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How to block the ball in basketball
How to block the ball in basketball
USA Basketball - 8 Drills To Create A Great Shot Blocker
Shot blocking is one of the great equalizers in basketball. If you know where to look, you can see it everywhere. Walt Frazier, of the New York Knicks of the 1960s and '70s, is considered one of the best defensive guards in NBA history. He had Willis Reed to protect the basket for him.
Examine defensive shooting statistics at every level and odds are that somewhere there is a shot blocker involved. Most importantly, shot blockers stop lay-ups. If your opponent does not get lay-ups, his shooting percentage will go down and you will have a better chance to win.
Where do you get a shot blocker? In pro basketball, you sign one; in college, you recruit one; at lower levels, you hope one moves into the neighborhood. However, you can improve any player's technique, footwork and knowledge base with practice.
Who Should Block Shots?
Having your 5-foot-10 point guard attempt a block on a 6-8 power forward will give your opponents an advantage that will eventually overcome your team.![]()
Not only will they score, but 90 percent of the time there will be a foul call. They will get three instead of two and your point guard will wind up in foul trouble. Just as any other role on the team, the coach should designate the shot blockers.
What Shot Should You Block?
Shots that are imminent scores are worth the attempt. If the ball is going to go into the basket anyway, why not give it a try? However, if the player fouls the shooter, he should make sure his block attempt is such that he can make sure that the ball doesn't go in.
Never try to block a jump shot on the perimeter. For every one you block, there will be 10 times you get a foul called. When a good shooter misses 55 percent of the time (making him a 45 percent shooter) the reward is not worth the risk.
Technique
A lot of shot blocking is instinct. In terms of technique, look for this: Block with your arm straight up in the air, use the hand closest to the ball and don't chase shots -- if you can't get to the shot in one step, let it go.
Below are some drills that will help with shot blocking:
Tip Drills
Jump and dribble the ball continually. Work right hand, left hand and alternate hands. Work either by number of repetitions (10 tips each hand) or by time (tip for 30 seconds).
Tip and Touch
Execute just as you would in the tip drill (above) except touch the rim with the other hand.
Blocks
• Each player sets outside the lane with his inside foot on the block along the lane. The coach stands out top with the ball.
• The coach passes the ball to one of the players
• Player with the ball goes directly to the basket -- no fakes, no dribble -- just one step to the hole. Other player attacks the shooter. The defender tries to get to the ball with his inside hand and with one step.
--The drill consists of only one shot.
Two Blocks
• Two offensive players line up outside the lane with their inside foot on the block.
Defensive player sets in the middle of the lane, between the two offensive players. Coach stands on top of the key with two balls.
• Coach passes to one of the offensive players.
• The offensive with the ball goes directly to the basket -- no fakes, no dribble -- just one step to the hole. Defensive player steps over to make the block. He tries to get to the ball with one step and maintain position and balance.
• Coach now passes to the other offensive player.
• The offensive player with the ball goes directly to the basket -- no fakes, no dribble -- just one step to the hole. Defensive player steps over to make the block. He tries to get to the ball with one step and maintain position and balance.
• Coach controls the timing of the passes to optimize the drill.
React and Block
• Two offensive players line up outside the lane, equal to about the second lane spot, facing the baseline. Defensive player sets in the middle of the lane, facing mid-court.
Coach stands on the baseline with the ball.
• Coach passes the ball to one of the offensive players.
• The offensive player with the ball goes directly to the basket -- no fakes, no dribble -- just one step to the hole.
• Defensive player steps over to make the block. He tries to block the lane to the basket and get to the ball with one step and maintain position and balance.
Help and Recover
TOP TO CORNER OPTION
• Offensive players are set on the foul line and in the strongside corner. Defender is in defensive position, guarding the high post. Coach is on the wing with two balls.
• Coach passes the ball to the high post. Defensive player knocks the ball away. The pass is not intended to be completed. If the pass gets to the high post player, he just holds the ball.
