How to defend a center in basketball

How to Dominate as a Center in Basketball (Tips and Tricks)

The center, who is often referred to as the “five,” is one of the most important basketball positions on the team.

A dominant center can completely change the identity of a team’s offense and defense.

Often the player deemed "the center" is the tallest player on the team, and they usually spend a lot of time around the key on the defensive end of the floor.

Offensively, most of the center’s points will come right around the basket, although it's becoming more common for them to step outside and hit midrange and three-point shots.

Many youth players watch the slam dunks of Shaquille O’Neal or the blocked shots of Dwight Howard and want to mimic the play of famous big men...

But few actually have the characteristics necessary to be a great center.

So, what traits does the “five” man need to dominate?

1. Height

Even though we believe positionless basketball can be a great offensive concept and that multiple players should be able to play multiple positions on the court...

The saying “size matters” still exists for a reason.

The center is typically the tallest player on the team, and therefore is typically responsible for getting high percentage layups and post finishes on the offensive end and guarding the other team’s tallest player on the defensive end.

This isn’t to say a smaller center can’t be effective... but it’s much more difficult.

The team's center also usually has elite strength to compliment that height.

A player who is expected to battle for every rebound, score regularly in the post, and guard the biggest player on the other team will have to be strong in order to be successful.

A lot of teams have players that are tall or strong, but it is far more rare for a player to combine those physical attributes with the willingness to use them.

A great center needs to provide an inside presence on both ends of the court, and size alone is not enough to create that presence.

They must also be willing to play physical with the biggest and strongest players on the other team on every trip down the court.

The tallest player on the team is never going to be the quickest, but a dominant center does still need to be an athletic player who can run the floor and contribute on every possession.

Mobility is a trait that often separates a good center from a great one, primarily because it is so rare among players who are naturally so much larger physically than other players on the court.

Any coach would be glad to have a player who is tall, strong, and willing to play physical...

But if that player is also athletic enough to create shots for himself on the offensive end and block shots on the defensive end, then he will be a truly dominant center.

5. Conditioning

Dominant centers are a nightmare for opposing coaches, and one way they typically try to minimize that player’s impact is by creating tempo offensively and forcing him to run the floor.

Most centers are not built for that type of game, but a dominant one will also be in good enough shape to play a lot of minutes.

After all, even if you are the best player on the court, your impact is not nearly as high as it could be if you are only able to play half of the game.

A center who is in great physical shape will also be in great shape to become a dominant player.

A player with size, strength, and athleticism has the potential to become a great center...

But how should he be putting those characteristics to use?

If you have a player with the size and physicality to be a true center, he needs to be the best rebounder on both ends of the court.

It does not take a basketball genius to realize that the tallest player is the closest to the rim, and therefore the closest to a lot of rebounding opportunities.

A center who controls the glass can be the most valuable member of a basketball team.

More rebounds equals more shots, and more shots equals more points.

So a dominant center who attacks the glass on both ends can completely dictate the game.

As the biggest player on the court, the center needs to provide a presence in the lane for the offense.

This means he must be able to fight for post position, and then be able to execute a variety of different moves to score on the block.

Depending on the level of play, it can be common for centers to be thrust into their role simply because of size, but a dominant center needs to be skilled enough to make efficient moves and finish with touch around the rim.

A great center can completely change your team’s entire defense, primarily because opponents will be much less willing to attack the hoop.

A high level high school center or above may be expected to play above the rim and block shots, but a center at any level can still be a “rim protector” if he is able to be a help defender that discourages the offense to drive.

This is where the height, strength, and physicality mentioned above become necessities for a dominant center, as a smaller player simply does not provide that physical presence.

Naturally, the biggest players typically match up with one another, meaning your center has to be able to guard the biggest player on the other team.

Again, height, strength, and physicality of course play a factor in this responsibility.

Players of any size can get rebounds or score in the post occasionally, but not everyone can physically take on the challenge of defending a center.

If your center has the mobility and conditioning mentioned above as well, then he will have the advantage in this matchup.

If a player is a truly dominant center who is capable of scoring in a variety of ways, then he probably will not be guarded by only one player very often.

Some teams may elect to send double teams or traps to force the center to get rid of the ball, and when that happens, he must be able to distribute to open teammates.

A dominant center scores in the lane often enough to draw additional defenders, and then takes advantage by dumping passes off to the other post player, hitting an open cutter, or kicking out for an open 3-point shot.

Now that we’ve covered what characteristics can make for a great center and what role the center should be playing on the court, how can a player build himself into a great big man?

