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Basketball how to beat the press
Critical lessons for beating the press
February 3, 2010 •
No matter the opponent, take time during every practice to work on beating the press. At some point, in almost every game, your team will be confronted with a full-court press and your players need to know how to effectively move the ball into the front court.
While dedicating a good amount of time is essential to breaking a press, don’t waste your players’ time by trying to break every possible press in the book (full-court, man-to-man, 3/4 court, 1-2-2, 2-2-1, etc.). What needs to be stressed are the fundamental options to breaking any press.
Press-breaking optionsMuch like a quarterback in football who has several options when reading a defensive secondary, your ball handlers need to have a progression that they look for when trying to get past a pressure defense. When dissecting the following seven press breakers, assume the ball has already been inbounded successfully.![]()
DIAGRAM 1: Attack the sideline. This is the first option your team looks for when attacking a press. 1 inbounds to 2, who passes to 3, who passes to 5. 4 streaks down the floor from the opposite side of the court.
DIAGRAM 2: Middle of the road. If the sideline is taken away, the next option is to get the ball to the middle of the court. 1 passes to 2, who passes to 4 in the middle of the floor. 4 always looks the opposite way from where the ball was passed, because there’s a good chance 5 is running down the court uncontested.
DIAGRAM 3: Long ball. The next read is to throw the ball long down the floor to beat the pressure defense. 1 inbounds to 2, who sees 3 racing down the court on the opposite side of the floor. 2 launches a long pass to 3, who can either pull the ball out to set up the half-court offense or can take it all the way to the hoop. Tell your players not to settle for just getting the ball across midcourt.
If the option is open, they need to attack the basket.
DIAGRAM 4: Back. 1 inbounds to, 2 who doesn’t have any of the first three options. 2 then reverses direction and heads to the other side of the court. 2 passes to 4 as 3 flashes to the middle of the floor. If the reversal is taken away, the next option is to “double back.” This has 2 returning to the original side and passing ahead to 3 as 4 flashes to the middle.
Run the ‘rabbit’The final two options come from a special press-breaker called the “rabbit.”
DIAGRAM 5: Rabbit. 1 (the rabbit) inbounds to 2 then cuts to the middle of the floor. 2 passes back to 1. 1 attacks the pressure from this point.
The final option is to “screen the rabbit.” If 1 is tightly covered when trying to inbound the ball, send a player to screen the defender as 1 runs the baseline (after a made basket). A foul may be called on the defender if that person runs over the screener.
Practice the progressionPresent these press-breakers in this specific order and drill these options on a daily or weekly basis. Install two options at a time so your players don’t become confused. On the first day work on the sideline and the middle. The next day try to use the long ball and the reversal while also incorporating the sideline and middle options.
Once players become familiar with running these drills in order, it becomes much easier for them to do it under game-like pressure situations.
Perfecting pressure-breakersInstead of having your players mindlessly run through each of the seven options during practice, add a few changes to keep things interesting.
1. Run your press offense as a passing drill. Add a restriction that your players can’t make a pass until they fake a pass.
2. Have your players run the press offense without letting the ball hit the floor — no dribbling and all passing.
3. Tell your offense which press option they should run without alerting the defense. If the offense is successful, they continue to stay on offense until the defense stops them. Make it a game with a point awarded for each successful trip down the court.
4. Keep your players talking the entire time. This gets them used to communicating with each other so it will come more naturally during games.
5. Use the press-breaker drills at the end of practice instead of running sprints suicides etc. Use the stopwatch and see how many options the offense can successfully accomplish in a certain amount of time.
How to Break Any Type of Press & Avoid Turnovers
By Jeff Haefner
Home > Coaching > Basketball Offense > Basketball Press Offense: How to Break Any Type of Press and Avoid Turnovers -- Press Breaker Drills, Offense, and Strategy
In this report and supplemental video you will learn.
..
- How to attack any type of zone press (including the 1-2-1-1, 2-2-1, half court press, and more)
- How to reduce turnovers and take better care of the ball
- Drills to improve press breaking skills
- Press break drills to improve ballhandling under pressure
- Press break plays
- Tips for youth and advanced coaches
So you'll find a little something for everyone - all the way from beginner youth coaches to seasoned veterans.
Part 1 - PDF Download
Start with this PDF eBook (right click and select Save As to download)
Once you download the eBook you can print it out or view it on screen.