• Coach passes the ball to the players in the corner. The offensive player with the ball goes directly to the basket -- no fakes, two dribbles maximum.
• Defensive player steps over to make the block. He tries to get to the ball with one step and maintain position and balance.
CORNER TO TOP OPTION
• Set drill as top-to-corner option except that the defender is guarding the player in the corner.
• Coach passes the ball to the player in the corner. Defender knocks the ball away.
• Coach then passes the ball to the offensive player on the high post. The offensive player with the ball goes directly to the basket -- no fakes, two dribbles maximum.
• Defensive player steps over to make the block. He tries to get to the ball with one step and maintain position and balance.
STRONGSIDE-WEAKSIDE OPTION
• Players set as in the top-to-corner option. Coach sets on the opposite wing with two balls.
• Coach passes the ball to the high post. Defender knocks the ball away.
• Coach now passes over the top to the player in the opposite corner.
The offensive player with the ball goes directly to the basket -- no fakes, two dribbles maximum.
• Defensive player steps over to make the block. He tries to get to the ball with one step and maintain position and balance.
Blocking In Basketball | How To Block A Shot Easy In 4 Steps
Contents
- Blocking in Basketball
- Blocking Mistakes
- Contact Fouls
- Goaltending
- Rushing
- How to Block a Shot
- 1. Location
- 2. Mimicking
- 3. Anticipation
- 4. Blocking
- Practicing Blocking
- Recap
Although it may not seem like it, good defense in basketball can be the difference between winning and losing a game. It’s importance usually gets overshadowed by offense, which tends to get more attention, but behind every great team is a solid defense to back it up.
One of the most intimidating aspects of defending that gets performed throughout a game is blocking shots and lay-ups in an attempt to prevent the offensive team from scoring.
Blocking in basketball is a powerful tool that contributes to a team’s defensive capabilities, and has been used masterfully by various players throughout NBA History, most notably Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Mark Eaton, who were some of the best shot-blockers ever.
The act of blocking is pretty simple; it involves you getting in the way of your opponent and using your hand to stop the basketball, but it can oftentimes prove difficult to deflect the ball successfully.
To have a better chance of deflecting successfully, it’s important to understand what’s being done wrong and learn how to correct it.
For this reason, we’ll be addressing the usual mistakes people make that sabotage their chances of stopping an opponent, and may even turn the tide in the other team’s favor, as well as learning how to properly go about stopping the basketball before it ever gets a chance to reach the net.
(Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, Marcus Smart (34481569696), CC BY-SA 2.
0)
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I’ll earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.
Blocking in Basketball
Before we get into the problems and solutions, let’s first define some key points that concern blocking in basketball.
- You can stop the projectile at any spot in the court, but it’s usually done at the low post predominantly because this is where the defense of tall players are located (power forwards and centers).
- Deflecting a basketball is often done simply by extending one or both arms up and using your hands to either obstruct the basketball’s path or swat the basketball off course.
- Tall players have an easier time than most other players when holding off shots because of their long arms and large frame.
These are important points to clarify upfront since they’ll explain most of what you’ll see on the court. Shots or lay-ups that occur at the low post are almost always worth deflecting, but anything on or outside the perimeter is arguably not a good trade-off.
Shots made from that far already have a lower percentage of being made, and depending on the shooting percentage of the person shooting, it’s reasonable to suggest that you just guard them like normal.
Your height can definitely affect your ability to block; it isn’t just a coincidence that some of the best shot-blockers were also tall, their height provided greater reach to stop projectiles with ease. That isn’t to say that there aren’t some amazing players that are short, and to clarify you can still stop a projectile even if you aren’t extremely tall.
Your vertical jump, your speed, and even your mental game in predicting the offense are all factors that contribute immensely to your ability to block, and this applies to both short and tall players.
Learning to increase your vertical jump and your speed both improve your performance when defending to keep up with the offense and meet the ball at the point of release, and your mental toughness is a critical component in staying focused on the court.
