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How to play defense in basketball without fouling
Defensive Close Out Fundamentals -- 5 Keys to Better Close Outs
By Joe Haefner
Home > Coaching > Basketball Defensive Strategy > Man to Man > Defensive Close Out Fundamentals
Great close outs are VITAL to your defense.
If you're constantly getting beat by the offense due to poor close outs, your team defense instantly becomes worse.
When the offense is at a constant advantage due to poor close outs, your team defense will suffer. The offense will get more easy looks and your defense will get more fouls which leads to key players spending less time on the floor and the offense getting more easy foul shots when they get in the bonus.
Here is another thing to think about...
On every single pass that the offense makes in a half court setting, there should be a defensive close out. Now how many times does that happen in a game? Against good offensive teams, you could have at least 5 close outs per possession. 50 possessions in a game and you have at least 250 close outs.
30 games in a year and there is at least 7,500 close outs!
Poor close outs wreck your team defense and lead to more points scored against you. And close outs occur hundreds of times per game!
That's why some of the great defensive coaches start most defensive drills with a close out. They understand how vital it is to a team's defense. It'd probably be wise for you to do the same.
Here is a sneak peak into our NEW product called Jim Huber's Man To Man Defense. In the video clip below, Coach Jim Huber does a great job of breaking down close outs.
Why should you listen to Jim Huber?
For those of you unfamiliar with Coach Jim Huber, he coaches some of the best high school players in the nation. He is a coach and director of operations for Mokan Elite who is a team in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL). Since Jim's team competes nationally and they often face teams with more physical talent, great defense has been a staple for Jim's teams to win tournaments and compete in the EYBL.
Jim has coached defense at almost all levels, ranging from 4th grade to college.
5 Keys to Better Close Outs
Here are 5 tips mentioned in the video above.
Be in your defensive stance.
If you are in an athletic stance with hips back and knees bent, this saves time because you are ready to sprint to the shooter.
"Be like a sprinter."
Sprint to the ball.
Sprinting to the shooter as quickly as possible is VERY important.
1 - If the offense is going to shoot, they will have a contested shot which dramatically lowers their shooting percentage.
2 - A properly timed closeout will make it more difficult to drive past you. If you delayed your closeout and are still sprinting to the shooter who already has the ball, they can easily use your momentum against you and drive past you.
Chop your steps.
You want to chop your steps or use a quick stop to slow your momentum so you can defend the dribble drive.
Hands Up
By having your hands up, this leads to a contested shot, prevents direct post passes, and results in more deflections for your team.
Mirror Offense and Force East-West
"Feet to feet."
"Belly button to belly button."
The purpose of mirroring the offense is to force the offense east-west and away from the basket. You don't want any easy straight line driving lanes to the basket because this typically breaks down the defense and gives more efficient scoring opportunities to the offense.
We hoped that these close out tips helped you in some way. If you have some more helpful tips, please share below.
UPDATE 5/12/13: Jim Huber's new DVD set is now available here.
What do you think? Let us know by leaving your comments, suggestions, and questions...
How to Block More Shots in Basketball Without Fouling
by Jesse Parker
One aspect of basketball that has always been crucial to winning games is defense, and within the subject of defense, comes the issue of blocking shots.
Blocking shots is the best way to deny your opponent from scoring the ball, yet it is also the most dangerous one because many things could go wrong and turn against you when you try to block a shot.
The usual scenario is this:
You could either foul your player, or be pump-faked and get scored on after taking the bait and jumping.
Usually when a player pump fakes you, he wants to get you in the air so he could get around you, or in worst cases, get you fouled and squeeze that and-1.
So, in order to contest on your opponent’s shot, you need to learn how to defend properly without getting yourself into foul trouble.
Being a good blocker is not easy though, even huge players such as DeAndre Jordan (6’11 in height) only average about 2-3 blocks per game.
That goes to show you just how hard it is to be blocking in games since teams in the NBA have such a good offense these days.
Anthony Davis blocking Chris Bosh
What Makes A Good Blocker?
Being a good blocker heavily depends on your physique. Height and size are huge factors for becoming a good blocker. In the NBA, the players who are above 6’10” and close to the 7 feet range are usually the best blockers.
