Trapping 1-2-2 Full Court Press: Breakdown, Installation Plan + Drills

with Nick Pasqua,
Coker University (SC) Head Coach;
Converse University Head Men's Basketball Coach from 2022 to 2025;
Wesleyan University Head Coach from 2018 to 2022;
Compiled a 49-26 record over 4 seasons;
Guided the Warriors to a 20-win season in 2020;
won the school's first ever Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship (2020);
Tusculum Head Coach from 2016 to 2017;
set a school record for most three-pointers made and attempted in a season (2017);
Played collegiately at King University

Nick Pasqua has earned the reputation as a rising star in collegiate basketball coaching circles because of his ability to turn a basketball program around quickly. One of the reasons for Pasqua’s success as a head college coach is his team’s effective use of the 1-2-2 Full-Court Press.

In this video, viewers are treated to a thorough breakdown of Pasqua’s 1-2-2 Full-Court Press – both in a teaching-friendly Xs and Os session, where he goes over the ins and outs of the press and also a live, on-the-court tutorial where you get to see live-action version showing the press details, player movements, rules and drills.  

1-2-2 Full-Court Press: Overview & Player Responsibilities

Pasqua begins with an Xs and Os session where he outlines the primary functions and concepts within his 1-2-2 Full-Court Press. The coach stresses the importance of having players understand multiple player positions on the press and how that knowledge provides in-game flexibility as a coach to apply different tactics for a variety of situations. 

Viewers are given detailed, but easy to understand explanations for the roles and responsibilities of each position in Pasqua’s 1-2-2 Full-Court Press, including: why the front three players of the press are interchangeable, how the inside-out technique of influencing players to the sideline and out is highly effective and that his technique of ‘stunting low and retreating high’ keeps the ball handlers toward the side of the court. Pasqua then provides excellent coaching points for how players can read situations and areas of the court to determine when to trap. Pickup points are also outlined in this session, as well as each player’s responsibility in the 1-2-2 and easy to follow rotations are diagrammed on whiteboard.

1-2-2 Full-Court Press: Live & On The Court

Pasqua treats viewers to seeing his team in action as they practice the press. This is a great learning opportunity to observe him teaching the press to his own team. 

The drills are broken down by groups, as Pasqua coaches the front three defenders to work on rotations, traps, stunting and inside-out technique – all while going against common press break alignments, which is a fantastic learning device, as you get to see real scenarios that coaches will face yourself throughout a season. Moving to the backline defenders, Pasqua reps rotating and protecting the basket against the back of a press break with an emphasis on rules, roles and responsibilities of each backline defender in different situations.

Putting everything together, Pasqua conducts a live 5-on-5 controlled scrimmage, which provides an opportunity to watch the 1-2-2 Full-Court Press in a game-like situation with all five players reacting and playing together. 

If you are looking for a dynamic full-court press, this must-watch video contains everything you’ll need to implement and have success with a 1-2-2 Full-Court Press!

41 minutes. 2022.