Basketball Defense

Being fast to defend, or perhaps i mean, quickly retreating and defending plays a crucial role in winning basketball games. Most important is being quick when your attack has finished without your side scoring. Maybe it was an interception, a lost rebound or just mishandling your team has to be trained in reacting to the transition from attack to defense automatically. They need to get back quickly.

From any shooting position when the shot is made you could have at least four players in the rebound position. If your team fails to collect the rebound then the opposition will be aiming to return down the court to score as speedily as they can. You are now the defensive side immediately you lose the ball.

The non-rebound player is the first to get into a good defensive position. His first task is to ensure that any forward opponent is tightly guarded and not positioned to receive a long ball from the back. The man nearest to the one in possession needs close down the player with the ball and delay him making a fast pass. Do not leave him. If he dribbles, harrass him. Should he pass, get back and fill in a position that needs defending. The last three team members need to be sprinting back to their own goal area and getting into position to stop the attack early.

Returning to defense should be practised until it is automatic in your team.it is difficult to coach but one excellent drill which hammers home the principle is to play imaginary basketball, without the ball. I did say, no ball.

Divide your squad into two teams and and make them play a game, with no ball. They dribble and pass and play exactly the same way, but without the ball. You as coach direct the play. If a player releases the ball you permit play to continue, or you blow the whistle and call interception, calling out the players name who now has possession.

When someone has a shot you call out whether it is a score or a miss. If a miss then indicate who has possession. What you want to do remember is see plenty of turnovers. When a side loses the ball you want them drop back quickly. Make sure the nearest to the ball hounds the man in possession.

The coach calls the decisions. When a side is quick and follows the right strategy, positioning themselves and hounding the man in possession then reward them by not allowing the other team to score. If they fail to defend speedily then allow their opponents to score. It is my experience that this training exercise can be very quick and effective at training the mental muscle in the art of reverting to defense mode. You can play this at a fast tempo, with losing the ball being a constant theme of the drill. Have the teams run up and down and tire them out a little. They will find some of it rather humorous for a while. They will definitely learn quickly.

Remember that defending is a crucial part of the game. Everyone can defend and everyone has that responsibility. Whilst defending is not the time to be taking a breather. It is when you should be the most concentrated and at your most aware. Preventing a basket is as importantl to the team as scoring yourself. If your side or you need a little respite from the action, rest when you have the ball, not when the opposition have the ball.

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