenses.

Full-Court Man-to-Man Pressure Defense

Full-court "pressure" defense is simple man-to-man defense extended over the full-court. This defense is excellent for youth teams who must learn to play man-to-man defense, and it is easy to teach, requiring less practice time than other press defenses.

Players use and learn the same basic concepts of man-to-man defense (on-ball, deny and help-side defense, just extended to the full-court). There is little risk, or gambling, with this defense. I believe this press would probably be less effective at higher levels where good ball-handlers and dribblers could break it down.

Zone Press Defense

Zone presses have the defenders start in a certain formation, such as a 1-2-1-1, 1-2-2, 2-2-1, etc. and feature pressuring the ball and trapping. You can categorize zone presses by where the press starts on the court:

• full-court ("80"), where there is a defender guarding the inbound passer (e.g. 1-2-1-1 zone press)
• 3/4 court ("60"), where there is nobody guarding the inbound passer (e.g. 2-2-1 zone press)
• half-court ("40") where the press starts at, (or just beyond) the half-court line (e.g. 1-2-2 Viking press)

Half-Court Press Defenses

Half-court presses start at, or just beyond, the half-court line. These presses are less of a gamble, since all five defenders are back in the half-court. Usually these defenses try to trap the ball as it comes across half-court, in the half-court corner on either side, while the other defenders look to intercept a poor pass made out of the trap. These presses are usually easier to teach and conditioning is less of an issue. Many youth leagues do not permit full-court presses... so use a half-court press instead.

Deny Press Defenses

"Deny" presses are used to deny the inbounds pass, hopefully resulting in either intercepting the inbounds pass, or getting the 5-second call. The defenders play in the passing lanes between the ball and their man.

A deny press is needed in a close game, in an attempt to get the ball back after a made basket, or whenever the opponent has to inbound the ball. It can also be used from time-to-time during the course of a game as a surprise tactic. Several deny presses are presented as adjustments to a main press.

In summary, the press(es) that you decide to use should be based on your and your players' level of committment to press defense, the age and skill level of your players, the amount of practice time that you have available, your teams's quickness and athleticism, and the depth of your bench.

How you use the press is also key. Do you want to use it the entire game, to fatigue your opponent and make their "bigs" less effective? Do you just want to use it from time-to-time during the game as a surprise tactic, or to make the offense less comfortable? Or do you have a big slow team that would be better off just sprinting back on defense and play a slower half-court game?

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