When developed they can help improve a player’s defensive capabilities, but on the surface, a short player trying to guard a player taller than him is at a disadvantage, and in these cases, it’s important to assess the trade-offs in deciding who’s guarding who.
Blocking Mistakes
(globalite, Kevin Durant and Robertas Javtokas, CC BY-SA 2.0)
There’s a bit of risk involved for defenders when blocking because if they make a mistake, it can quickly backfire and even help the opposing team. The greatest mistakes come from not knowing the rules in basketball as well as rushing while guarding without taking proper measures of the situation.
Contact Fouls
If you make contact with the shooter while attempting to repel the shot, that results in a foul that gives free throw attempts to the offense. This also includes hitting the opponent’s hand while trying to repel or alter the projectile, which will still result in a foul.
This is a reason why most attempts go unsuccessful.
When you’re defending the shooter, keep a moderate distance between you and him, and wait for him to release the ball. At the point of release, whether using one arm or both, keep them straight and use your hands to obstruct the path of the basketball.
Be careful to avoid contact when reaching in for the basketball. There is such a thing as incidental contact between the shot-blocker and the shooter that the referee will not call a foul on, but that is only a contact that occurs on the way down from jumping after the attempt.
Goaltending
Another problem that’s less common but that many players do at times unknowingly is goaltending.
If you in any way alter a basketball shot that is already on its way down or descending relative to its arc, that is considered goaltending and will automatically be counted as if it had been made, granting the offensive team however many points it warranted.
This rule was largely created to prevent high jumpers from contesting the basket and swatting away projectiles, much like a goalie in soccer would defend the goal.
This leaves you with a brief window in which can you deflect the projectile, which is from the point of release until about the end of the ascension portion of the shot’s arc.
(Keith Allison, Jason Kidd John Wall, Cropped by BallAmazingly, CC BY-SA 2.0)
I’ll go ahead and lump interference alongside goal-tending; interference is a violation that can be performed in many different ways:
- Touching the ball or any part of the basket while the ball is on the rim of the basket.
- Touching the ball when it’s within the cylinder extending upwards from the rim.
- Reaching up through the basket from below and touching the ball, whether inside or outside the cylinder.
- Pulling down on the rim of the basket so that it contacts the ball before returning to its original position, or during a shot attempt.
These all constitute a basket interference violation, so it’s very important to keep them in mind as things to avoid doing.
Rushing
It’s inevitable that at some point you’ll naturally want to rush in and swat the ball, and that’s usually when the fouls start getting called.
Another thing to be careful of is a pump-fake from the offense that’ll often trick you into jumping, at which point the shooter may get around you and take his shot.
For this reason, one of the best methods of defending is simply to mimic the other player so that you’re on par with what they’re doing and moving at the same tempo. In this way, you’ll learn to slow down instead of skipping ahead and have the person you’re guarding on lock-down.
Now, this isn’t exactly easy to do and won’t always work, and the pump-fake is a great example of where you need to be vigilant of your opponent. If the person you’re guarding starts pulling out tricks to deceive you, then it naturally becomes a lot harder to defend them, but now you’ll be more cautious of your opponent’s future moves in anticipation of a fake-out.
At this point, it’s best to rely on your mental wit and in-game experience to contest their shot. As such, to prepare for these events it’s best to practice your defense with another person on the court, and this along with you’re in-game experience is what will give you the mindset necessary to minimize rushing.
How to Block a Shot
(Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, Otto Porter Jr., Dwight Howard (34136333262), CC BY-SA 2.0)
To stop a shot correctly, we’ll incorporate what we’ve already established on both blocking and avoiding mistakes to arrive at a solid method.
1. Location
Depending on where the shot is being taken from, as well as who is taking it, will determine whether we try and stop it. As previously stated, these usually take place on the low post, and if a shot is being made on or outside perimeter, there’s little reason to try and repel it.
Unless the shooter has a high shooting percentage and knows how to shoot a basketball well, then the best thing to do is try to contest the shot and apply pressure to the shooter while maintaining your distance to avoid a foul.