At some point, most coaches have seen a physically imposing center who provides a presence, but his only chance to score is an easy drop step layup or open putback at the rim.

However, a great center needs to have a number of different post moves that they can execute with their back to the basket.

True post players have become fewer and further between in this era of basketball.

In fact, most teams don’t play with a true center at all...

So a big, tall player who probably isn’t as quick as most others or as comfortable on the perimeter needs to have multiple ways to score inside in order to be established as part of an offense.

A dominant center should have a go-to move, a very reliable secondary move, and then also be able to add counters to those moves.

A dominant defensive center is typically a shot blocker.

But simply being tall will not automatically mean that a player will be spiking every opponent’s shot off the backboard.

Blocking shots - and just playing good post defense in general - requires toughness, anticipation, and coordination.

Playing 1-on-1 against an offensive player on the block will help a center develop those skills, and getting a number of repetitions in a row will help build the necessary conditioning as well.

The most common way that an opposing coach will try to limit the effectiveness of a dominant center is by forcing him to score at the free throw line instead of giving up open post moves.

It has proven to be incredibly effective in some situations, especially against big men who are far below average free throw shooters.

After all, “Hack-A-Shaq” is still one of the most commonly used phrases in defensive basketball strategy many years after it was implemented.

A great center needs to be able to step up to the free throw line and knock down shots at a high rate so that he can not be taken advantage of by opposing teams.

Free throw shooting becomes even more important in late game situations, and if the center is your best player, you want to be able to leave them in the game during crunch time.

But if they can’t be trusted to make free throws, then you probably won’t want them on the court in those big moments.

As mentioned above, the time of true centers has largely come and gone in today’s basketball world.

It has become much more common to see different varieties of “small-ball” or positionless basketball, especially at higher levels.

Therefore, a center will only make himself more valuable if he is also able to at least provide a threat to shoot a jump shot.

Long range shooting isn’t necessary for centers, and it is extremely rare for the center to be considered a knock down shooter.

But even the willingness to shoot from 10-15 feet can add an entirely different dimension that can be very difficult for most opposing centers to defend.

If a center can step out and be a threat from 3-point range, too, then he has the potential to become unstoppable.

While shooting and other ball skills can be a great addition to a center’s game, they will never be truly necessary or expected to play the position.

Strength is absolutely essential to the success of a big man who aims to control the paint.

Spend time weight training to get your body to a point where it can physically take on the responsibility and toll of playing center.

A center can be a focal point of a team offense and a team defense if they have the size and physicality to provide a real presence on both ends of the court.

However, the center can completely change the game if they also have the skills and athleticism to control the rebounding battle, score in the paint, and block shots.

Though the position has become less and less common in recent years, a truly dominant center who has the ability to impact the game as an offensive threat and also a defensive stopper will make your team a matchup nightmare for opposing coaches.

Basketball Weak Side Defense & How To Establish Good Help Positioning

Home > Coaching > Basketball Defensive Strategy > Man to Man > Basketball Weak Side Defense & How To Establish Good Help Positioning

Weak side defensive positioning is one of the most important concepts to teach. If not approached properly, it can also be one of the most difficult.

Simply put, good help positioning solves LOTS of problems for you...

It makes your team appear quicker because they have less ground to cover. For example, if your players are positioned properly, they can quickly close out to the players they are guarding or they can step in to help.

Good positioning is something you must maintain throughout the entire possession.

Why do you think most good offensive coaches preach ball reversals? This is because they want to reverse the ball a bunch of times so your players will eventually get out of position and they can expose the seams in your defense.

The great thing about positioning is that even slow players can get good at it. Positioning is more of a mentality and a habit than a physical ability. Even a non-athletic player can learn great positioning.

How Do You Quickly and Easily Teach Help Positioning?

As a coach, you will never have enough time to cover all the different situations your players will face. That's why we set rules that apply to all situations.

It's very important for you to do the same so that your players understand what to do when faced with unique situations. Here's an example of ours below:

VERY IMPORTANT WEAK SIDE DEFENSE RULES!!

When defending the player away from the ball:

1. Stay between your man and the ball. See your man and the ball at ALL times!

2. Deny all penetrating passes.

3. Be close enough to stop the player you are guarding if the ball is passed to him.

4. Be close enough to help! You should be close enough to the player with the ball to prevent him from getting into the danger zone if he dribbles by the defender that is guarding him.

5. Always stop the ball if it is in front of you!

It doesn't matter if the player with the ball is at half court, high post, corner, etc. You should always be in position to stop your man and stop penetration.

Here are some scenarios to help you understand these rules...

