How to beat pressure defense basketball

10 Keys for Beating Pressure Defense in Basketball

Basketball HQ Co-Founder Kyle Ohman wrote this basketball coaching article.

During the course of a basketball season, you will face teams looking to speed you up by using pressure. It may come in the form of a man press, zone press, or a basketball team that likes to trap and gamble at different points throughout the game. Whatever type of pressure defense you are facing, you need to have a game plan with your team, and that plan needs to have been prepped in practice beforehand.

This basketball coaching article aims to give you some focus points that will be pivotal in beating pressure defense in basketball. They will help you to be able to handle any type of pressure that comes your way and will allow your team to play with the confidence needed when facing a pressure defense.

So here are ten keys for beating a pressure defense in basketball and giving yourself the best chance for success.

10 Keys for Beating Pressure Defense in Basketball:

Make the Defense Pay

One of the biggest mistakes that basketball teams make against a pressing defense is automatically pulling the ball out to run offense every time after they have beaten the press. Don’t get me wrong; this is an excellent option at points in the game, depending on time and score. But, if you can make a pressing team pay by getting to the basket for a quality finish, do it!

The best way to get a team to back off on the pressure is to make them pay with easy baskets. If you pull the ball out every time and reset after beating the press, why should they ever stop pressing you and gambling for steals? There becomes no penalty for pressing you, so they will continue to do it. Make them pay.

Stay Strong with the Basketball

It doesn’t matter what your game plan is if your players aren’t strong with the basketball. This means not only holding the ball with strong hands, but it also means being able to operate from a position of strength when looking to run an offense in the half-court. Players need to catch the ball and IMMEDIATELY square their defender up in triple threat. This will be the only way that they will be able to make the defender pay for overpressuring.

The reason it must be immediately is because if an offensive player doesn’t, the defender will eat up their space and force them to pivot backward. Offensive players must battle for the first 12 inches on every catch and square up their defender. Doing this will allow the offensive player to pivot to make a dribble move or pivot to make a straight line pass to another teammate.

If you are playing against a trapping defense, the player with the ball needs to play in a position of strength and do their best not to hold the ball for too long. As soon as the trap starts to come, the player needs to be aware and then look to make a quality pass out of it or split the trap with a dribble.

Use Pass Fakes and Pass on a Straight Line

Defenders off of the ball are going to be playing the passing lanes and trying to jump passes. So one of the most important tools to beating a pressure defense is the simple but extremely effective pass fake. In a basketball pressing defense, the players off of the ball are like free safeties in football.

They are reading the passer and trying to anticipate where they are going to pass the basketball. Throwing in pass fakes will freeze them or cause them to jump out of position before a player makes the pass. Players need to fake a pass and then fire a pass to an open teammate.

Along with pass fakes, players need to make sure that they aren’t throwing looping passes. Looping passes not only open up chances for live ball steals, but even if they do reach the receiver, most of the time, the defense is going to be right there on the catch and ready to harass or trap again.

Passers need to do their best to make straight-line passes to their teammates. This will help prevent tips and steals on passes, but it will also allow the receiver to attack an open space before the defense can shift. And, while yes, there will be times when a pass can be thrown over the top to a receiver, these types of passes need to be made with extra care and limited as much as possible.

Get Open to Receive the Pass

We have all seen basketball games where a point guard has turnover after turnover trying to get into the offense against an aggressive, pressuring defense. The average fan would blame the ball handler, but this is not always the case. In most cases, there is also some responsibility with the players off of the ball as well.

The players off of the ball need to do a great job of getting open on the wing to create a target for the ball handler. The other players on the floor can’t leave the ball handler out to dry by not getting open.

This does not mean dancing back and forth with a wing defender trying to fake them out either. Offensive players need to step across their defender’s high foot, seal them off like a post up, give the ball handler a target to hit by showing their hand, and then go meet the pass as it comes to them. And, if the defender is drastically overplaying, they can back cut them. Nothing will soften up a defense like getting some easy backdoor layups and dunks.

Another big part of getting open to receive a pass on the wing is timing. Players need to time up their step across move so that they are executing it right before the passer is ready to make the pass. If they go too early, they may not be able to hold the seal long enough to stay open. If they go too late, the passer may be under extreme ball pressure and not be able to get them the ball.