2. Mimicking
When you’re guarding your opponent, get right in front of him and stay on him at all times. You want to copy his movements to make sure that your in sync with what he does.
If he runs towards the hoop, you stay directly next to him, and if he jumps, you’re jumping after them with your arms held straight up to contest and hopefully deflect the shot.
Be careful of your timing so that you don’t miss your attempts, but also keep in mind that you should be jumping after the offensive player to ensure you don’t get deceived with a shot fake.
(Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, Bradley Beal, Isaiah Thomas (32133112340), Cropped by BallAmazingly, CC BY-SA 2.0)
Follow these general guidelines for effective guarding:
- When moving, make sure to stay on the balls of your feet to maximize your mobility while on the court.
- In a squatting stance, spread your feet shoulder-width apart and keep them square relative to the offensive player. This aids with both mobility and jumping power by keeping you low to the ground and maintaining a strong foundation from which to jump.
- Keep your chest facing the shooter while guarding to give yourself the option of using either hand to block and be sure to manage your view so that you have a clear sight of the person shooting.
- Arms are at all times spread to about shoulder-height, and once you move within a little more than an arm’s length of your opponent, raise your arms above your head to allow for a quicker response.
These guidelines describe an optimal defensive stance to be in for effective shot-blocking, be sure to make use of them both on and off the court to adapt yourself to be in that pose.
3. Anticipation
This is where the mind games come to play as your opponent begins to fake you out in an attempt to catch you off-guard and shoot the ball. Even if the offense hasn’t tried it, it’s still important to keep watch so that if it happens you’re ready, but if they’ve already begun using these tools then expect them to use it again.
Here the best course of action boils down to both your practice and in-game experience with holding off shots as well as your relative knowledge on the offense, which includes how aggressive their play style is and how often they use fakes.
That information can tell you a lot about how likely they are to perform more fake outs.
This is more so a gradual step that you’ll begin to understand and grasp not just over time but more specifically over the course of the game as you begin learning more about the opposing players.
However, your opponent isn’t the only one that can use this trick; you can also perform a fake to apply even more pressure to the offensive player. Once you’re within arm’s reach, you can fake your jump by simply extending your arms up and down.
This can prove to be an effective way of stopping the shooter dead in his tracks and even throwing off his rhythm by getting him thinking about when you’ll actually jump, all without having to get off the ground.
4. Blocking
Once the shooter releases the basketball, have either one or both of your arms completely extended and use your hands to obstruct the basketball’s path. You may either keep your arm straight and let the basketball come down towards you for a steal, or you can swat the basketball and throw it off course.
If you do swat the basketball, be wary of where you’re directing it towards; if possible, aim it towards a teammate so that your team can steal the ball.
Be careful when reaching in the for basketball to avoid getting a contact foul, and if the ball is already on its way down or descending relative to its arc, don’t alter the shot as that’ll be considered goal-tending and will automatically be counted as having been made.
Avoid incurring a basket interference violation by being cautious whenever you get close to the rim. In the case of blocking a dunk, whether you should go for it or not depends on how well the person you’re defending knows how to dunk, but generally, it’s best just to provide pressure and contest the dunk.
In the case that you’re trying to avert the shot of someone taller than you, there’s little chance of you successfully carrying it out unless you have a high enough vertical jump, in some cases a record-high jump, so just try and contest it to put pressure on the shooter and hopefully throw off his aim.
Practicing Blocking
(Keith Allison from Baltimore, USA, Bryant Fades Over Butler, Cropped by BallAmazingly, CC BY-SA 2.0)
Of course, the best way to become a better shot-blocker is to prep for in-game experiences with practice drills on the court where you defend another person and try to stop their shots. This works incredibly well towards improving your shot-blocking capabilities and making you a better defender overall.
