Featured courses
- Three Effective Early-Season Defensive Basketball Drills by Grant Young
- Four Essential Tips For Basketball’s 1-3-1 Zone Defense by Grant Young
- Four Zone Defense Drills to Strengthen Your Team by Grant Young
- How to Beat the Three Most Common Pick and Roll Coverages by Grant Young
- Two Drills to Improve Shooting at the Start of the Basketball Season by Grant Young
- These Three Offensive Sets Will Help You Beat Any Zone Defense by Grant Young
- Three Transition Basketball Drills To Play With More Pace by Grant Young
- Three 5 Out Offense Drills Any Basketball Coach Can Use by Grant Young
- Four Vital Techniques for a Motion Offense in Basketball by Grant Young
- Three Baseline Inbounds Plays To Win Your Basketball Team Games by Grant Young
- Four Drills For Sharpening the European Ball Screen Offense by Grant Young
- Three Positioning Tricks For a Basketball Zone Offense by Grant Young
- Three Rules to Perfecting Basketball's Lock Left Defensive System by Grant Young
- Three Ways To Turn Transition Offense in Basketball Into Points by Grant Young
- Three Drills to Master Basketball's Pack Line Defense by Grant Young
- Three Dribble Drive Motion Drills to Teach Your Basketball Team by Grant Young
- Three Dribbling Drills For Non-Primary Ball Handlers by Grant Young
- Four Advanced Ball Handling Drills For Basketball Guards by Grant Young
- Three Tips to Sharpen Your Post Player’s Footwork in Basketball by Grant Young
- Three Closeout Drills to Improve Basketball Shooting Defense by Grant Young
- Three Tips to Perfect the Packline Defense in Basketball by Grant Young
- Four Keys to Executing the Read and React Offense in Basketball by Grant Young
- Three Tips to Develop Elite Basketball Shooters by Grant Young
- Three Crucial Keys to Executing the 5 Out Offense in Basketball by Grant Young
- Core Basketball Principles That Dallas Mavericks Coach Sean Sweeney Teaches by Grant Young
- Three Competitive Shooting Drills For Your Basketball Team by Grant Young
- How To Teach The ‘I’ Generation of Basketball Players by Grant Young
- Three Elite Drills to Begin a Basketball Practice With by Grant Young
- How to Build a Championship-Winning Basketball Team Culture by Grant Young
- 4 Defensive Technique Drills from Boston Celtics Assistant Coach Brandon Bailey by Marek Hulva
- 5 Drills to Improve Ball Handling by Tyler Linderman
- 13 FUNNY BASKETBALL GIFS by Alex
- BASKETBALL SPEED AND AGILITY: 8 QUESTIONS FOR COACHTUBE EXPERT RICH STONER by Jaycob Ammerman
- Defensive Strategies for Basketball by Ryan Brennan
- 4 Keys To Turning Your Program Into Championship Contender By Dallas Mavericks Coach Sean Sweeney by Marek Hulva
- 5 Components to Creating a Winning Basketball Program by Justin Tran
- Guide to Becoming a Lethal Scorer in Basketball by Justin Tran
- Zone Defense In the NBA Eastern Conference Finals by James Locke
- Mastering Court Mobility: Tips for Effective Movement in Basketball by Justin Tran
- 5 Basketball Shooting Drills: How to Develop a Sharpshooter by James Locke
- 6 Points of Emphasis for a Successful 5 Out Offense by Jaycob Ammerman
- Effective and Efficient Methods to Practice During the Basketball Season by Justin Tran
- Three Great Passing Drills From a Basketball Coaching Legend by Grant Young
- 7 Principles For Perfecting the Princeton Offense in Basketball by Grant Young
- How to Replicate A Modern NBA Offense by Grant Young
- Three Great Two-Ball Dribbling Drills For Basketball Development by Grant Young
- Two Rebounding Drills to Win Your Basketball Team Championships by Grant Young
- How to Improve Your Basketball Team’s Defense With the Shell Drill by Grant Young
- How Baylor Basketball’s Scott Drew Develops Elite Guard Play by Grant Young
- Off-Ball Movement Tips and Strategies: Lessons From the NBA Finals by James Locke
- Player Development: Scott Drew’s Tips for Producing NBA Guards by James Locke
- How to Execute a Spread Offense in Basketball by Grant Young
- Four Quality Quotes From Four Final Four Coaches by Grant Young