Meet Every Pass

Tips and deflections are what pressure defenses in basketball live off of. So it is vital that the receiver comes back to the pass and meets it with two hands every time. If players sit back and wait for the ball to come to them, they allow the defense more time to the ball and also a better angle to jump in and get a deflection. Players need to make it a habit to meet every pass.

If a player is being trapped and is in trouble, teammates must sprint to them and make themselves open receivers. At this point, players shouldn’t be as concerned about running the offense as they are with giving the passer an outlet pass to prevent a turnover.

When pressure is relieved with a pass, the player who caught the ball needs to reverse the ball immediately. Typically, in a trapping situation, the defense is loaded up on one side of the floor. A quick ball reversal will make the defense pay for trapping. As we discussed earlier, the best way to get an over-aggressive defense to back off is to make them pay with easy baskets.

Hard Cuts

A great way to make a pressure defense pay is hard cuts. Players need to set up their defender and then make a hard cut to get open. If your team is running a specific basketball play, they need to use the cut in that play to get free, but if you are running motion offense, they really need to be reading the defender and then making the correct cut.

Your players can use several different cuts to get open. They can set up their defender by walking away from the ball and then cutting hard across their face, or they may act like they are trying to get open on the wing before cutting hard backdoor to the basket. Whatever type of cut your players use, they need to be sharp with it.

The better your basketball team’s cuts are, the more worried the defense will be about them, and that takes away from their ability to pressure you.

Another essential key to cutting is making sure that your players are a threat to score on every cut. Even if a player doesn’t get the ball on their cut, they need to be thinking, “cut to score.” This will make their cuts more deadly and will force the defense to respect them. A great cut may also open up another player off the ball by forcing their defender to help.

Play at Your Pace

Pressure defenses in basketball are designed primarily to do one thing, and that is to speed you up. By speeding you up, they force you to be sloppy with the ball and to take quick, low percentage shots. You must play at your speed and refuse to let the defense force you to get out of control.

A lot of this falls on the point guard as they need to understand the game flow. They need to know when they should be making the defense pay by being a little more aggressive and when the ball needs to be pulled out to run the offense.

So as a basketball coach, make sure that you are in clear communication with your primary ball handlers on game flow. A good point guard will already naturally understand this, but you can really help out by the play you call out or a calm word encouraging your team to slow down the pace and execute.

Avoid Danger Zones

When playing a pressing or trapping basketball team, there are places on the floor that you want to avoid at all costs. These areas are danger zones and will increase the chances of a turnover. One of these areas is the corners of the floor. Here are a few examples of corners being bad in a press.

• Corners: You must stay out of corners as much as possible. The spacing is tight, and the out of bounds lines and half-court line act like extra defenders.
  • Inbounding Full Court: Make sure that your players set up at the free-throw line so that they have the space needed to cut to the ball to get open without having to catch the ball in the deep corner or tight to the baseline. Players will tend to want to start closer to the inbounder because they think they need to shorten the pass. And, while it is important to shorten the pass, they need to start higher so that they have space to cut to get open first.
  • Bringing the Ball Across Half Court: Never dribble or pass the ball to someone that just crossed half court and is standing in the corner. The half-court line immediately becomes another defender. A great way to avoid this is by having your ball handler look to reverse sides of the floor as they bring the ball up the floor. This can be either done with a pass or with the dribble.
  • Offensive Baseline Corners: Depending on what type of defense you are playing against, these corners aren’t as dangerous. However, against some half-court zone defenses in basketball, they will trap it anytime the ball goes to the corner. So make sure you are aware of that.

Another danger zone is over-penetration. Players need to make sure that they don’t get sped up attacking the press and then dribble into trouble. Your ball handlers must recognize potential trapping areas or areas that are too congested to dribble into. A great move to avoid these situations is the retreat dribble.

If a player does happen to find themselves stuck in a danger zone, they need to be calm, patient, and strong with the ball. The worst thing they can do is toss the ball across the floor in hopes that it might find an open teammate. A wild pass like this is what the defense lives for and will most likely end up in a wide-open layup or dunk for the other team.

The player being trapped needs to be strong with the ball. They must do their best to pivot around or through the trap to make a pass to an open teammate. The other four players on the floor are in emergency mode and must flash hard to the ball to present an open target.

Have a Release Valve

When bringing the ball up against a pressing zone defense in basketball, you always want to have a player behind the ball. This player is the release valve and will be there for trapping emergencies and being able to reverse the ball quickly. This action works like a seesaw. If the ball is swung over to the trailing guard, the player who just passed it must now get behind that ball handler to be their release valve.