Part 2 - Supplemental Video
Once we get through the PDF ebook, watch this supplemental video:
Download the movie file (You may need to right-click the link and select "Save Target As")
Video Contents:
- Introduction
- 6 Keys to Beating the Press - 01:30
- How to Get the Ball Inbounds - 05:40
- Breaking a 1-2-1-1 Full Court Press - 07:50
- Breaking a Half Court 1-2-2 Press - 12:33
- Additional Tips - 16:30
- Final Thoughts - 23:10
Part 3 - Additional Press Break Resources
If you'd like to learn more about breaking pressure and see on-court demonstrations, we have a few DVDs that we recommend.
We found these resources by surveying our own subscriber list and asking them what press break DVDs they thought were the best. We then ordered the
DVDs and reviewed them to make sure they were good.
Now in all honesty we have not viewed every press breaker resource available. I'm sure there are other good ones out there. But these are a few that
were recommended to us by our subscribers and also get our seal of approval...
Universal System of Attacking Press - By Will Rey
- I like this DVD because it gives you a really simple and effective press breaker that works against any press. You'll pick up lots of good advice and I think this is an all around good DVD.
Mike Krzyzewski: Duke Basketball - Breaking the Press - This DVD gives you some additional tips, several good drills, and reinforces important press break concepts. It's also a good all around DVD.
Note for Youth Teams
If you're getting pressed in a youth league, my suggestion is to find a different league. Presses and traps are VERY counterproductive for youth
players and slow their skill development. Presses, traps, and zone defenses should be against the rules in youth basketball. If you don't believe me,
just listen to pro coach Stan Van Gundy (who also coached his kids' youth team):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ9jTOAMTtk
You can also listen to former NBA player and youth basketball expert, Bob Bigelow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy6LTXtz-60
Give Us Your Feedback
We really hope this report helps you successfully beat pressure and avoid turnovers.
Please leave your feedback below.
An original way to beat a defender in basketball
Hello, dear visitors of basketball-training.
org.ua (how long have I not written this phrase…). A few days ago, while playing basketball on one of the courts in Kharkov, I ran into a player who, when beating, used one very interesting trick that I myself like to use (but which had not yet been used against me until now).
It was then that I realized how effective this method can be, especially if it is performed by a player who is not as slow as me. Yes, I'm really far from the fastest player, so most of my "feints", if you can call them that, are based on using the opponent's speed against him (and a little physics, which you can still come in handy even on the basketball court).
So, today we're going to talk about the defender's supporting leg, the leg where the weight is transferred, and which we will use for our own purposes. Let's get started.
3 elements to beat successfully
First, you must get the ball in position from which you can attack the ring. Well, or your defender must think that you can do it.
Everything is trite, but nevertheless, over and over again I come across the fact that the majority are either just too lazy to spend their energy on getting rid of guardianship and they ask for the ball a couple of meters from the three-point line, from where it is very problematic to threaten the ring. Or they just don't know how to open up.
Topic article: 3 easy ways to get the ball in basketball
So, your goal is to get the ball at least on the three-point line, as much as possible already inside the arc. This move will not work if you get the ball under the basket or on the edge of the three-second zone.
The second stage is to stagger the defender 2-3 times, simulating a pass. You just do a few lunges to the side, and at this point you need to concentrate on the legs of the defender: which of them is his weight on. Which leg becomes his support during the execution of your false display for the passage. Did you see?
The third point is the passage itself.
If you know which foot the defender is on, where his weight is concentrated at the time of your deceptive movements, then you should know the following: he will not be able to step with this foot. In any case, for this the defender will have to shift the weight to the other foot - and even if he is very fast, these fractions of a second will be enough for you to beat him.
Yes, this technique will not work every time. Yes, you will not beat the defender with 100% probability. But by using this trick, you can buy time and create space. Another "trick" - step as close as possible to his supporting leg: even if he reacts very quickly, he will most likely break the rules.
How to defend yourself against such a technique?
No matter how interesting and promising the above trick looks, there is a defense against it and it is quite simple.
First method: block the attacker's strong side from the passage, positioning yourself at almost a 90 degree angle to it.
Either close your weak side (let the player go to your strong side, or to the side where there is a safety net). This is a budget way. You save energy, but still give the attacking player more freedom of action.