Also, long hands and arm-span play an important role here. We use our hands to block when we jump, so the longer your hands are, the further you can get, thus giving you a better chance to contest on your opponents’ shot.
But not everything relies on physical traits. There are other things that are equally important for being a good blocker such as your vertical jump (see more about that here), quickness, reading the offense well and most importantly your timing.
How JaVale McGgee Trains To Block Shots
This next video shows how one of the leading players in the NBA, JaVale McGgee does it. So pay attention and watch how you should go for blocking a shot the right way.
P.S. In order to become a good shot blocker you first need to increase your vertical jump. The best program on the market right now for improving your jump quickly and efficiently is the Vert Shock program, and it’s what I used myself.
The program provides important information and lays down the path that will take your vertical to the next level. You will have the opportunity to show the world that even short guys can become fearsome blockers.
Jesse Parker
Born and raised in sunny Florida, Jesse Parker grew up spending most of his days outdoors playing hoops and honing his basketball skills. He has a huge love for the game and is always striving to get better at it. His latest obsession is the subject of vertical jumping and dunking.
Categories Defense, Training
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.
Defense in basketball: game tactics, tips
Basketball is a passion for millions of people around the world. Special results in the game to date have been achieved in the United States, it is here that the most powerful NBA league is located. It plays the best of the best. But to get there, you need to work long and hard. Today we will talk about the basics and consider the options for defense in basketball, although the entertainment of the game is the attack, it is the defense that sometimes brings titles in the game! Let's start looking into the issue.
Basketball: defense and attack
The basics of technique are laid in early childhood. It is very important to teach a child who attends the basketball section how to attack and defend in the game. Moreover, you need to do it in such a way that the player understands that basketball is a team game, and not an individual running around with the ball around the court in an attempt to attack the opponent's basket against all odds. Unfortunately, in the early stages of training, this trend is visible in more than half of the novice players.
A good coach is one who helps a child to develop technique. Defense in basketball is an integral part of the game and should not be ignored or neglected. This is an important point. By the way, it is worth noting that defensive actions can be very spectacular and spectacular. In general, in basketball everything depends on the players, their technique and grace, and not on the tactical scheme or role.
Basketball Defense Tactics
There are three main defensive tactics in modern basketball. Of course, there are various combinations and variations of these tactics, but the fundamental ones are:
zone defense in basketball;
pressing;
personal defensive actions (personal tutelage).
Let's take a closer look at each variant of tactics and identify the features.
Zone
Basketball defense in zone defense tactics implies the game of each defense player in his allotted zone. That is, defense players play only on their own area of the site and do not leave it. Defensive actions are carried out against the opponent who enters this area of the site. Leaving your zone is only possible to secure a teammate who has “failed” in defense.
Amateur teams use this defensive tactic, but not in the very early stages. Zone defense is a rather complex interaction of players even at the aforementioned amateur level of play, not to mention professional teams.
Zone defense is a way to deal with passes under the ring and provoke an opponent to shoot from a distance. Also, this type of protection significantly compensates for the reduced athletic qualities of the players. Zone defense means fewer moves for the defending side, which means more energy reserves for the rest of the game.
If we talk about the weaknesses of such a defense, then this can include the difficulty for inexperienced defenders to determine the joints of zones with a teammate. For this reason, none of the defenders may not reach the ball, that is, the opponent will make a throw without resistance.
Zone defense is an ineffective way of defending against teams with set three-point shots. Also, the opponent's coach can guess such an option when his best player will attack from the zone where the opponent's weakest defender is defending.
Personal defense (personal defense)
In this case, each defensive player plays against the opponent assigned to him, regardless of the location in the attacking actions of the latter. The defending player can switch to another attacking player if a teammate makes a mistake and the opponent goes to the pass. Personal defense is very common at the amateur level of the game, although professional teams also use this defensive tactic.
The personal defense is well proven for defending against teams that like to shoot from medium to long distances. But personal defense is not very good against teams that make a lot of passes under the basket. With the help of passes around the perimeter, the opponent can stretch the defenders around the court, which will be the preparation and release of the zone for the partner's pass. When the defenders are stretched enough, there will be a pass to a player who will make a pass and with a high probability will score the ball into the basket.