Obviously, you still need to be looking to advance the ball up the floor because you only have a limited amount of seconds to get the ball across half court. Having a release valve helps with this because it spaces the defense out and allows the ball to quickly change sides of the floor and then be advanced.

If you are playing against an aggressive full-court man defense that likes to run and jump, you want to get all of your players away from the ball handler. This will prevent the run and jump because the distance is too great. However, if you have players hanging around the ball handler as they bring the ball up the court, the defense can run and jump as they please and create havoc.

If the ball handler is really struggling with the full-court pressure, you could try two different things. The first would be to have your post player set a ball screen in the backcourt. This should be okay because the other team’s post defender is most likely not going to be as quick of foot and will not be able to execute a good trap.

The second option is to have one of your bigs bring the ball up the floor. If you have a hybrid post player that can handle the ball, go ahead and give them the ball, clear the floor, and then have them bring the ball up. Once they cross half court, your point guard can come to get the ball from them to run the offense. A handoff is an excellent action to help with this.

Quality Shots

If you are taking rushed low percentage shots, a pressing defense in basketball doesn’t even have to get one steal to accomplish its goal and beat you. It is paramount that you get quality shots on every possession. Don’t allow yourself to get into an up and down game where you are shooting wild shots. As we talked about earlier, you should be making the defense pay for pressing you, but this means taking a great shot.

A big part of this comes down to time and score. If you are on a run and rolling, a dribble down open three from one of your better shooters might be a good shot. On the other hand, if the other team just went on a 6-0 run, this is not a shot you want to be shooting. You will want to run a solid set and make the defense have to guard to get a stop.

This is going to be something that clearly needs to be explained to your players. The better they understand the ebb and flow of a basketball game, the more confidence they will play with. If it is confusing to them about what you are asking of them, they will play tentative, which also falls into the defense’s trap.

Drills to Use for Beating Pressure Defense in Basketball

It is essential that in practice, you are able to simulate pressure defense and prepare your team for what it is going to look like. So here are a few basketball drills that you can use during practice to help you work on some of these areas. *Disclaimer* These drills only work if the defense is getting after the offense!

• 4 on 5 No Dribble Basketball Drill: This drill is excellent for working on being strong with the ball and meeting every pass. The drill is exactly as the title describes it. You are going to have four offensive players and five defenders. The offensive players cannot use any dribbles and must complete ten passes or make a layup/dunk to win the drill. The defense is trying their absolute hardest to get a steal.
  • Teaching Points: The more your players can get the ball moving, the easier it will be. The problem comes when a player holds the ball for too long, and the defense can sink their teeth in on the trap. Also, challenge your players to get the ball reversed as much as possible as this will force the defense to have to cover more ground.
• Partner Pressure Passing Basketball Drill: This drill will work on being strong with the ball in triple threat and being able to make a pass out of it. You will have groups of 3 players, and it will be set up like the monkey in the middle game. The player with the ball must hold on to the ball and stay strong in the triple-threat position for 3-4 seconds while the defender in the middle harasses them. After a few seconds, the player will use a pivot, pass fake, etc., to get the pass around the defender to the 3rd player. The player making the pass is going to follow the ball and become the next defender. Just repeat this pattern for the desired amount of time. * Players can grab and reach a little bit as well to make this basketball passing drill harder.
  • Teaching Points: The player with the ball needs to keep their eyes up and see the floor as they are being pressured. And, even though they aren’t able to use a dribble in this drill, they need to stay in an athletic position where they would be able to get by the defender with a dribble in a game if needed.
• 3 Man Perimeter Passing Basketball Drill: One of the biggest things that will kill a pressure defense is ball reversals, and this drill will work on just that. You will have three players on the perimeter, located on both wings and the top of the key. They are each going to be guarded by a defender. The players on the perimeter must be able to swing the ball back and forth between each other without using any dribbles or getting pushed out away from the 3 point line. They can, however, back cut for a finish if the defender is completely overplaying them. Here are a few variations of this team basketball drill.
  • Variation 1: Have the defenders play dummy defense. If you have younger players that aren’t used to getting open, you should start here. Go for a set time or a number of passes and then switch offense and defense or rotate new people in.
  • Variation 2: Full speed defense and have it go for a set time or number of passes. After that, rotate new people in or switch.
  • Variation 3: Full speed defense, and then once you are satisfied with the offensive player’s ability to move the ball, call out, “live” and then let them play 3 on 3 looking to score (they are now able to use dribbles). It makes it a little more game realistic.
  • Teaching Points: This drill is also a great way to practice timing when getting open. As the ball is being swung, players should time up their step across and seal. The better the timing is, the easier it will be to move the ball.

