Hybrid Pack Line Defense Principles + Build-up & Breakdown Drills

with Robert Jones,
Norfolk State University Head Coach;
2024 CollegeInsider.com (CIT) Postseason Tournament Champions;
2025 Norfolk State Athletics Hall of Fame inductee;
4x MEAC Regular Season Champions (2019, 2022, 2024, 2025);
3x MEAC Tournament Champions/NCAA Tournament Qualifiers (2021, 2022, 2025);
3x MEAC Coach of the Year (2019, 2022, 2024);
2022 Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award;
2019 Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award;
2021 Northern Division Co-Champs regular season;
.750 win percentage in MEAC (5th in the nation among coaches with at least 100 games coached);
played college basketball for SUNY New Paltz

Robert Jones provides us with a video featuring some of the most successful defensive concepts and has created a hybrid version from it - The Hybrid Pack Line Defense!

This is an aggressive defense that still allows you to play the gaps. Coach Jones explains certain situations when they will deny the ball, how they use heavy ball pressure, the 3 ways they can trap a ball screen, how they trap the post, and the impact of challenging every shot on the offense you are facing. This video provides concepts as well as build up/break down drills to allow any coach to successfully implement this defense.

BREAKDOWN Drills

• Ball Screen Trap – rotations during and after the trap
• Post Play – Weak Side coverages and who comes to double
• 3 Line Closeout Drill – working on the 3 different types of closeouts
• 6PT Drill – working on various defensive actions that could happen in a 1/2 court set

BUILD UP Drills

• 1-On-1 1/2 Court – Working up pick up points for ball pressure
• 2-On-2 Jump to the Ball – Positioning and gap coverage
• 2-On-2 Top to Wing Coverage – gap coverages for dribble penetration
• 3-Player Positioning Drill – Gap coverage as the ball moves around
• 3-Player Positioning Drill With Dribble – how to defend the shooter in the corner
• 4-On-3 Finishing With a Rebound – working on scrambles and splitting 
• 4-On-4 Weakside Stunt – working on recovery and stunting from the gaps
• 4-On-4 No Paint Touch – rotations and communication
• Pick & Roll Medley – 3 ways they defend it and the rotations and gap coverages required
• Monster the Post – working on the 2 different ways they defend the post
• Turkeys – Shell defense that can be a competitive game
• 14 Drop – Pick and Roll coverage with a weak defender

Coach Jones provides valuable key points and insights based on his experiences running this defense. Also, the build up and break down drills could easily be modified and used for any type of player-to-player defense played in the game today.

Coach Robert Jones has put forth a great defensive training video for any coach looking to take their team to the next level!

71 minutes. 2023.