Pressing
A very aggressive tactic that requires good physical condition from defensive players. Defense in this case starts from the front line of the opponent. In other words, after a goal is scored, the players do not go to their own half of the court, but begin to actively interfere with the opponent's game right on his territory. To some extent, this defensive tactic in basketball can be considered an aggressive form of personal defense.
Such protection is chosen either by sufficiently trained amateur teams, or by professional ones. This tactic can completely break the opponent's game if we are talking about amateur basketball due to its rare use and lack of experience in playing against such actions. In fact, pressing is not only a defensive tactic, but also an attacking one.
The choice of tactics
The coach is always responsible for the choice of tactics in the game, he sees what is happening on the court from the side and understands in the best way how to act in order to keep the winning score or eliminate the gap from the opponent on points.
Based on his experience, a coach can change tactical actions in basketball defense several times not per game, but per quarter! This exhausts the opponent, gives him problems, because the opponent is also forced to change his style of play for each type of defense.
Modern tactics for professional teams are hybrids of several standard types of defense. For example, one player on the defending team may use a personal defensive tactic against the offensive leader, while the rest of the players may play a zone defense method. There are a lot of variations and modifications of defense in modern basketball, especially when it comes to the games of professional players in the world's leading leagues!
Tribute to the times
Today, when players have a very high level of training, and equipment and equipment for playing at the highest level, it becomes more and more difficult to defend, as the speed and dynamics of events on the playing floor sometimes go off scale. Defense and offense in basketball are an arms race on the playground.
Some teams prefer to play as the first number, while others play from the opponent and from defense. These are just the features of the tactics and style of playing that the team's mentor promotes. This is not to say that an aggressive attack is always a victory, or a deep defense and toughness of the game is the right path to the championship.
Everything is very complicated and individual, not only for a particular opponent, but even for a particular period of time in the same game. Basketball at the highest level is simply amazing fiction, this applies to actions both in attack and in defense.
Tips
The necessary advice for defensive actions is distributed by the coach and does it during training. In general, training should be such that the defense technique in basketball is brought to automatism. This is achieved by training and more training! But there are some general tips to be aware of, especially in the early stages of teaching basketball defense.
Don't throw too much at a player when you're on the defensive. This can lead to a technical player passing you easily on the dribble. Throw forward to intercept only when you are absolutely sure that you can intercept the ball. Interceptions are best made by nimble and nimble point guards who defend farther from their basket.
Always try to belay your partner. Basketball is a team game, and it is impossible without mutual assistance. But you need to insure your partner wisely, because when you switch from your player (or from your defense zone) when securing, you throw your player (or your site), and this is a free zone, that is, options for technically playing the ball in attack. Insure wisely, trying to outwit your opponent. For example, advance on an opponent who was being guarded by your partner but failed, and then, if you see that the opponent with the ball is trying to play an extra player, go back to your abandoned opponent and intercept the ball. In general, all this will come with experience.
As a rule, for the very beginning basketball players, the coach does not choose pressing as a style of play in defense, because such a defensive action scheme requires very serious physical preparation and the most well-coordinated team actions. And at the initial level, amateur teams do not have such skills.
Well, perhaps the most correct and best advice is training. Exactly exhausting training is the key to a clear and well-coordinated work of the team, as well as verified actions in defense or attack. Training, skill and talent - this is a great combination for real champion players!
Significance of a coach
This subsection is relevant only for amateur teams, because such misunderstandings cannot occur in professional basketball. You should always listen to your coach and quickly change tactics at his direction. Strict observance of this rule can decide the outcome of the game.
Total
Defense is an integral part of any outdoor team ball game.
Since Jim's team competes nationally and they often face teams with more physical talent, great defense has been a staple for Jim's teams to win tournaments and compete in the EYBL.
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. 
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). 
And it's worth a lot! 
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. 
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. 
Now you can not be afraid of a foul. 
Today we will talk about the basics and consider the options for defense in basketball, although the entertainment of the game is the attack, it is the defense that sometimes brings titles in the game! Let's start looking into the issue. 
In general, in basketball everything depends on the players, their technique and grace, and not on the tactical scheme or role. 
Zone defense is a rather complex interaction of players even at the aforementioned amateur level of play, not to mention professional teams. 
Defense and offense in basketball are an arms race on the playground. 
