Basketball Defense

Speed to defend, or perhaps i mean, speed in getting back quickly to defend is a vital component in winning basketball games. Most important is being quick after your attack has finished and your team has failed to score. Maybe it was an interception, an unsuccessful rebound or just dropping the ball your team should be fully trained in turning their minds around from attack to defense like robots. They should retreat immediately.

From a shooting position when the shot is taken you may have as many as four players lined up for the rebound. Should your team fail to collect the rebound then the opposition will be aiming to get down the court to score as speedily as they can. You are defending immediately you lose the ball.

The non-rebound player is the first to get into a good defensive position. He has to be certain that the most forward attacker is tightly guarded and not positioned to receive a long ball from his defense. The closest player to the ball needs to tie up the player with the ball and delay him making a fast pass. Harrass him. If he dribbles, harrass him. Should he pass, get back and begin defending in a new position. The other three team members should be running back to their own goal area and positioning themselves to stop the attack early.

Returning to defense should be practised until it is automatic in your team.it is not easy to coach but one good drill which hammers home the principle is to play imaginary basketball, without the ball. Yes i did say without a ball.

Put your players into two teams and and make them play a game, with no ball. They pass and dribble and play exactly the same way, except without a ball. The coach directs the play. If a player passes the ball you either stay quiet and let them play on, or you blow the whistle and call missed shot, and call out the players name who now has the ball.

If someone has a shot you indicate whether it is a score or a miss. If you call a miss then indicate who has possession. What you want to do remember is see plenty of turnovers. When a team loses the ball you want them retreat fast. You want to see the nearest to the ball hounds the player with the ball.

The coach calls the decisions. If a side is fast and performs the right moves, positioning themselves and harrassing the man with the ball then reward them by not allowing the other team to score. If they fail to defend speedily then allow the opposition 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 possession being a constant theme of the drill. Have the teams run up and down and get the players tired. They will find some of it rather funny for a while. They will naturally learn quickly.

Remember defense is a vital part of basketball. Everyone should defend and everyone has to play a defensive role. Whilst defending is not the time to be taking a breather. It is the time when you need to be the most focused and at your most aware. Stopping a basket is as crucial to the team as scoring points. If you or your team need a little respite from the action, rest when you have the ball, not when your opponents are.

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