PLAYING DEFENSE Individual defensive skills are sometimes less appreciated than individual offensive techniques, but they are just as important. Your players need to learn the basics of player-to-player defense, both on the ball and off the ball, to compete successfully. On the Ball Defenders can best keep their opponents (the players with the ball) from scoring by staying between the opponents and the basket. Defenders should try to maintain an arm's distance from the offensive player with the ball. Tell your players to consider these things about their bodies and court positions when guarding a player with the ball: Body position Am I in ready position and alert? Am I arm's distance from my player (the ballhandler) and able to put pressure on his ability to shoot, pass, or drive? Court position Is my player close enough to attempt a good shot? Am I close enough to the player to prevent an easy shot? Am I too close, so the opponent can drive around me? Will a teammate be able to help me if the player beats me with the dribble? Have your players focus on the opponent's midsection (see figure 8.51a). If defenders watch the ball or their opponent's head or feet, the defenders are likely to react to a fake that will put them out of position. As the offensive player begins to dribble, the defender should react by sliding the feet and maintaining an arm's distance from the opponent, trying to beat the offensive player to the spot that the player wants to reach (see figure 8.51b). If the defender can get the offensive player to stop and pick up the ball, the defender can then move closer and crowd the offensive player by blocking the passing lanes, applying extensive pressure with the arms (see figure 8.51c). More advanced defenders can focus on four defensive strategies when playing defense on the ball: 1. Turning the dribbler. Defenders who establish position a half body ahead of the dribbler can force the dribbler to turn or reverse direction. 2. Forcing the dribbler to the sideline. When a defensive player forces the dribbler to dribble toward the sideline, the dribbler can pass in only one direction. A defender can do this by working for position a half body to the inside of the court, with the inside foot (the one closer to the middle of the court) forward and the outside foot back. 3. Funneling the dribbler to the middle. By taking position a half body to the outside of the court, a defender can force a dribbler to the middle. This strategy will move the dribbler toward one of the defender's teammates off the ball. 4. Forcing the dribbler to use the weak hand. By overplaying the strong hand, defenders can force the dribbler to use the weak hand. Defenders can overplay the strong hand by being a half body to the dribbler's strong-hand side. ON THE BALL DEFENSE GAME PICKIN' POCKETS Goal To steal the ball or otherwise create turnovers. Description Play 3 v 4 or 2 v 3. The offense must complete four passes before shooting. The object is for the defense to use their defensive positioning to force a turnover or steal (see figure 8.52). The defense is on defense for two minutes; then switch offense and defense. Award two points to the defense for each turnover. As an option, you might also want to award a single point for any of these actions: Forcing a dribbler to a sideline Funneling a dribbler to the middle (assuming defensive teammates are in the middle to help out) Forcing a dribbler to use the weak hand To make the game easier: Play 3 v 5 or 2 v 4. To make the game more challenging: Play 3 v 3 or 4 v 4. Off the Ball Defending an opponent without the ball is just as important as guarding a player with the ball, but it is a bit more complicated. Whether an opponent is one pass or two passes away from the ball, defensive players need to apply the defensive concept of ball-player-self (see figure 8.53). Defenders should position themselves so that they can see the ball (and know if they need to come and help a teammate on a pass or drive), and they must keep track of a moving opponent (their player), who may be trying to get open to receive a pass. The closer an opponent is to the ball, the closer the defender should be to that opponent. The farther the ball is from an opponent, the farther away a defender can play that opponent and be able to give help to the teammate guarding the ball. Error Detection and Correction for Guarding Off the Ball ERROR Defenders off the ball lose track of their offensive player. CORRECTION Position players to see the ball and their player without turning their head. They should establish and maintain the ballplayer-self relationship. Have the player point at the ball with one hand and at his player with the other. The player must adjust position as the offensive player or ball changes position. A player two or more passes away needs to be alert to help out on a drive or deflect a long pass attempt to his opponent in the corner (see figure 8.54). Denial Position. A player should use the denial position when her opponent is one pass away from the ball. The space between two offensive players where a pass can be made is called the passing lane. A defender wants to have an arm and leg in the passing lane when guarding a player who is one pass away (see figure 8.55). This denial position allows the defender to establish the ball-player-self relationship and discourages the offensive player with the ball from attempting a pass. Open Position. When offensive players are two or more passes away from the ball, the defensive player wants to establish an open position that still maintains the ball-player-self relationship. In the open position the defender is farther away from the offensive player, pointing to the ball with one hand and the opponent with the other hand (see figure 8.56). Using peripheral vision, the defender moves to react as the ball penetrates toward the basket (to help out on the drive) or into denial position if the offensive player cuts hard to receive a pass. In both the denial and open positions, the key is remembering always to maintain the ball-player-self relationship.