In my last post, I highlighted one tactic of defense: man-to-man. Another option is zone defense where a team can set up in different formations in order to defend the hoop. It is important to have an understanding of the layout of a basketball court. Remember, there is the 3-point line arc, the paint (rectangular box under the hoop also called the key), and the foul line. A slideshow with pictures of the various forms of zone defense is provided to aid in the visual understand of each.
Just like in man defense, communication with teammates is the key to success. The more a team talks to each other, the easier it is to shift towards the ball and defend. Shifting is the second key to any zone defense. Because each player is covering a specific area, the team must move as a unit to prevent gaps allowing the opposing team to penetrate to the basket and score.
The first example of zone defense that teams learn is the 2-1-2,typically because of its simplicity. To set up this defense, four players at positioned around the paint with one player at each corner creating a box formation. The fifth defender is the placed in the paint in the center of the box. In other words, to players on the top corners, one player in the center, and two players in the lower corners – 2-1-2. This type of zone defense is usually taught to children just starting to play basketball, for example children in younger age groups. This formation gives young children a clear reference of where they are suppose to be.
The second formation is a 2-3 zone defense. Two players are positioned on the top corners of the paint defending the 3-point line, while the remaining three players are placed along the baseline defending the hoop. This is where communication becomes vital for successful defense. The two players at the top of the key have a lot of space to cover including to foul line and the left and right side of the 3-point arc. The best way for these two players to defend this area is to stagger themselves. Rather than standing in a straight line across or next to each other, one stands slightly above the other closer to the 3-point line. This way as the ball moves left and right, the two players can switch off who drops back a little to cover the exposed area while the other is defending the ball handler. The three players along the baseline are required to defend the corners of the court and anyone attempting to drive towards the basket. As the ball is shifting laterally from one side of the court to the other, so must the players in order to close the gaps created by shifting players.
Next is the 3-2 defense. This is just the opposite set up from the 2-3 defense where three players are lined up across the found line and two players are at the lower corners of the paint. It is the job of the three players at the top of the to cover the entire length of the 3-point arc, while the players in the lower corners must defend the baseline. Typically, this kind of defense leaves the middle of the paint vulnerable for the offense to take advantage of. Once again this is where shifting and team communication are important. There is also a defense formation, 1-2-2, which is very similar to the 3-2 defense. All the positioning is the same, except for the player in the middle at the top of the key. Rather than lining up along the foul line to cover the 3-pont arc, the player in the middle steps up past the 3-point line for high pressure defense. However, this does open up the paint to even more vulnerability, but when done correctly can be beneficial to the defense.
Next is the 1-3-1 zone defense. One player is positioned just past the 3-point line while three other players are line up along the foul line. Finally, the fifth player is positioned just underneath the center of the hoop. This formation creates some high pressure but exposes the corners outside and within the 3-point arc. The players along the foul line are to cover those open spaces near the lower corners of the paint or cover in the paint when teammates shift to defend the ball handler.
The last two types of zone defense also include a mixture of man-to-man defense as well. The last two are called box and one or diamond and one. These are set up just as they sound. In a box and one, four players are positioned around the corners of the key to form a box. The one player left out of the box set up is usually put on a specific player of the opposing team. The same goes for the diamond and one defense, the only difference is the players positioned in the shape of a diamond rather than a box. These two versions of zone defense are used against teams with one main shooter. If an opposing team has one player that puts up big numbers each game, the best defensive way to shut him/her down is to play man-to-man defense while using other teammates when necessary.
Between man-to-man defense and zone defense, there are many options for teams to find the best way to defend against any opponent. For a video for a better visualization of these defensive tactics head over to “How to Videos” or click here .
