Defense Strategies

In the average basketball game your side will, be forced to defend for approximately fifty percent of the time. It is obvious that it is a crucial part of the game. This essay is about different defensive methods. Another article has already looked at methods of practising the most crucial defense issue of them all - sprinting back to defend.

Defending comes about either because you have just scored or because you failed to score. However you lost the ball this article assumes that you have dropped back and are ready to defend.

There are two fundamental defensive strategies, one on one guarding and area marking. The first step to take to teach defense is on an individual level which means you should to start with one on one marking. Individual techniques include stance, sliding and movement. The man on man defensive techniques can be developed by playing two on two and then three on three and so on, until there is the full team game happening.

Man to man defensive strategy has now been realised at this point because five against five is a game situation. Coaching zonal defending is harder to do becauseyou have to organise as a unit. Training one person is not the same as training and coordinating a group.But the techniques used in man to man marking can be utilized as a team for zonal strategies. The plan is to pressurize the opposition so that at all moments there are one and a half defenders blocking his way to the basket, or blocking his route.

Teams with large players tend to be effective at zone defense by standing in the paint and covering the route to the basket.

The philosophy to aim for however is where both techniques are amalgamated. Man to man is good, but if an attacker stays deep who is guiding play and not looking like coming forward then a five man defense around the basket makes good sense. Conversely, if you are playing zone and you find that a player is on his own then that means another part of the court is overweighted with opposing team members. He should move from his current zone and add support where short.

In the debate between man to man and zone it is clear that some techniques of each idea is the most effective for a good defense. Coach the defensive methods that are necessary in man to man marking, but then plan as a team for coordinated zonal strategies too. You will never be the strongest defense you can be if you are all one to one marking or solely zonal marking. You have to be able to do both simultaneouslyand then you will see your defensive capabilities improve dramatically.