Jeff Bzdelik: Winning with the Match-Up Zone

Help your team compete with bigger, more talented teams! Jeff Bzdelik builds his match-up zone from the ground up including everything from proper defensive stance to defensive rebounding technique.

Coach Bzdelik utilizes basic man-to-man principles and responsibilities to shape his stifling match-up zone defense.

Beginning with proper stance, Bzdelik reveals a number of techniques you can use to neutralize quicker opponents. Bzdelik demonstrates a cushion technique to improve positioning, a "catch the move" technique to stop dribble penetration, he describes how banana cuts can contain quick ball handlers and his red technique for fronting the low post.

Bzdelik explains the four general rules of his match-up zone involving guarding the ball, contesting shots, contesting passes, and utilizing the talking, touching and switching technique on ball screens. He shows you how to use the match-up zone to defend the corner cut, shuffle cut and the pick and roll, as he has players defend three of the games most popular set plays. Bzdelik also includes his preferred method of defending a great post player with his aggressive trap defense.

In addition, Bzdelik describes three key principles for eliminating easy baskets in defensive transition. And includes "effort grading" as a way to breakdown every defensive possession and increase player accountability.

Give your team the tools it needs to take on any opponent this season using the match-up zone defense!

76 minutes. 2009.

Produced at the Fall 2009 Cleveland, OH clinic