To really turn up the pressure on any of these basketball drills, encourage your defenders to be extra physical and maybe even permit a little grabbing and fouling. Not only will this allow your players to work on playing against physical teams, but it will also help to teach them to play against missed calls. Just make sure that your defenders know not to reach and foul when they go back to playing normally (don’t want any bad defensive habits).

Beating Pressure Defense in Basketball Conclusion

Notice that this article’s title is not “handling” pressure defense, but rather it is “beating” pressure defense in basketball. That is because when you face a pressure defense, you need to not only take care of the ball, but you must also attack the pressure and make them pay for gambling.

As a basketball coach, this needs to be the mindset of your team. This type of mentality will also be inspiring to your team and give them confidence when playing against pressure. If you have spent the needed time with your team working on beating pressure, your team’s eyes should light up when they play a gambling defense because they know they are about to exploit them.

Beating a pressure defense in basketball also has a lot to do with mindset. If your players can go into a game with a confident mindset, it will be a long game for the other team. However, if they start to doubt themselves and begin to play tentatively, the defense will be all over it and capitalize on it. As a basketball coach, it will be key that you are staying positive with your players and maintaining this confidence throughout the course of a game.

All of these keys for beating pressure defense in basketball will allow your team to play with confidence and deal with any pressure that comes their way.

Breaking Pressure

By - Don Kelbick

I see a lot of questions regarding full court offenses and press breakers to combat full court pressure.

I don’t believe that breaking pressure is a function of pattern play but rather a function of spacing and philosophy. Knowing that, here are a few things to think about that may help in executing against all types of pressure.

I also think that all pressures are the same. If you attack them with the same philosophy and intent, all pressures are forced to react similarly. Whether it is a 1-2-1-1 heavy pressure or a 2-2-1 wait and see, it you attack them the same way, they have no choice but to react the same way.

PHILOSPHY

Like most offenses, your full court offense has to be performed inside of some type of thinking with an objective in mind. Do you want to clear the back court without turning the ball over and then trigger your half court offense, do you want to flow into some type of half court offense as does a transition break or do you want to turn it into a transition game with the intention of taking the ball to the basket? Whatever you decide to do, it must be articulated to your team so they all act as one.

SPACING

I think spacing is critical to beating any pressure. Forcing any defense to play over a larger distance makes it more venerable and easier to beat. Put yourself in a position where they have to spread out to play you, holes will be everywhere.

My first step in spacing is to create 3 lanes. There is one simple rule: do not cross lanes with the dribble. Dribbling across lanes against full court pressure will destroy your spacing and create chaos that will enhance defensive pressure.

The next aspect of spacing is to try not to inbound the ball below the block to the baseline. If you can get the first pass to be up around the foul line extended, you have already gained an advantage against the pressure.

The ball should be inbounded to a ballhandler in an outside lane.

This involves teaching your players how to get open where they want, not where the defense wants.

Next, you need to get the ball inbounds quickly. Some coaches like to let the ball bounce until they have set up their inbounds action, but I prefer to get it in and play on the fly. The number 1 enemy of pressure defense is advancing the ball quickly.

How you get the ball in quickly, again, is up to you. There are a lot of options. You can designate a player (Joe always inbounds the ball), a position (5-man takes it out), make a limited choice (closest to the ball between the 4 or 5-man), or first man to the ball. I am sure there are other choices, but I just have not used them. Over time I have decided that the limited choice is best for me. I think that either the 4 or 5-man will be close to the basket as the ball comes through the net.

OPTIONS

I think all full court offenses should have the following options:

1. Break on the dribble
2. Long, over the top
3. Middle
4. Long , opposite
5. Back to the point reversal

How you affect those options is up to you. How, or if, your players rotate, how they cut, who they are, etc. is open to the things you like to do. They should be consistent with the other things that you teach and should contain those options, but other than that, I don’t think it matters what you do.

EXERCISE YOUR OPTIONS.

These are the options I like to use. I teach them in a progression so players learn them in the order we want to make the looks.

