Attack zone defense
Who doesn’t remember the reactions of nuestr@s young players to have to put in to practice for the first time the attack zone in a game? Fear, helplessness, inaction, passivity, and in the end, frustration. In the cases of the players that are veterans, or have good habits and do not assume any problem, or have the same problems that the young people.
These sensations are the same as that experienced by the first players who saw an area when they appeared, back in the year 1910/1914 – something that we discussed in the article Zone defense (Defense of spaces or defence space).
It is almost impossible not to see an area in a large basket during the course of a season. It is normal that it is something usual from cadet and junior. However, it also appears some in children’s category. And we can play what is that if not banned in the Regulation of the Regional Federations, any coach without awareness training would be without batting an eye in minibasket.
In this article we will discuss the basic principles of an attack against the zone defense (later we will devote articles to the various attacks against the different types of area 2-3; 3-2; 2-1-2; 1-3-1; 1-2-2; 1-1-3).
Definition
The attack against the zone defense is an offensive system in which players are in charge of attacking the spaces, by occupation, displacement and exploitation of the same. (Cedric Arregui)
How to attack zone defense
Without a doubt, the best way to attack the zone is to prevent the mount. If our team is accustomed to running the counter, the opponent team will only have a chance of planting the zone defense in situations in which there is no possibility of running (out-of-bound and/or baseline, after some time dead or in the moment of playing some kind of special situation).In the event that the counter-attack is not a strong point of our team, we will be forced to face each possession to the defense zone of the opponent team.
The attack against the zone defense should pose no problems to solve for the defenders. The occupation of spaces and their use takes greater importance in an attack against individual advocacy. The first thing to clarify is the initial layout of the attackers.
Basic concepts in the attack zone
To attack a zone defense it is necessary to know the following concepts, tactics and techniques.
- Counterattack: The best way to clean it is not dirty. The best way to attack a zone is to get resolved before that mount.
- Theory even-odd: initial layout and occupation of spaces (spacing).
- Fix advocate(s): vital concept from the 1×1 most basic. Will help to know whether the defender of the zone defends the player with (and without) the ball.
- Strike at the heart of the area:
- Whether through passes to receivers.
- Either with insights into the gaps ‘natural’ (spaces shared by the defenders). This option is more feasible after an investment of a ball.
- Note: you have to getting the ball inside in the first or second pass. In the video at the end of the article there is a clinic of Sergio Scariolo that explains it very well.
- Note: you have to getting the ball inside in the first or second pass. In the video at the end of the article there is a clinic of Sergio Scariolo that explains it very well.
- Open and close the zone (contract and dilate the area): If the defense is established it will be easier to defend. You have to get close (when we penetrations) and open (when amenazamos with shooting). The alternation of the two will make the space to fluctuate.
- Shot outside: the great tool deterrent against any zone defense. The defenses in the area to protect the space closest to the ring. Always tend to stay closer to the ring, allowing outside shots from the perimeter.
- Overload: based on the theory even-odd, are placed more attackers in a given area. In an area defended by an advocate are placed 2 attackers, in an area defended by 2 defenders are placed 3 attackers. The idea is to always have a numerical superiority.
- Investment: When you have previously performed an overload, the fact of passing the ball to the other side of the pitch (with a skip-pass), makes the entirety of human rights defenders as well as the entire defence. In that shift global, not all of the defenders arrives to defend the spaces vulnerable to situations of tyre and insights.
- Penetrate and divide: Very difficult at the start, but more likely when the ball is newly invested and the zone defense is still toggling, and recolocándose.
- Feints: Starting with the most basic thing you can do as a player with the ball (Triple Threat: Pass, Dribbling and Shot), we use the feints for another way. If in a 1×1 the most used are the output and shot in an attack on area work best are the pass and the shot (the latter especially if the shooter has enough category specialist for the defender to leave to pick your shot exterior).
Minimum requirements to be met by a team to be able to make a good attack area
In this section we will discuss what the minimum requirements you need a computer to be able to attack a defense zone.
- Not a minimum, but to dominate many of the different technical foundations, individual (Technical):
- Of the three fundamentals of the Triple Threat, the Pass is without a doubt the foundation to master since it charges a greater role to be a requirement protagonist by the high demand of the movement of the ball. The Dribbling is probably the basis that less help because that slows down the movement of the ball, and it also exposes the ball to theft unnecessary to have so many defenders together sharing spaces. Finally, the Shot (especially the 3 points range) discourages any approach to put a zone defense.
- Dominate situations of numerical superiority in tight spaces.
- Master the concept of passing and cutting.
- Load the rebound offensive.
- Have a good shot.
- Optimal occupancy of spaces (spacing)
- Don’t be intimidated by the mere presence of 5 defenders planted waiting around to his basket. All areas are vulnerable. Cut and there is that penetrate with the ball. There are to dare to make progress, without fear of the contacts.
- Put the ball in on the first or second pass (either tall post or low post). Too many teams use more time than necessary doing circulate the ball out without generating any advantage by becoming a waste of time which you can then translate into shots precipitates and not released.
How to attack different types of area
We can differences all of them to be even and odd. Most of the attacks against defenses in the area are classified on the basis of the formation of the zones to attack. In the diagrams below we show the spaces to attack because they are the ones that cause more doubt to the defenders.
