2 Functional Defensive Drills To Improve Your Full-Court Press

By adam.warner - Last updated: Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Earlier this month, Coach Don Showalter helped us highlight key roles and strategies for the 1-2-2 Full-Court Press. Now check out these complementary drills that will improve your team’s first step and give your players an instant edge when implementing full-court trapping systems.

Big Step Press Drill

Overview: The emphasis here is that the first step is where you get beat or where you beat your opponent. Use this drill to improve your first step and consistently halt the opposition in its tracks.

When in a defensive position, get those hands above the waist and take one foot and make a big step before pushing with the other. So it’s a step and push. Your outside foot must point in the direction that the opposing player is going. Then push with the other. This should be a BIG step.

Drill Set-up: Start off by setting up all players down the length of the sideline. Have each player put their right foot on the sideline while facing the baseline.

Drill Action: Your coach will first say “Defense.” Players should slap the floor and reply, “Ready, ready, ready.” When the coach says “Big Step”, the players must take one BIG step.

Tips: Coaches must closely watch the foot movements of players. For instance, some players don’t move the correct foot first. Place the emphasis on moving the foot in the direction you are going first. Otherwise, you aren’t going to take anything away from the opponent. It truly limits you as a defender.

Also, mix things up a bit by shouting “Sprint.” After players make their big step, they should sprint to the opposite sideline.

Full Court Slide and Sprint

One at a time, players should start just off the low block. Each player will begin with a defensive slide on an angle. Once they get to the sideline, players must drop step and then slide towards half court. Your head and shoulders must keep straight.

When players get to the lane line, they should turn and sprint to the volleyball line. When players get to half court, they will slide to the opposite volleyball line. From here, they will drop step and open up and slide toward the top of the key. Finally, players will sprint to the far sideline (on an angle) before sliding back to the baseline.

The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “Don Showalter: Full-Court Trapping Defensive System.” To check out more videos in our basketball library focusing on pressure systems and defensive strategies, click here.

Filed in Basketball Newsletter • Tags: BasketballCoach Newsletter, Defensive Drills, Don Showalter, Full-Court Press, Issue #43, Press, Trapping

Tips and Strategies for Implementing the 1-3-1 Trapping Defense

By adam.warner - Last updated: Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The 1-3-1 Trapping Defense has been an effective scheme for Bob Huggins and his programs for decades. In this week’s team development feature, Coach Huggins will break down some of the key concepts, movements, assignments, and overall coverage for the 1-3-1 Defense. This turnover-inducing defensive scheme — which divides the court in half — relies heavily on ball pressure and trapping. Be sure to follow along and see which concepts you can take away and then implement with your own squad this season.

Slide Defense Overview

For the wing players in the 1-3-1, it’s key that they don’t let the offense get the ball into the middle of the floor. The goal here is to keep the ball on one side of the floor. For the wing defender, you must close on the outside shoulder of the nearest offensive player to prevent movement. Get up in their face so they can’t skip the ball. Get your hands up and try to get the opponent to drive into our help defense.

Be cautious of closing too far on the outside of your opponent. Don’t give up the straight line drive. With our help in place, it will funnel the offensive player to the baseline/wing and not straight at the basket. Remember, we are keeping them on one side of the floor and forcing low percentage looks.

If the ball goes into the near corner, the wing defender now must guard the high side and then turn and defend the inside. The wing player must also defend the first pass wherever it goes on his/her side of the floor.

Sprint to Help Defense

A major goal with this defense is to shrink all gaps. We want it to seem for the offense that there is nowhere for them to go. So, how exactly do we do that? First, we must always have ball pressure. We must make the passing lanes longer so the ball stays in the air.

Next, we are always line to the ball. The ball can go over, under, or around me, but it can’t go through me. Meanwhile, hands are always high and active and we also want to discourage direct passes.

Finally, don’t go over the top of the post. Always go in the direction of the ball.

***Stay tuned for more features incorporating key concepts and drills with the 1-3-1 Trapping Defense in the coming weeks.

The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “Bob Huggins: Full Court 1-3-1 Trapping Defense.” To check out more defensive drills and systems, click here.