1. Beat it on the Dribble

When the ball comes in, I like to teach my ballhandler to turn outside and try to beat the pressure up the sideline. This accomplishes several things. First, if your ballhandler goes immediately and instinctively, the defense has to be pretty quick in their set-up to be able to defend it. This may happen a couple of times but it certainly won’t happen as a rule. Secondly, at the very least, the dribbler will push the trap further up the floor making it easier to pass out of.

I like to have him turn outside and go up the sideline for a couple reasons. First, remember, do not cross lanes on the dribble. Going up the sideline spreads the defense and opens passing lanes. Next, think about how pressures work. Ball pressure usually comes from the inside and traps usually come from the top or the bottom. By going outside on the dribble, your ballhandler is going away from pressure from the bottom and can see pressure from the top.

By going outside on the dribble immediately and instinctively, you will beat most traps before they are set.

2. Over the Top

The second look is long, up the court, over the top. After pushing the ball and the pressure up the floor, passing the ball over the top is a natural and instinctual action.

The way pressure works, there will usually be either some type of pressure coming from further up the court, looking to set a trap or some type of containment designed to slow the ball down, allow defensive recovery and set additional traps. Looking over the top eliminates that aspect of the pressure. If the offense is able to complete “over the top,” the basket will be in jeopardy and the pressure has to be called off. If the defense defends the “over the top,” they will have to vacate the contain or trapping aspect of the press which will allow the dribbler to advance the ball.

3. Middle, Then Opposite

Putting the ball in the middle of the floor in any situation is an advantage for the offense. Once the ball is in the middle of the floor, there are unlimited options for the offense.

Because of the dynamics of pressure defense and the things that must be done to defend the ball in the middle, I really like to look to the opposite side when the ball is passed into the middle. A middle defender is usually brought from the weakside or from the point of the press. Either way, the ball has a safe outlet. By throwing opposite, up the floor you will create a numbers advantage that will put the defense at risk.

4. Long, Opposite

When you bring a man to the middle, if he is not open it is because they have stripped their defense of the long opposite pass. Making this pass gives you similar advantages to the “over the top” option or the “middle, opposite” option.

It is a natural progression as the pass can be easily seen when the passer is looking to get the ball to the middle

5. Back to the Point, Reversal

Everything in your full court offense should be designed to attack and push the defense up the floor. That leaves a lot of room to get the ball back to the point for a ball reversal.

Ball reversal is an enemy of full court pressure. If the defense has to defend 94 feet long and then defend 50 feet wide, it is a very difficult task. Not only do they have to cover the ground to defend, but they must also protect all the passing lanes as well. It's very difficult task, indeed.

By passing the ball back to the point, you have the ball in the middle of the floor in the hands of someone that is facing the defense. Once again, you have a player with the ball in a very advantageous position in regard to breaking pressure because he can see all 5 defensive players and all his offensive counters.

I believe that these options have to be present in any effective full court offense to counteract defensive pressure.

How you position your players, if and how you rotate them are a function of what you feel your players abilities are. Here are some sample rotations after the ball goes back to the point for reversal. Each rotation reflects the spacing and options that I feel are important in breaking pressure.

After the ball is reversed, all the options are once again present.

Additional Press Break Resources

Press Break Offense and Concepts - Video and PDF

Line Press Breaker

Cheetah Press Break

Offense against pressure on Sun

Attack against pressing all over the court

Personal pressing all over the court is the most active form of defense. Assault against pressing opponents requires great mobility, speed, technical skill and tactical acumen. Only a combination of all these qualities basketball players together with a reasonable organization collective action in the attack can bring the team success in the attack. Any a strong team should have in its arsenal several effective ways dealing with pressure from opponents.

To successfully overcome the resistance of opponents who are tightly guard the attackers throughout the site, you need to use pre-learned player interactions prepared in training sessions, special tactical combinations against pressure.

Preparing players for an organized attack against pressure is necessary in all when your team practices defense by pressing.

It may happen that the command for some reason - whether because of spaces in the physical fitness of basketball players, or because of shortcomings in their technical skill - did not adopt the most active form of defense. But even then you should teach the players to overcome pressure in an organized manner. For otherwise in competition, basketball players, faced with tight marking all over the field, will be in a difficult position and will not be able to carry out effective attacks.

Practice in a game against pressing opponents must be systematic. It is very important. It is necessary to firmly consolidate the skills of coordinated player interactions. Basketball players must know exactly where to pass the ball, where to move, how and for which of the partners to put up barriers, when help the actions of a friend. In a word, we need organization in the game against pressure.