- A Guide to the Pack Line Defense by Alex Martinez
- 3 Defensive Build Up Drills to Improve Team Basketball Defense by Grant Young
- Battle of Two Great Coaches: Best Plays from the NBA Finals Contenders by Justin Tran
- 10 Creative Ways Athletic Programs Can Use a Video Board to Raise Money by Coach Williams
- How to Use 3 on 3 to Improve Your Basketball Team by Grant Young
- How to Defend the Pick and Roll by Grant Young
- Mastering Basketball Defense: Techniques, Drills, and Strategies for Success by Justin Tran
- Three Tips From The Coach Who Developed Giannis Antetokoumnpo by Grant Young
- 2023 NBA Draft: Skills and Technique from Top Prospects by Justin Tran
- From College to the Pros: Transitioning the Dribble Drive Offense by Justin Tran
- Positionless Basketball: Redefining Roles on the Court by Justin Tran
- Revolutionize Your Offense: Proven Concepts to Elevate Your Basketball Game by Justin Tran
- 5 Essential Fastbreak Drills Every Basketball Coach Should Know by James Locke
- How to Run a Circle Offense in Basketball by Grant Young
- Game-Changing Strategies: ATO Plays in the EuroLeague and Olympics by Justin Tran
- How to Stand Out at Basketball Tryouts by Grant Young
- How to Improve Your Basketball Team’s Transition Defense by Grant Young
- Indiana Fever GM Lin Dunn’s Two Keys For Women’s Basketball Coaches by Grant Young
- Strength Training Strategies Every Basketball Player Should Have by Grant Young
- A WNBA Basketball Coach’s Four Priorities In Transition Defense by Grant Young
- Three Adjustments to Make When Your Basketball Offense Isn’t Working by Grant Young
- Three Pillars to Applying Defensive Pressure on the Basketball Court by Grant Young
- Teaching Elite Point of Attack Finishing in Basketball by Grant Young
- Clever Basketball Coaching Tactics to Steal Your Team Wins by Grant Young
- University of South California Basketball Coach Eric Musselman’s Offensive Philosophy by Grant Young
- Pat Summitt’s Top Tips on Coaching Women’s Basketball by Grant Young
- What You Need to Know About the 2 Side Break by Lason Perkins
- 5 Out of Bound Plays vs. the 2-3 Zone by Marc Hart
- Repeat after me: Shooting is about practice, practice, practice by Brandon Lawrence
- 3 Keys To Shooting Better Off The Pass by Tyler Linderman
- 10 Shooting Tips That Will Increase Your Shooting Percentage by Brandon Ogle
- The Best Ways to Practice Dribbling by Brandon Lawrence
- How Coaches Can Help Build Team Chemistry by Criag Haley
- 2021 Men's NCAA Tournament Teams Courses & Playbooks to Study by Jaycob Ammerman
- 3 Actions from Southern Utah's Highly Ranked System by Jaycob Ammerman
- Coaching Analysis of Thursday NCAA Men’s Tournament Games by Jaycob Ammerman
- How the point guard is basketball's quarterback by Craig Haley
- Full Court Press Drills by Emily Reich
- 3 Transition Offensive Drills to Play Fast by Jaycob Ammerman
- Running Inbounds Plays in Youth Basketball by Craig Haley
- New Favorite Actions from Around the World by Lason Perkins
- How to Create a Pick-and-Roll Offense by Brandon Ogle
- Improving Your Three-Point Shot by Ryan Brennen
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Coaches….And People, Too by Lason Perkins
- 5 Spain PNR Plays for Your Playbook by Lason Perkins
- Three Skills Every Guard Needs by Derek Brown
- Top 4 Pre-Season Basketball Drills by Derek Brown
Defensive Strategies for Basketball
- By Ryan Brennan
Much like choosing your offensive strategies in a basketball game, calling the right defensive plays can be crucial in a win. When choosing a defense, you must evaluate both your team and opponents on the court and choose the best defense that fits their size, quickness and strength.
Although some coaches decide to go with the same defensive strategy throughout a game or season, having multiple strategies can give your team an edge and keep your opponents guessing.
However, you must be certain that your team is well prepared; otherwise they will only end up confusing themselves.
