Creating a Dominant 2-3 Zone Defense

with Alan Marshall,
Former Cascade (IA) High School Head Coach;
2016 Iowa Class 2A State Runner-up;
3rd on the Iowa all-time wins list (738 victories),
3x State of Iowa Coach of the Year;
led the entire state in defensive scoring average in 7 of the last 11 years (2006-16)

Al Marshall's knowledge, understanding, and time spent using and coaching the 2-3 zone may be unmatched.

Regularly outgunned by league opponents, Marshall started to experiment with a 2-3 zone defense when he knew man-to-man defense wouldn't work against more athletic players. His teams fully converted to the zone full time when he experienced the benefits of zone defense.

Using both whiteboard lectures and on-court demonstration, Marshall introduces the fundamental movements of the defense as well as many intricacies and drills that must be known to make this defense consistently dominant. While you've seen the 2-3 defense through the years, Coach Marshall makes it relevant again with the information in this video.

2-3 Zone Slides

Using a whole-part-whole teaching method, Coach Marshall presents the "slides" of the defense. These are the movements, positions, and responsibilities of the players within the 2-3 zone. For each of the slides, Marshall breaks down where and why the players do what he asks them to do, providing critical teaching points for helping them be successful in their role. He also talks about the areas that the defense aims to take away.

A few of the slides he covers or situations that are addressed are:

• Slides on a skip pass
• When the ball drops into the post
• Weak side flashes
• Passes into the short corner
• Double team options
• Forcing baseline
• and more!

Marshall also includes topics such as how to cover an offense trying to spread you out with a 4-out alignment, and, how to rebound when the shot is taken from different locations on the floor so you're not conceding any second chance points to your opponent. You'll see how you can adapt your 2-3 zone for out of bounds situations based on the alignment the offense uses in their plays.

Breakdown Drills for the 2-3 Zone Defense

Coach Marshall helps you implement the 2-3 with more than 10 practice drills that will develop the technique and instincts needed by your team to be effective defenders in the zone.

The Eight vs. Five Drill encompasses many necessary concepts from the 2-3 zone defense. In this drill, the offense has eight players positioned around the court. Each player stays in their area as the ball moves from player to player. The players are encouraged to score from their spots if the defense doesn't get there. The defensive players must move while the ball is in the air in order to defend all the necessary spots. This drill does a great job of getting the players to find the right spots over and over. If their slides are done correctly, the offense shouldn't be able to get a shot off.

Other drills include:

• Mass Fundamentals Drill - Works on stance and movement, plus builds strength in the muscles that are necessary to play defense for the entire game.
• The Deflection Drill - Teaches players to disrupt passes and fly around the court for interceptions.
• The Guard Overload Drill - Helps your top defenders to begin anticipating the next pass to take away opportunities for shooters waiting on the ball.
• The High Post to Short Corner Drill - Trains your center and forwards to react with the proper slides when the ball gets into critical areas.

If you want a way to neutralize the threat of dribble penetration and limit your fouls while forcing opponents into jump shots, then this video from Coach Marshall is for you!

112 minutes. 2018.