Recap
When shot-blocking in-game, be sure to:
1. Determine whether the shot is worth deflecting relative to the player shooting and their location.
2. Keep up to pace with your opponent’s movement while in a defensive position.
3. Anticipate some type of fake to be able to deal with it, and dish out tricks yourself.
4. To repel the projectile extend one or both arms and obstruct the path of the ball with your hand.
When you’re going to alter the shot, be sure to avoid:
1. Rushing, don’t go ahead of your opponent and don’t lag behind either.![]()
2. Contact foul, try and avoid all contact with the shooter when trying to stop their shot.
3. Goal-tending & interference, if the basketball is on its way down or descending relative to its arc, leave it alone. If the basketball is anywhere near the basket, be cautious in your approach.
Hopefully, this should all give you a better idea as to how to properly go about repelling a projectile in-game. Remember that in general, being a good shot-blocker can prove to be hard even for the best players in this area, so don’t feel too bad if you only get one or two blocks per game.
Playing defense in basketball
Hello, dear visitors of the website basketball-training.org.ua ! Today I want to share with you my observations and conclusions, which I received as a result of 's desire to improve his game in 's defense.
It so happened that the first few years of playing basketball (mostly on street courts) my defense game consisted of constant attempts to cover the opponent's shot.
Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t work very well (I ended up either on the opponent’s back or on his head). It's a hell of a defense. A couple of years ago, I reconsidered my vision of playing defense, which I want to share with you.
Defensive Tips for
Basketball Players The first video that gave any hint of developing a basketball player's defensive skills was 's three-minute performance by Bruce Bowen on the TNT Fundamentals series. Then there was a short article on how to play defense against A. Gomelsky. Well, the last, but probably the most important training video was the company's products Better Basketball - Better 1 on 1 Defense . Even after skipping over half of what was said (some because of the language barrier, something because of banal restlessness) and putting even less into practice, I became much better at defending myself.
By the way, in this article everything will be exclusively about personal defense (and not a word about zone defense, although it is also worth writing about).
So, I highlight the following stages of defense in basketball:
Stage 1: Defense against a player without the ball.
The essence of defense is to prevent the opponent from getting the ball . This is probably one of the most difficult stages, but also one of the most effective. Agree, it is difficult to attack without having the ball. So, this stage of defense is incredibly difficult, because you have to give a lot of strength, not to be fooled by movements of the body, head and legs. A good result of such a defense is that the player does not receive the ball throughout the attack. Also a good result if the ball is received, but: in an awkward position (far from the ring; in the corner of the court) or in the last seconds of the attack. Shitty result - the ball is received quickly and conveniently.
Stage 2: Defense against the player who received the ball.
When a player receives the ball, he is in the classic "triple threat position".
This means that he can shoot the ring, pass or start the dribble. This means that we will have to confront all three threats at the same time. So, the best option is to take a position that will minimize the range of movement of the enemy. First of all, close its strong side from the passage by sitting a little to the side of it. As an option - from the side of his supporting leg; those. You will know the direction of his movement (he will not step with his supporting foot).
Let's conditionally divide the opponent's body into 2 levels: the first zone - to the waist; the second zone is above the belt. So, in order to start dribbling, the ball must be in the first zone. Both zones are suitable for a pass, and for a throw, the ball must go from the first zone to the second. I hope it's clear for now. So, one hand is playing with the bottom zone (preventing dribbling and low passing), the second is defending against a shot and a pass from the upper zone. Remember about the legs: with bent legs it is much easier and faster to make a jerk.
If the legs are straight, then for a jerk they must first be bent.
And one more piece of advice: pull the player all the time with your movements. Let the probability that these "ritual dances" help to knock out the ball will be small, but you will be able to knock the opponent out of his usual rhythm. And it's worth a lot!
Excellent defense: the ball is knocked out. Good defense - loss on pass, inaccurate pass, throw from an uncomfortable position.
Stage 3: Defense against the dribbler.
Assume that previous attempts to take possession of the ball have failed and the opponent has started to dribble. How to defend yourself then?