Space to attack in areas peers
Attack zone 2-3
Attack zone 2-1-2
Space to attack in areas odd
Attack on area 3-2
Attack on area 1-2-2
Attack on area 1-3-1
Most common mistakes of the attack on area
Below, we mention the mistakes the most common Attack against zone:
- Cancellation of the game free (for concepts): own at first categories (child). The attacking team is in ‘shock’ and stops playing.
- Void occupation of spaces and zero displacements: The attackers do not occupy the spaces and remain static.
- Null circulation of the ball: it is in the space between the midfield and the extension of free kick. Do not even reach corners and hard to reach tall post or low post.
- Null initiative on how to penetrate and divide or pass and cut: Primarily the result of the discomfort due to the lack of spaces for those who receive a pass or to the lack of space for you to move forward with the ball.
- Bounce just loaded: most of the times, the result that the attackers have been left out of the line of 3 points. That also has to be added to the large players with allergy to the paint.
The Regulation regarding the attack on area
The aspect to learn and master as soon as an area is to the rule of 3 seconds in the restricted area. Both players, coaches and above all arbitrators.
If our players are newcomers, having achieved the feat of receiving a pass in the heart of the area or to have succeeded to penetrate there, you can stay more time because. The referees, and especially the category of initiation, which tend to arbitrate in solo, they have a thousand things that have to be outstanding and they have their range of priorities. In principle, does not have to be too outstanding of 3 seconds, and already, even having two, there tends to be quite lax in how much the length.
More than once I have seen as an arbitrator pitaba area to an attacking team in situations in which it was conceptually impossible to violate the rule of 3 seconds (article 26 of the Regulation FIBA):
- Tooting area when a player is leaving the restricted zone.
- Tooting area with a launch to the basket that was already done.
- Tooting area when there is no longer anyone. Some areas will beep to players that are already out. The Regulation clearly states that ‘it shall be permissible for a player to attempt to leave the restricted zone’.
- Tooting area prior to a throw-in or background to the attacking team is already on track, front (field offensive).
When teaching this aspect of the Regulation, it is important to remind our players that:
- The area features the same have or don’t have the ball: the fact of being in possession of the ball does not remove power to be punished.
- To leave the area, pull out the two feet of a restricted area, by either side or above the free Throw. In case you do it for the bottom line and return immediately (without stepping on previously outside of the area within the field) may also be punished.
- The lines that delimit the restricted area of the 3 seconds it is also part of the area.
The boring debate of always
One of the discussions more common that you hear or read the return of the weekend parties tend to be complaints of a coach who had to attack a zone.
Unfortunately, this question is rather old. When the defenses in the area began to be put into practice, have created a lot of division among players, coaches and the public. Attacking players sitting refusing to attack, coaches criticizing his use of public and dead of boredom that had just abucheando teams defending in the area.
There are many more coaches who do not know how to attack the zone defense. And how you don’t know just frustrated and have only words to criticize the use of this resource defensive.
The best way to solve a problem is to prevent it from occurring.
So the best way to attack a zone is coming fast to the counterattack and to avoid that they can mount the zone.In addition, as we saw before, many areas lack of activity and it can attack even without overload, playing with a simple 5 open.
Maybe instead of criticizing what others do coaches should focus more on our team. I will always remember a phrase that said Miguel Penedès at CES 2014: “we’re Always the best coaches in the team that do not train”.
Actually, let’s not waste even a moment to comment on what makes the other partner with your computer. Each of which is responsible for its working. It is much more beneficial and positive to dedicate these moments to make self-critical and think on how we can improve our team and to the players that we train.
What if we start to go a step further and we focus on what really matters?
Final considerations
Get over it, how much the Regulation , it was possible to defend in the area, they must prepare to deal with it. As a general rule, from big basket.Like to defend in the area of our players need to learn and master the fundamentals of defensive happens exactly the same with the basics offensive individual and collective.
To train the attack area will need to be able to defend in the area in order to understand its operation.The important thing is that our players see it, understand it, and check out how to attack a zone, seeing that he always tries to create advantage numeric in tight spaces.
If we are remaining with a team that is characterized by rapid counter-attacks and/or by good shooters, we barely care. Even so, we will always have to habituate to that our team knows how to attack a zone from a situation of equality of numbers (after contrataque or transition failed) or the absence of good shooters. Always there will be the possibility of finding an opponent that he can neutralise some of our strong points.
The Pass and the occupation of spaces will always be the key to attack a zone defense.It is therefore vital that you get used to reading the defensive reactions of the set of the zone Defense (Defense of spaces or defence space) to be able to occupy and pass quickly with the purpose of getting to generate a lead and keep it to finally get the shot released.
The opponent team has the freedom to choose how to defend. Our mission is to empower our team and our players have the ability to attack any Defense. Then don’t use the more hackneyed excuse of losing the game because the opposing team was 40 minutes in the area. There are that know to attack any type of zone defense.
Finally, we leave a brilliant clinic organized by the Federación Melillense of Basketball in which Sergio Scariolo (coach of the Spanish team absolute male) explains brilliantly how to attack a zone defense:
Cedric Arregui Guivarch
Entrenador Nacional de Baloncesto (CES 2014)
Bibliography and webgrafía
- ‘Mastering the zone’ by Don Casey and Ralph Pim (Editions Guardian)
- ‘The day we launched the rule of the 24 seconds’(Blog ‘Moments of the Basket’)
http://momentosdelbasket.blogspot.com/2011/10/el-dia-que-se-instauro-la-regla-de-los.html - https://elpais.com/diario/2001/04/16/deportes/987372024_850215.html