The second way is to do hellish footwork. I won't tell you too much, it's better to look at the video, as Andre Iguudala shows in the video for Nike:
See the topic: Nike Signature Moves Part 1
where is your body weight now. Of the minuses - an unprepared player after 2-3 such defenses will “sit down” very much and become slow in defense.
The third option - get as close as possible to the player, even in the process of receiving the ball. Thus, the attacker will not have much time to think: on which leg is your weight concentrated, where to stagger you, etc.
Small conclusions
- The method described above is suitable for a measured pace of the game, even more so for a streetball match in which there are no quick breaks and the probability of an effective 1v1 beat is much greater.
- The method described above is not a panacea, but simply one of the ways to use the laws of physics and the lack of experience of the defending player.
- This method is difficult to use in its pure form if you are far from the basket (1-2 meters from the three-point line) or if the defender is very active.
- Defending against such a technique is quite simple, the main thing is to understand that the opponent is going to use it (most often, he looks at your feet).
And this concludes the article, I wish you successful training, success in both attacking and defensive actions and I look forward to seeing you on the pages of this site.
not all useful materials on basketball training are published on the site.
You can find additional information about training, ask a question or share your success in our community on the social network Vkontakte: https://vk.com/uroki_basketbola
Maxim Gordienko
How to beat Hungary? Stop the best Euroleague passer / Russian Basketball Federation
Today the Russian women's team in the 3rd round of the EuroBasket-2019 qualifying tournamentaway will meet with the team of Hungary.
In the rich history of the Hungarian women's national team, there were two periods when they came to the fore. At least in the Old World. This happened for the first time immediately after the Second World War. At four European Championships in a row, the Hungarian team finished in the top four. And three times she got into the prize-winners - silver-1950 and 1956, bronze-1952.
Then followed a protracted, medalless decline that lasted a quarter of a century. And the impetus for a new surge in women's Hungarian basketball was the Olympics-1980 in Moscow.
This was the only time that the Hungarian team made it to the Olympic Games. True, she again stopped a step away from the podium, losing in the match for 3rd place to the team of Yugoslavia - 65:68.
Nevertheless, it was certainly the success of the Hungarian team (by the way, in the same year it was only seventh at the continental championship). Following him, the "bronze decade" began: in four of the five European Championships, this team took 3rd place (1983, 1985, 1987 and 1991). And the last time the Hungarian national team declared itself seriously at home Euro-1997, in which she finished fourth.
However, by no means can it be said that the current Hungarian women's team is an outsider in the upcoming match. At EuroBasket 2017, both teams performed the same way - they flew out to the 1/8 finals. And the fact that the Russians in the final table of ranks took 9th place, and their current rivals - 12th, does not mean anything. It is obvious that the Hungarian team deserved more, but they were unlucky twice.
First - when she ended up in the same group with the main favorite and future champion Spain, to which, of course, she lost (48:62). And then - in the 1/8 finals. In the match with the Italians, after three quarters she led 40:34, but in the final she scored only 8 points and suffered a most offensive defeat - 48:49. Moreover, in the last minute, the Hungarian team missed 4 chances to take the lead: first there were two misses, then two losses.
The opening matches of this qualifying tournament proved that the Hungarian team is extremely dangerous. The Lithuanian team, which the Russians won in Moscow in the end not without a share of luck (64:62), she beat away - 73:70. And Albania was crushed bigger - 137:48 against our 122:37. After two rounds, the Hungarians are the most productive team in the qualification, gaining an average of 105 points. And they are leading in assists (32.5 per game).
The fact that Hungary turned out to be the most “passing” team is not surprising.
And it's not just the weakness of Albania. The undisputed leader of the team is the naturalized American Courtney Vandersloot. She has 7 seasons behind her (210 regular season games) with Chicago in the WNBA. Moreover, the latter turned out to be the best both in terms of average performance (11.5 points) and assists (8.1). In Europe, Vandersloot plays for the Turkish "Yakin Dogu". For those who don't know, this club, ahead of UMMC, took the first place in its Euroleague group. And his American-Hungarian point guard is the undisputed leader in the list of the best passers of the tournament. With an indicator that even men will envy - 9.2 assists per game!
But not only Vandersloot is a formidable force in today's rivals. Another American successfully joined the national team - Kesha Gori, the best player of the 2015/16 Hungarian Championship. She did not play at the 2017 European Championship, but after two matches of the current selection, she is the No. 1 sniper of the national team - 16 points per game.