Let's not consider those situations in which the opponent is obviously weaker than you. It's just not interesting. The opponent is stronger, faster and jumpier than you - that's a good situation. Like I said, close his strong side. But if you don't know its strengths and weaknesses; you don’t know how to hold: from a throw or from a pass - that is, a good solution.
We are trying to make sure that you are the leader. One side is obviously closed - and the player is deliberately skipped to the other. So you can not lose in the starting jerk and not guess the direction of movement: it can only go in one direction. Try to push the opponent with the ball to the end line, from where he can no longer comfortably attack the basket. Clamp into a corner, press to the line.
Again: close one side tightly. Better - if it will be his forte; if you don’t know which one is strong, close your weak side and let defenses under your strong side. And a safety net: sometimes it's better not to let a player throw from an average distance. Allowing him to get under the ring. After all, there will be a safety net in the form of a “big”, which cannot be thrown so easily.
Stage 4: Maintenance completed.
It can be a double step and a throw, a simple throw after a stop, a jump, a pivot (reversal), a series of displays, etc. Let's take a closer look at this.
Double step. Remember: he has 2 steps to complete the attack, and you have 2 steps to hit the ball down, and then another full step to block. I recommend doing this:
- A series of small touches to the ball during a double step (as if you were playing a drum). Thus, you will not knock out the ball, but you will disorientate it accurately. Yes, and in order to keep the ball, you have to make more.
- Trying to hit the ball from below! When hitting from above, there is a very high chance that you will hit your fingers - this is a foul. But from below: few people expect such a blow, few people close the ball from below. And taking the ball up for a throw, he will receive an additional impulse, the push of the ball - throwing it as it was previously thought would not be so easy.
A little tip: after picking up the ball by the opponent, very often the ball goes down, and this is done strongly and abruptly.
Just substitute okay from below at the level of the opponent's lower back: he himself will knock the ball against your hand. This is a very cool and often unexpected trick for the opponent.
- If it was a jump stop, or just a stop, then you need to get as close as possible and raise both hands vertically up. Now you can not be afraid of a foul.
Stage 5: Jump Shot.
It's good if you jump high and sharp - then try to block at the moment when the ball leaves the thrower's hand. You can just try to brush it off at the moment when the supporting hand is no longer involved in the throw, and the ball is on the wrist. I will not talk about how to block-shot, this is a topic for a separate article.
Remember that you can block the thrower's view with your hand: just don't poke it in the eyes, just bring it closer to the thrower's face. A good way (if you have not already jumped out for a block shot, and the throw is being made) is to simulate contact with various organs of the opponent (guys, you understand what I mean).
Belly, solar plexus, groin - all this interferes with concentration at the time of the throw. Well, and often on street sites there is a clap of hands: at games they can give a foul, but on the street it can bring down that very concentration.
And finally, I suggest watching the old film , about the individual protection of basketball players, filmed in the USSR. There are some really useful things in there (the movie is old - so turn up the volume).
[youtube]9GMNCBu0Kes[/youtube]
Well, that's all, the main points that will help you defend better without any drastic changes in the game. I am sure that each of you found something useful in this article. If you have any questions or comments - write them in the comments, I will be glad to discuss.
And this article is over, I wish you successful training and see you soon on the pages of our site.
Challenging for the ball | Techniques
The struggle for possession of the ball is one of the main tasks of the player in defense.
A full-fledged player in defense is guided by the principle "the best defense is an attack."
Unfortunately, we still have quite a few players and entire teams who are limited only to guarding the basket and do not take any active measures to take possession of the ball, patiently waiting for the opponent's mistakes. Such defensive play deserves sharp condemnation.
One of the reasons why some players and teams are passive in defense is that most coaches pay little attention to ball handling techniques and do not care about improving them at all. As a result, many players do not master these techniques and, of course, do not use them in the game.
Among the leading players and teams there are many real masters - "chasers for the ball." An example is the player of the USSR national team K. Petkevicius (Leningrad), who uses all the techniques of fighting for the ball in the game.
In order for the player to perfect these techniques, it is necessary to systematically improve them in the training process.
