Summary:
- The debate between teaching man defense or zone defense in youth basketball is common.
- Instead of focusing on the defensive strategy, emphasis should be placed on teaching six key elements: communication, vision, guarding the ball, reacting to a passed ball, response when the ball is shot, and effort.
- Teaching these elements will result in a strong defensive team regardless of the defensive strategy chosen.
- Prioritizing these elements over choosing between man or zone defense is essential for effective coaching.
- By focusing on these elements, coaches can develop well-rounded players capable of adapting to any defensive system.
So you are taking on coaching a youth basketball team and you have a few items on the checklist and there is one that seems to always get placed on the list – will I teach man defense or zone?
Well, you hear that if you don’t play man defense you are somehow doing them a disservice.
A common fact with youth basketball is you don’t have a lot of practice time during the week and you think that teaching zone will be more efficient.
Are you a bad coach if your team is not a good man defensive team?
Are you a bad coach if you play zone?
How much time should be spent trying to figure out which defense must be taught?
For these and I am certain other thoughts/questions and/or comments that have come up for you – STOP!
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We are going to change your narrative and this age old question will come to die in your program or on your team.
What I want to encourage for your team is the following focus within your defensive teaching:
- communication,
- vision,
- guarding the ball,
- what to do when the ball is passed,
- what to do when the ball is shot, and effort.
When you TEACH these 6 elements, it does not matter the strategy of defense that follows, your team will be good at defense, and your players will be learning how to play defense.
I say – putting “zone” or “man” first fits the adage – putting the cart before the horse.
Make those six elements your teaching points at every practice, and you will create a thoroughbred that can pull any type of defense.
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We are going to change your narrative and this age old question will come to die in your program or on your team.
What I want to encourage for your team is the following focus within your defensive teaching:
- communication,
- vision, guarding the ball,
- what to do when the ball is passed,
- what to do when the ball is shot, and effort.
When you TEACH these six elements, it does not matter the strategy of defense that follows, your team will be good at defense, and your players will be learning how to play defense.
I say – putting “zone” or “man” first fits the adage – putting the cart before the horse.
Make those six elements your teaching points at every practice, and you will create a thoroughbred that can pull any type of defense.
6 Secrets To Dominate On Defense
- COMMUNICATION: One can never over communicate when playing basketball. Teaching a player to yell: “I have ball!” “Screen coming!” “I am guarding 15!” “Help!” “Gap!” “Shot!” – will drastically make your defense more effective. If you can emphasize and demand at a young age that your players communicate at practice and in games, you will drastically improve your players and you will be teaching a skill that will support any coach that player has along the way. Communication is not predicated on one or another “defenses”…yet it is a foundation for a successful defender.
- VISION: Teaching players to have vision and see the ball and the player they are guarding, to see who has run ahead in transition, to see when the ball is getting driven, to see and know mismatches and when a ball is shot will make a huge difference in a players improvement. VISION is not taught more or less due to whether you are teaching man or zone…VISION is a cornerstone of basketball success.
Learn more about The importance of Vision in Basketball and ways to improve visual skills.
- GUARDING THE BALL: Without getting too technical, the bottom line is – KEEP THE BALL IN FRONT OF YOU. A player needs to be taught the significance of ball containment. A player needs to be taught that if he or she gets beat off the dribble, all other players need to rotate, and this will make defensive rebounding more difficult. Contain the ball and control the boards. Continually emphasize that guarding the ball is one of the most important aspects of defense – defense, not man defense or zone defense.
- WHAT TO DO WHEN THE BALL IS PASSED: Teach this: every time the ball is passed, all five players move in the direction of the pass – when a pass is made, EVERY PLAYER ON YOUR TEAM WILL BE MOVING. Remember the VISION piece that you are emphasizing? As they move towards the ball, they work to maintain vision on the player they are guarding AND the ball. (for the sake of teaching vision, not man or zone) Another teaching point within this is A PLAYER WORKS TO KEEP THEMSELVES BETWEEN THE BALL AND THE PLAYER THEY ARE GUARDING. This is called the principle of ball – you – man.
- WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE BALL IS SHOT: Invariably at all levels, human nature will have a player looking to the ceiling, watching the flight of the ball, once the ball is shot. I am challenging you to teach your players when the ball is shot LOOK FIRST TO THE PLAYER YOU ARE GUARDING – VISION then will tell you if they are attempting to rebound or standing. I have specifically written WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE BALL IS SHOT instead of Rebounding. Before you start teaching “boxing out,” I encourage you to teach the skill of finding the player first. If a player has the habit of “ball watching” on a shot, all the box-out drills in the world will not make him a good rebounder. Rebounding begins with finding bodies, not looking at the ball.
- EFFORT: The skill set of a good defensive player is different from the skill set of a good offensive player. One skill that is a necessity on defense is the willingness to expend effort. A relentless effort will enhance communication, vision, guarding the ball, and defending when the ball is passed and when the ball is shot. A low effort will drastically minimize those five characteristics. The best way to teach effort is to emphasize it and reward it. Any drill that you run is also an effort drill. In addition, the more effort you can provide as the coach will go a long way to transferring it to your team. Coach with passion and enthusiasm; it is contagious.
So I give you permission to not worry so much about man or zone and rather put your emphasis on teaching skills that are necessary for good, sound defense. One statement that I think sums this up is, “every good man defense has a zone element to it, and every good zone defense has a man element to it.”
Trust that defense is about talking, vision, effort, and a next play mentality. Teach these six elements to the best of your current ability, and you will have a strong defensive team.
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