There are a lot of different defensive plays and strategies out there. Listed below are a few tried-and-true strategies I recommend adding to your defensive playbook.
The Man-to-Man Defense is Simple, But Important to Understandtand
The main principle when defending man-to-man is to make sure every player on your team defends one opponent. Another big component of a man-to-man defense is a term called “help side defense.” This happens when a defender that is “two passes” away drops off his man to help offenders that are cutting or setting screens.
The whole point of a man-to-man offense is to keep pressure on the ball at all times. However, for the defenders away from the ball, the defense is treated a bit like a zone defense. This makes it a very important defense to learn and memorize. It teaches great on-ball defense, which includes moving your feet, staying on your toes and knowing where to be at the right time.
There are several drills to perform that will help teach your team the man-to-man defense. One of them is called the “one-one-one” drill. This is a very simple drill that will help improve your players’ on-ball defense, as well as “one-one-one defense.” You will need your team in two lines, one under the basket facing the free throw line (defender) and one at the free throw line facing the basket (offender). This can also be done at the three-point line instead of the free throw line. To begin, the defender must throw the ball to the offender, immediately closing out on the offender. The offender just needs to try and score, while the defender tries to stop them. The drill is over when the offender scores or is stopped, then it moves on to the next duo.
Another drill is a “three-on-three” drill that will help improve your team’s defensive intensity. It’s more of a competition, so motivation can be made if the winners get some kind of reward. To set up, separate your team into three-man groups, trying to make the teams as fair as possible with at least one guard and one big man on each team. In this drill, points are only scored by the defense, if they stop the offense from scoring and get possession either through a defensive rebound, steal, block or a forced turnover. If the offense scores, the defense must walk off, while the former offense becomes the defense and competes for points. The team that was on the sidelines would become the offense. If the offense is stopped, they leave the court while the team on the sidelines becomes the offense.
Keep The Court Organized With a Zone Defenseense
A zone defense differs from the man-to-man defense because instead of guarding a player, each defender is given an area of the court (or zone) to guard. Any player that enters their area is their player to guard. Defenders move their position depending on where the ball goes.
For the most part, you’re going to want to use this defensive strategy when you’re worried about giving up too many points in the paint. However, you need to understand that you will be giving up some pressure on the outside. There are several types of zone defenses.
One zone defense is “Coach Marshall’s 2-3 Zone Defense.” For starters, when the offense is bringing the ball up, set two point guards at the top of the three-point line close together, the two forwards on the outside halfway between the basket and three-point line, and your center underneath the basket. If the ball gets passed to the wing, the forward on that wing would defend the ball until the closest guard gets to him. Then that forward would retreat back to the low post. The key is to always have someone on the ball, but have everyone else loosely guarding the entire floor.
Combination Defenses Are Effective in Confusing Your Opponentsents
The match-up zone is a type of “combination” defense, which combines aspects from the man-to-man defense as well as the zone defense. The on-ball defender will close out and play tight to the ball handler like a man-to-man. The zone that is seen away from the ball resembles a man-to-man help side defense. This is a great type of defense to confuse your opponent so they don’t really know what type of defense you are using.
Don’t Let Your Opponents Beat You On An Out-Of-Bounds PlayPlay
When defending an out-of-bounds play, you can use any type of defense. Most coaches use either a man-to-man defense or a zone defense. The “2-3 zone” is a great way to defend, causing a lot of traffic down low to prevent inside layups. The two guards will also help keep the offense from getting the ball up top.
If you are using a man-to-man defense, there are a couple of things you need to pay close attention to. For example, a rule called the “step under rule” will be in effect. If one of your defenders is getting screened, they need to make sure to “step under” the screener. That means they take one step back towards the baseline in order to get inside positioning on the screener. This will avoid your defenders from getting pinned by the screener.
Does Defense Really Win Championships?ips?
Everybody is aware of the saying, “Defense wins championships.” As cliché as it sounds now-a-days, defense really is an important aspect when it comes to winning. Without a good defense, especially in basketball, your team will be weak and forced to rely on your offense to win. Even if you have an outstanding offense, you will have a big chance of losing.
The fact of the matter is that defense needs to be a common subject to teach youth basketball players. By teaching kids the correct movements and locations for different defenses will prepare them for their basketball career ahead of them.