How to Defend the Perimeter Pass (One Pass Away)

One Pass Away refers to when you're guarding an offensive player and there are no other offensive players between you and the ball.

When the ball is one pass away, your positioning is very important because this will determine whether you can help on the dribble drive or rotate if needed.

When One Pass Away:

• Be Close Enough to Help - When a player is one pass away, the defensive player should be off the player he is guarding and both "Up the Line" and "On the Line."

  Up the Line - The line we are referring to is the imaginary line between the player with the ball and the player that the defender is guarding.

  The defender should be a 1/3 to 1/2 the distance up that imaginary line. This distance allows the defender to be close enough to help on dribble penetration. It also allows him to be close enough to stop the player he's defending if the ball is passed to him.

  If the ball handler gets by the defender and you cannot get there in time to help, you are probably not far enough "Up the Line."

  On the Line - This refers to when the defender should have his feet or hands in the path of that imaginary line. This positioning may vary depending on whether you allow or deny the perimeter pass.

  If you allow the perimeter pass, you may take a step back so you can stop penetration. If you deny it, you'll definitely want to have a foot and hand on the imaginary line to force more turnovers.

• Be Close Enough to Stop the Player You Are Guarding - You want to be close enough to help, but you also need to be close enough to stop the player you're guarding if the ball is passed to him. If you cannot get to your player in time to stop him, you are probably too far "Up the Line. "

• Be Ready to Move - Just like any other position on the court, you must have your knees bent and ready to move quickly!

• See Man and the Ball - You should be able to see the man you are guarding and the player with the ball at all times. This way you can see if your man moves. You can also react to help on dribble penetration if the ball handler penetrates.

Head Position

Something that is crucial while seeing your man and the ball is head position.

When you're one pass away, you always need to see your man and the ball at all times, so head position is really important. Your head should essentially be looking straight between the ball and your player so that you never have to turn it.

If you have to turn your head to see the ball, or if you have to turn your head to see the player you're guarding, you're in the wrong position. It's very important to see both the man and the ball without turning your head.

A big mistake that most players make is that they're constantly looking back and forth. If you have to look towards the ball for a split second, your man can cut behind you and beat you for a lay-up to the basket. If you take your eye off the ball to look at the player you're guarding, the offensive player might dribble-penetrate by the defender and you'll be too late to help or rotate.

One Pass Away - Deny versus Contest (Allow)

When defending the ball one pass away, you can either "Deny" the perimeter pass or "Contest", or allow the perimeter pass.

Deny the Perimeter Pass:

If you've got a really quick team and you're going to rely on causing a lot of turnovers, you may want to position your perimeter players in the passing lane to deny the pass.

Pros:

When your players are denying the wing, the opposing players won't be able to catch the ball, and this can cause turnovers, such as 5-second calls and bad passes. It could also force the offensive player to over dribble and destroy the offensive rhythm. Notice, the player in the picture is "On the Line."

Cons:

Although, you can create more turnovers, you will be more susceptible to dribble penetration because you have more distance to cover when trying to help from a closed, denial position.

Contest the Perimeter Pass:

The other option is to contest the pass, which allows the perimeter pass. This focuses more on defensive help positioning rather than going for the steal. Even though the focus isn't on stealing the pass, if you have a guaranteed steal, you'd better go for it.

With this tactic, you step back a little bit so you're in better position to help, and you're allowing the perimeter pass to go through.

Even though, you allow the perimeter pass, you can also deny all penetrating passes. These are passes inside the 3-point line.

Although your defense is allowing the pass to go around the perimeter, ball pressure is still needed. Typically, when we contest the pass, we use an open stance (mentioned later) as well.

Pros:

This is a good defensive tactic because it can make it hard to get the ball close to the basket. You also force low percentage shots because it's easier to contest shots since you are in good defensive position.

Cons:

There is not much pressure beyond the 3-point line, so you might not force as many turnovers. Also, you may not mentally wear down the opponents as much as you can with a pressure defense that denies passes.

Wolf Pack Defense - Like Packline

This type of defense is also what we refer to as a "Wolf Pack" style defense. If a predator penetrates the wolf's boundaries, the wolf pack swarms them. Your defense should act in the exact same manner.

If the ball handler penetrates, the defender nearest to the ball should swarm to the ball and make him pick up his dribble or pass the ball. If the offense gets the ball near the "Danger Zone," your defense needs to swarm the ball handler and force him to turnover the ball or pass the ball away from the basket, which would result in a lower percentage shot.

Some other coaches might call this "Saggy" defense. We really dislike this terminology because it gives kids the perception that it's a lazy and relaxed type of defense compared to the denial defense when, in reality, this is completely untrue.