The main techniques in the fight for possession of the ball are: interception, knocking out, pulling out and fighting for the ball after rebounding from the backboard.
Ball interception . Interception of the ball is the best means of counterattack. The interception of the ball, as a rule, takes the opponent by surprise, and thus creates extremely favorable conditions for the transition to the attack.
Interception of the ball is most often possible if the attacker passes the ball inaccurately, does not go towards the pass during cross passes, especially repeated ones, as well as in all other favorable cases of the game.
If the interception fails, the player must immediately stop and quickly return. To intercept the ball, the player must take an advantageous position, prepare for a quick dash and correctly determine the distance, the pace of the upcoming pass.
The player's actions must be unexpected, fast, ahead of the attacker's (Fig.
60). The surprise of a jerk depends on the ability to disguise your actions. To do this, the player must demonstrate passivity and indifference to the upcoming transfer of the ball with all his appearance.
The constant threat of interception affects the decisiveness of the enemy's actions.
Fig. 60. Intercepting the ball
Kicking the ball . The ball is knocked out of the hands of the opponent either while dribbling or throwing into the basket. You can knock the ball out of the hands not only of a gaping opponent, but also of a player who used dribbling and holds the ball in his hands, or a player who lowered his hands with the ball before throwing it into the basket, and in a number of other cases.
In order to kick the ball, the defender allows the opponent to approach or himself suddenly approaches him and with a quick movement of his hand, reminiscent of the movement of a cat's paw, knocks the ball out of the opponent's hands.
Considering that the hands holding the ball form a kind of bowl, knocking the ball from top to bottom is less effective than from bottom to top, in this regard, it is advisable to knock the ball out by moving the hand from bottom to top. Since the distance between the palms holding the ball is extremely small, the ball is knocked out with the edge of the palm.
When dribbling the ball, it is advisable to take it out at the moment when the ball makes its way after rebounding from the floor to the hand. Another technique is used to select the ball while dribbling. The defender, having caught the pace of dribbling, puts his hand on the ball bouncing off the floor a little earlier than the opponent and thereby takes the ball away from the opponent’s hands, continuing to dribble it himself (Fig. 61). Knocking out the ball at the moment of throwing into the basket requires especially delicate calculation and high skill. Often, a skillfully knocked out ball saves the team from a sure hit.
According to the execution technique, this resembles the action of a volleyball player when blocking, and the hand rests on top of the ball (Fig. 62). This technique is perhaps better called covering the ball. Covering the ball during shots to the basket is also applied if the defender overtakes the attacking player at the moment when he has already started the shot to the basket. In this case, the defender has the only means of fighting against the shot that has been started - this is to cover the ball. In order not to make a gross mistake, the defender is obliged, without reducing the speed of his movement, to determine the direction of his movement and the position of the ball in the hands of the opponent. The defender should not move towards the player, but overtake him somewhat and cover the ball at the moment when it leaves the opponent's hands. A defender who incorrectly determined the direction of his movement and the position of the ball will make a gross personal mistake: he will collide with the opponent or hit him on the hands.
Fig. 61. Dribbling
62. Covering the ball when throwing into the basket
The defender, who has an advantage in height, fighting for the ball under the backboard, uses the following technique: he retreats to the backboard, and then, two or three steps from the backboard, passes the attacking player past him, gives him the ability to initiate a shot into the basket and then remove or cover the ball as it leaves the opponent's hands.
Pulling the ball. Pulling the ball requires fine calculation, quick, energetic action. The ball should be grabbed as deep as possible, and then jerk it sharply towards you. The jerk should be short and energetic. To increase the strength of the jerk, it is advisable to pull out with a turn of the torso.
If the ball cannot be cleared immediately, the referee awards a dropped ball. The appointment of a dropped ball is a partial victory for the defender.
The ball snatch is used when the opponent holds the ball in his hands, when the opponent lands after catching the ball in a jump, especially when playing from the backboard, and also when the opponent dribbles.