And, no less important, with systematic training in overcoming tight custody all over the field, basketball players are no longer afraid of meeting with this "beast", they gain confidence that the pressure can be overcome, smash. The psychological barrier disappears, which often fences off from victory of players facing a pressing opponent.

For successful offensive play against pressing, it is very important theoretically substantiate the conceived plans, analyze ways to combat tight guardianship all over the field. At the analysis of the upcoming training or competitive match, the players must mentally check and, together with the coach, analyze the planned interactions. If the theoretical calculations were correct, training will confirm them.

It is necessary to create confidence in their pupils in actions against pressure. Impressing the players that press defense is extremely difficult for defenders that pressurers are easier to beat than defenders of other types defensive weapon. After all, when pressing, the defense is stretched, and the stretch defense is exactly what attackers achieve when overcoming other formations of the defenders. Rare defensive redoubts are easier to overcome (and throw ball into the basket) than a concentrated saturated defense around the backboard.

The most effective means of overcoming pressure is a swift counterattack, quick break. If it ends with scoring shots on basket, this can force the opponent to give up pressing.

You need to constantly remind your guys that haste and fussiness when playing against pressing lead to unreasonable losses of the ball that they do not have nothing to do with swift counter-attacks, with a quick breakthrough, which should be planned in detail, carefully prepared and well trained. Players should build attacks according to a certain pattern.

If an attacking basketball player has nowhere to play the ball, he must not rush to transmission. It is necessary to wait for the partner to enter an empty place, while making turns with the ball in place. There is nothing to fear here. After all, the worst option in this moment may be the appointment of a jump ball. And when drawing a controversial one it is not known who will take possession of the ball, whereas in a bad, hasty pass, the ball more likely to fall into the hands of pressing opponents.

I would like to give some advice to players who overcome pressure.

Don't turn your back on an attacking opponent. If you, saving the ball from a defender, turn to face your shield, then significantly make it difficult for yourself to further actions to develop the attack. The opponent is approaching you and will actively interfere with the transfer of the ball. And it won't be easy for you to see free partner and pass him at the right time when he can freely receive the ball pass.

Keep your ability to dribble carefully. If there are no conditions for dangerous approach to the opponent's shield, it is better not to resort to dribbling. After all otherwise, you, having stopped with the ball, will find yourself the object of an opponent's active attack. The guardian will no longer be afraid of your passage with the ball to the ring and boldly approach with you, making it difficult to pass the ball.

It's better to have the right to dribble in reserve. When you don't have an address for pass, and the opponent gets close to you, then it will be possible, by switching to dribbling, get away from the defender and create a numerical advantage in the opponent's half of the field attackers before defenders. If you have already begun to lead, then do not stop, do not take the ball in two hands until it is possible to make a aimed transmission.

When planning an attack against fast-break pressing, it is advisable to develop such schemes of players' movements, so that in the final stage of the attack the most dexterous and fastest basketball players of the team participated.

There can be as many ways to deal with a pressing opponent as commands exist. It is up to the creativity of the players and the coach to find ways that would bring them the greatest effect in the game against pressure. Here it is necessary to take into account individual characteristics and preparedness of basketball players - their physical and mental qualities and technical skill. Means of overcoming dense custody throughout the court should be feasible for the attackers. Need so build a plan to overcome pressure, so that it with maximum effect use the strongest side of the game of their basketball players.

Now I'll tell you about the most characteristic ways of playing against pressure.

Coaches usually consider putting the ball into play from behind the end line two basketball players can, one of whom throws the ball into the field, and the other receives his. This role is entrusted to the defenders of the team - fast, agile, technical players. Indeed, two players often do it on their own, without help. tall partners cope with this task. But not always.

If the opponents are well prepared for active defense by pressing and bet task to impede the first pass from outside the area, then the introduction of the ball the game often presents great difficulties. And the attackers need to have in reserve several options to overcome the pressure of the defenders. Here is one of such options (see Fig.).

Two defenders prevent defender 5 from receiving a pass from partner 4. Then the most mobile winger comes to the aid of the back link players 6. Starting a false movement towards the opponent's shield, he suddenly turns back and approaches his defenders to receive the ball.

How to further develop the attack? In this position, there may be such an option. Center 7 makes a dash to the center circle and then receives the ball from the winger player 6. Meanwhile, defender 5 rushes forward along the free edge. it the fastest player on the team. At high speed, he runs past the center, and he passes the ball to him. Most of the site is covered attackers.

