50 Press

2-1-2 Match up
adjustments
Box Adjustment
Diamond Adjustment
We must force the action!
Why Press?
1. Aggressive mind set
2. Speed up tempo
3. Create offense
4. More and easier shots
5. Keep other team out of
offensive sets
6. Combat good big men
7. Create depth

50 Playbook

We have one coach responsible for matchups.

Opposing players are catagorized as:
1. Slashers
2. Scorers
3.Shooters
4. Plumbers
Ball Handlers
Non Ball Handlers ( may only double ball handlers)

50 Push - normal
50 Match
50 Box adjust
50 Box Smoke = only the front 2 are trappers
must have controller, taker, gapper, reader, teaser
50 cross - rotate to 1-3-1- 3/4 court
50 Drift - back up press and trap only corners
55 - Trap first pass, after 1st trap just trap ball handlers not
non ball handlers
50 Flip Phase Change - 4 across adjustmants x3 matches up
sideline and plays up position from there
50 Flop Phase Change - 4 across adjustmants x4 matches up
sideline and plays up position from there

50 Box Smoke
1
2
Mid = run and jump

3
4

5
1
2
Side = Cut and
chase trap

4
5

3
4

50 flip Phase
2

3
4

2
5
1

Key Terms
Box Theory - Coach Huggins
Help side Box
Ball side box - once the ball is there dont let it out
On the line up the line - draw a direct line from the
ball to your man and position yourself on that line.
Sprint to the ball
*****The defense begins when the ball is forced to
go into attack dribble
"Terrible 3's" = 3 on the ball or 3 behind the ball
"Bad Beat" = when offensive player blows by
defender
"Hugger" = too close to your man
"Sniffer" = behind ball handler
"punch it out" = once the ball is dribbled beyond
you you must try to punch it out.
- The more pressure on the ball the more the back
players can cheat up.

Box Theory

Ball
Box

Help
Box

1/4 Theory
outside
1/4

If the ball is in outside 1/4

all players are on that half
of floor

inside
1/4

inside
1/4

outside
1/4
if the ball is in an inside 1/4
all players are on the inside
1/4s

Responsibility by positions - Everybody guards 2

people except controller
Tight wing,X1, =Controller - good on ball defender plays the left side-good
Don't let O1 see the floor, force the dribble, force
turns in the backcourt. 1=good, 2= great
Wide wing ,X2 = Gapper- usually off guard- needs
to be athletic enough to make rotations, no gaps
for dribbler. May turn inti trapper
Mid,X3 , Taker- small forward-good active
defender- has the most space to defend, t
Tight Big,X4 -Reader- whoever is more athletic of
the two
Wide Big, X5 -Teaser-Great communicator-be able
to read offensive movementResponsibility by
positions. Never want to square your shoulders to
the ball. the more pressure the more you cheat.

50 Front
put pressure on the ball
- direct the ball into one of the boxes
- once the ball is there, keep it there
-pressure the ball - force the action
-

50 backline
- Keep the ball out of the middle
When in doubt protect inside out
- deny any passes that would allow the ball to
change boxes
- if the ball is caught in the mid 1/3 we must stop it
and attack with back flow
X3 - Middle man
- stop penetration to the middle
- if the ball is thrown to the middle he must
stop it and force back out to a box
X4 - stays on the line to discourage passes
would rather trap the dribble than the pass
X5 - Basket protector

Front two defenders

- put pressure on the basketball
- direct the ball into one of the 2 boxes
-once there keep it there
- on ball extreme pressure, off ball deny any pass
out of the box
- if on ball is beaten - off ball must stop ball

Back line players

- Keep the ball out of the middle of the floor
- deny any pass that would cause us to
change boxes
(diagonal or skip)
- if ball is caught in the middle we we must
stop it and attack with back flow
-keep the ball moving deeper into the box
which shortens our rotations
x3 - middle defender
- discourage dribble penetration to the middle
- if ball is thrown to middle of court he must
stop it and force the ball back to a box
x4 - stays on line to discourage passes
we would rather trap the dribble than the pass
x5 - He is the anchor - basket protector

Rotation Notes
- we can vary the pick up the points
- the offense can determine our alignment
- we want to control where the ball goes and our pressure
- we want to break down spacing
- we encourage non players to make plays
- we trap decision makers and get it out of their hands
- we do not trap non decision makers we just pressure them and
force them to play faster
Trapping Notes
- Stay down in stance and still have hands and arms raised
- Trap foot to foot locking legs
Effective trapping
- two defenders attack the ball handler, while the remaining three
immediately move into zone coverage
- It is the responsibility of the second defender to the trap to lock
legs
- the second man coming into the trap uses the last two steps to
control his speed and slide into the trap
- players in the trap should have elbows behind their ears ( over
teach)
-The only pass that should come out of the trap are bounce or lob
passes
Anticipating the pass out of the trap
- read shoulders
Interceptor note
-When in doubt cover from the inside out, shortening the box will
not beat you