Just like a denial defense, you should be intense, always on the balls of your feet, and constantly communicating. The only difference is that you allow the pass around the perimeter.

If you use the "Wolf Pack" terminology, it brings a tenacious, intense mentality to playing this type of defense, which is exactly what you want from your players.

Here are a few more pictures that give you a different viewpoint of "Denying" versus "Contesting":

Defending the Perimeter Pass (Two Passes Away)

Two Passes Away refers to when you're guarding an offensive player and there are one or more offensive players between you and the ball. It's very important to be positioned properly to help out on dribble penetration or to rotate.

In this diagram, Player 2 is guarding the player in the corner.

When the ball is on the wing and you're two passes away, we always teach for at least one foot to be on the rim line.

The rim line is the imaginary line going down the middle of the court from basketball hoop to basketball hoop.

With a more aggressive defense where you are pressuring the ball and denying passes, you may want to use the one-foot-in-the-lane technique. This will enable you to steal more skip passes. At the same time, it'll make you more susceptible to penetration.

When we played pressure defense, we still used the rim line concept mentioned above.

If you're playing a "Wolf Pack" style defense to prevent players from reaching the "Danger Zone", it's better to get your players on the rim line.

When the ball is on the top of the key, the player two passes away does not have to be on the rim line. Rather, just next to the lane or with one foot in the lane.

This is important because you need to be in the lane to help and stop any penetration to keep the ball out of the lane.

If you're playing an aggressive defense where you are trying to force turnovers, you may want your defensive player to be a couple steps closer to the offensive player they are defending.

How Do You Teach Your Players Weak Side Help Positioning?

One of the best ways to teach help side positioning is to run Shell Drills and Over Load drills. Coach Jim Huber demonstrates a couple of examples below.

Shell Drill

4 on 4 With Baseline Drivers

Beyond that, if you want more in-depth information, our man to man defense video with Jim Huber shows you step-by-step exactly how to teach good help positioning.

The video also includes dozens of defense drills and all the key aspects of a tough man to man defense.

Personal protection system | Basketball team action

The organization of defensive team action, in which each player is assigned to hold a specific opponent player, is called the personal defense system.

This system has a number of positive aspects, and it is no coincidence that the vast majority of teams use it.

The positive quality of personal defense is its activity, which creates conditions not only for the protection of the basket and for the fight for the ball, but also for the fight against players without the ball.

This system is easy to learn. Each player, knowing who he is holding, helps the team to quickly organize the defense. The responsibility of each player for the actions of a certain opponent is increased.

This defense system makes it possible to distribute players depending on the characteristics of the opponent (tall keeps high, mobile - mobile, etc. ) and at the same time help your partner.

It is a universal system and is applicable against any attack system; the skills acquired by the players of teams using this system make it easy to master any other defense system.

The disadvantage of this system is the following:
The player, constantly moving behind his ward, spends a lot of physical strength; this defense system also makes it easier for the enemy to set up a barrier.

The personal defense system comes in three forms: full-field defense, backcourt defense, and free-throw defense or, as it is commonly known, “half-field” defense.

Each of these forms of personal protection is distinguished from each other by the area of ​​protective actions.

What is each of these forms of personal protection?

Full field protection . This form is the most active form of personal protection.

In it, actions are organized according to the principle - not a second of rest for the opponent, not a single free pass, not a single free throw into the basket. To accomplish this task, the players keep their wards wherever they are, trying to completely turn them off from the game (Fig. 76).

Fig. 76. Holding all over the field

The effectiveness of this defense option depends primarily on how timely and fully all the team players will perform their functions.

If at least one player switches to defense at the wrong time or does not hold his charge tightly, then this will immediately affect the effectiveness of defensive actions of the whole team.

Defending all over the field requires the players to be able to hold the opponent tightly, it requires a lot of stamina and mobility. When applying this defense system, players must be able to quickly switch from attack to defense and quickly dismantle players.

It should be noted that when applying this form of defense, many teams make a characteristic mistake, namely: instead of quickly covering the players without the ball tightly, they begin to fight the opponent for the ball. As a result, the player with the ball, having uncovered partners, easily outplays the defenders and passes the ball to one of them to further develop the attack.

In order to avoid this error, players must learn the sequence of closing players when applying this form of defense. First of all, all players without the ball should be tightly covered. To facilitate this task, the defender, acting against the player with the ball, without entering the fight for the ball, prevents the pass with energetic work of the hands.