Attackers may leave three players behind to ease their introduction ball into play from out of bounds. For example, attackers can get rid of the guardianship of rivals with the help of the following interaction (see fig.).

Player 6 runs up to his partner 5's guard and screens in front of rival. Player 5 is released from the defender's supervision and rushes forward-left to receive the ball from behind the line. At this point, player 6, who bet barrier, turns around and enters the three-second zone, where it can freely accept a pass from a partner from behind the end line.

It is even easier to overcome the resistance of pressing opponents if all basketball players teams will interact with each other when the ball is put into play. One of options for such interaction is shown on the next page. rice.

Players 7 and 8 cross their paths to partners 5 and 6 and bet a barrier for them, cutting off their guardians from the path to the center of the field. Players 5 and 6 do dash towards the opponents' shield. If the situation is favorable, player 4 can send a long pass to teammate 5 or 6 to go out and then a favorable moment will be created to attack the basket.

Players 7 and 8 don't stay still after the screen either. They rush to free areas of the court to receive the ball from a partner 4. Thrower 4 the ball into play, must quickly navigate the situation on the field and be able to perform Accurate ball passes both at close and far distances.

As you have seen from the above combinations, the meaning of the initial struggle with pressure comes down to ensuring that by screening and rapid movements attacking players to create a numerical superiority over the defenders. And when further development of the attack, you need to use the advantage gained to take opponent's baskets.

When setting screens, it is best to release your fast defenders, well-versed in the technique of ball control at high speed. Need take into account that pressing opponents focus on fast technical attackers that can get them in big trouble. When pressing opponents are in their own half of the field and are carried away guarded by fast attacking players, they often do not see what is happening behind their backs. This can be used - to catch such a defender on the screen. Here is one of examples (see figure)

Player 4 puts the ball into play from behind the end line. He sends a pass partner b, who has taken a free seat. Defender 5 of the attacking team goes forward. Player 8 kind of sneaks up behind and stops for a second in the way of the partner's guardian 5. Attention the guard was focused on the ball, so he could not see the screen. AT as a result of the help of a comrade, defender 5 is released from custody, receives from partner 6 the ball and quickly leads it to the opponent's shield. On the sides, overtaking dribbler, players 6 and 8 rush to the ring of opponents. Center 7 also breaks into the enemy's three-second zone. Player 5 can pass the ball to anyone partner, left free from the supervision of the defenders.

At game against pressure occurs such player interaction involving all five basketball players attacking team. Let's give an example (see figure).

In this combination, the attackers deliberately focus on their own half fields to leave the other half free. Taller players 7 and 8 s with the help of barriers, they free their "small" fast partners from the guardians 5 and 6, so that they take advantage of their speed qualities for a swift attacks. Here's how it goes.

Player 7 starts moving at the same time as partner 5 and gets on the way guardian of your partner. Player 4 sends a pass from behind the endline to a free partner 5. Meanwhile, on the other flank, there is a pair interaction attackers 6 and 8, aimed at freeing fast attacker 6. With the help of comrade's barrier, player 6 is released from the supervision of the opponent and makes a dash for the other side of the field. On the move, he receives the ball from a partner with an encore dribbling rushes to the enemy's shield.

With this arrangement of attackers, a situation may also arise when it will be beneficial for player 4 to send a long ball pass immediately to partner 6, liberated from guardianship and pulled ahead.

If a fast break against pressure fails and the attackers go half of the field, then you need to rebuild for a positional attack. This is important moment in a game with a pressing opponent. It often happens in practice that attackers, being under the psychological pressure of pressing, continue to move quickly and even fuss, although speed is no longer called necessity. At the same time, the attackers forget about the planned game plan, about prepared interactions and combinations and continue to take risks. And here not long and lose the ball.

If opponents pushed back to their backboard change pressure to zone defense, then the attackers need to apply combinations against the zone defense. And when defenders will patronize attackers on a personal basis, you should use means of attack against personal defense. If the opponents continue to put pressure, then it is necessary to break their defense with the help of interactions, barriers.

In order to disrupt the active defense of opponents throughout the field, sometimes it is beneficial to resort to counterpressing, that is, to respond with pressure to pressure enemy. This will create at least psychological balance. Opponents will be under the same pressure as your pupils.

Technologies used uCoz

Press protection