Run and jump strategies

- vs guards we can out quick
- attempting to get the ball out of the hands of a great player
- identify where,when , and how you want to pressure
Keys to press
1. scout opposition & prep vs press break
2. personnel
3. encourage non players to plays
4. put non decision makers to make decisions
5. match up to their initial alignment and then follow your plan
6. fundamental trapping techniques must be used to make most of
our opportunities
7. do not let offense split traps
8. do not foul in trap
9. as ball leaves both defenders must sprint out
10. we do not give up easy baskets, pressing can be effective just
by fatiguing the other team
11. 2 trappers, 2 interceptors, goal tender everytime
12. Keep constant pressure
13. adjust

Alignments

2
3

4
5

Alignments vs 1 Up
O
O

Denial vs
1 up

1
2

4O
O
O

Alignments vs 2 Up
O
Strong

3
4O

2 up = force to the
corner
weak side notes
1.must on line and
phase with your man
on weakside.
2.be ready to take the
inbounder on pass to
strong side corner
3. weak side becomes
strong when inbounder
runs to his side

Weak

2
O

Alignments vs 4 Up
O

O 1 O

O
2

3
4
5

Alignments vs 3 up
O

O
2

O
3

4
5
O

Alignments vs 1-3-1 3/4 court

O
1

O 4

3
O

2O

5
O

Alignments vs 2-2-1 3/4 court

O 1

O
2

O
5
O

Rotation out of 50 Press -1st Trap

O 1
2

3O
4
O

5
O

Rotation out of 50 - 2nd Trap

1
4

2O

3
O

5
O

"Vertical Trap" Concept

x4 play cat and mouse
aware that trap is
coming.
Opposite vertical trap
get to your quarter.
x2 "see it and fix it"

1
2

4
O
3

5
O

Rotation out of 50 - 3rd Trap

O
1

4
O
3

Rotations with a "Gone" call

O
O

1
3
O

4
O

5
O

Rotations vs 1-3-1 set

O
1
O 4

3O

5
O

Rotations vs 1-3-1 set

O 4
3

1
2 O

Rotations vs 2-2-1 set

O
1

2
3

O
5
O

Breakdowns
2
1. On line up line -1 on 1
Progession
a. stationary
b. player movement
c. coach movement
d. coach and player movement

1
2. On line up line -Team
Progression
a. stationary
b. player movement
c. coach movement
d. coach and player movement

5
4

Breakdowns
3. Sprint to help
-sprint to on line up line position
with at least one foot in ball box
Progression
a. 1 on 1
b. 2 on 2
c. Team

5
4

1
C

Breakdowns
4. Jump drills
Progession
a. stationary 3 on 3
b. Middle man movement
c. coach movement
d. coach and player movement

3
2
C

5. Alley drills
Progression
a. defend the alley player 1
sprint back to closeout
b. defend the alley player 2
sprint back to closeout
c. defend the alley player 3
sprint back to closeout

2
41

Breakdowns
6. Trapping drills
Progession
a. anticipate
b. 3 step rule
c. How to trap
d.Trap live and dead
e.Rotate out

7. Rotations -"when in doubt

protect inside out"
Sprint out of the trap to next
assignment

Breakdowns
5
8. Team drills
If the ball crosses midline in front
court check to m/m
Progession

a. 1 rotation

b. 2 rotations -Basket protector

is "slow to go"
c. 3 rotations
2 trappers
2 interceptors
1 Goaltender

5
4
3
2

Breakdowns

c. 3 rotations continued

2 trappers
2 interceptors
1 Goaltender

3
1

d. 4 rotations

2 trappers
2 interceptors
1 Goaltender

4
2

3
1

Breakdowns

special notes with corner traps

backside wings fill ballside block
1st then backside.

4
3
1

Gray area catch

wing accounts for a.ballside block
b. Rim
c. Backside

2
1

Breakdowns

1. What if Drill #1

If the trap is split we will trail

and tap away. Closest middle man
must stop ball.

2. What if Drill #2
3 on 2 = whoever takes the wing
pass will take the reverse pass.

4
3

5
2 on 1 = We teach foot fakes to
force a pull up.

Breakdowns
X
0

3. What if Drill #3
Trapping a live ball - soft trap this
hips down and contain the ball

Breakdowns
1. What if Drill #4

5
3
4

Skip wing to wing

*** sprint out of traps

2. What if Drill #5
Skip wing to corner
*** sprint out of traps

2
3