After all the players without the ball have been covered, the main actions of the defender against the player with the ball begin. These actions depend on whether the attacker used dribbling or not. If the ball carrier has not yet used the dribble, then the defender should be more careful. He needs to seek distracting actions to get the attacker to dribble, in order to then decisively enter the fight for the ball. In the fight for the ball with the opponent who used the dribble, sometimes the nearest partner should also join. If the opponent does not dribble, then in this case the defender, as it were, sneaks up on the player with the ball and suddenly and quickly tries to knock or snatch the ball from the hands of the opponent.

Previously, personal protection throughout the field was not widely used and was essentially used only:
with a clear superiority over the opponent, when the team wanted to achieve the maximum score or when the defending team lost a few points in the last minutes.

Currently, many coaches are striving to significantly expand the use of this form of protection and are achieving some success. In particular, this form of defense is used by many teams against the fast break. Some teams use this defense option against a team using a zone defense system, trying to create an advantage in the first minutes and forcing the opponent to leave the zone defense system.

Skillful use of this defense option during the game, if necessary, increases the pace of the game, which is very important for seizing the initiative, as well as for a "spurt" in the score of the game, especially when physically superior to the opponent.

Personal protection throughout the field forces the opponent to continuously act actively.

Based on the above, it can be concluded that this defense option has a great future, and coaches should take this into account.

Defending in own backcourt . This form of personal defense differs from the previous one in that the defenders enter the fight with their ward only when they cross the middle line (Fig. 77).

Fig. 77. Keeping in their backcourt

Using this form of personal defense, players quickly retreat back to their backcourt when the ball is lost, giving temporary freedom to the attackers.

The defense in its backcourt is inferior in its activity to the defense throughout the field, but due to the decrease in the protected area, it is more reliable for protecting its basket from shots not only from close, but also from medium and long distances and at the same time creates the necessary conditions for fighting for the ball in their backcourt.

Individual teams resort to some variation in applying this form of defense.

A team with players who are good at intercepting the ball, when the ball is lost, leaves them to hunt for the ball, and the rest of the players retreat to their own zone.

This brings results, especially in cases where the opponent leaves only two or three players in his backcourt (fig. 78) or the players of the opposing team do not have an accurate pass.

Fig. 78. Chasing the ball in your backcourt

Free throw defense , or half-court defense. Recently, many teams have begun to use a new form of personal defense system - protection in the free throw area, or defense in the half zone.

This form of defense originated as a counter-measure against successful attackers who, by skillfully using the center players and the high skill of the players using lightning passes to the backboard, gain an advantage in the game and shoot balls into the basket from close range.

Half-zone defense is based on the principle: all to defend the basket. To do this, the team quickly retreats to their shield, settles in the free throw area and guards the nearest approaches to the shield (Fig. 79).

Fig. 79. Half-zone defense

In carrying out the main task of preventing the opponent from throwing the ball into the basket from close range, the defenders weaken their attention to their players when they are without the ball. The farther from the ball and the basket is the ward, the deeper the defender can retreat to the backboard and, together with partners, come to grips with the created threat to the basket.

However, the player must not lose control of his charge, but move in such a way that he is always between him and the shield. If the ward uses throws from long and medium distances, then when he receives the ball, you need to get out in time and prevent him from making a throw. After the ward passes the ball, the defender must quickly return to his original position.

The concentration of five players on a small area of ​​the court and mutual assistance help to insure the center, make it difficult for the opponents to get to the backboard, and also create favorable conditions for fighting for the ball after a rebound from the backboard.

This form of defense, the half-zone defense, is so named because, firstly, it combines the principles of personal player-versus-player defense with the principle of collective protection of a certain area of ​​the site and, secondly, because, the protected area equal to half of the team's backcourt.

This form of defense has some significant drawbacks: it is significantly inferior in its activity to the first two forms of defense, as it is built on the desire to defend more than attack, gives the opponent freedom of action over most of the court and does not completely eliminate basket shots from a long distance . The defense in the half zone also makes it difficult for the team to transition to a fast break due to the proximity of the players to their shield.

Given the serious shortcomings of this form of defense, it can only be used in cases where the defending team plays worse in defense than in attack and is inferior in speed to the opponent, when the players of the attacking team do not know how to accurately shoot at the basket from a long distance, when the defending the team has a slight advantage over the opponent and strives to keep him in the remaining very short time until the end of the game.

Playing defense in basketball

Hello dear site visitors 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 the street courts) my defense game consisted of constantly trying 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.

Basketball Players The first video that showed 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: Defending against the dribbler.

Assume that previous attempts to get possession of the ball failed and the opponent began 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 (turn), 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.

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