PACK LINE DEFENSE

Our base defense in the half court is a Man to Man defense that is popularly referred to as the PACK LINE DEFENSE. It gained recognition when Dick Bennett installed and used it with his teams at the University of Wisconsin. It has been copied, adapted, and modified through the years by coaches at all levels.

The Husky PACK LINE is a proven winner for us. It meets all the standards we have for anything that we do within our program philosophy wise.

1. Can it put you position to BEAT the BEST teams on your schedule? 2. Can it win on the Road? 3. Do you improve as the season progresses? 4. Can you advance in post-season tournaments?

The key measurable stats that determine success in the Pack Line Defense are easy to find from any post game stat sheet and over the course of a season are statistics that are actually directly correlated to wins/losses and success in NCAA Tournament.

A) Field Goal Percentage Defense: This is the percentage of made FGs your opponents are able to achieve against your scheme. This stat is more reflective than points allowed per game. This stat directly supports your defenses ability to contest shots and force teams to take shots they dont want to take.

B) Rebounding Margin: Once your defense forces a contested missed shot it is imperative that you complete the STOP with a defensive rebound. Teams with a low field goal percentage defense and high rebounding margin consistently make the Sweet 16 and Elite 8.

C) Fouls per game: When executed properly this defense limits fouls per game therefore limiting BONUS situation opportunities for opponents. This defense is designed to reduce the number of lay-ups and free throws your opponent gets.

WASHINGTON BASKETBALL

PACK LINE DEFENSE

LANGUAGE

Our ability to communicate as a team comes down to the LANGUAGE that we use to teach/talk the defense in practice and game situations. Our language is specific and it is consistent. With such importance placed on the terminology that we use it is a must to clearly define each term into their simplest form and then consistently use them as we teach and play.

The first thing we define with our players are two areas of the court.

PACK LINE: An area one step inside of the painted three point arc. We will tape this area down in early practices to help us learn where this area is located Rule of Pack Line: if your player does not have the ball you have BOTH feed inside

POST: An area step out of the three second lane and one step up from the second FT spot. This area extends across the lane to the opposite side of the court and runs parallel with the backboard. Rule of the Post: NO two feet inside this area catches, push outside the post then chin on shoulder outside the post area.

(SEE DIAGRAM ON NEXT PAGE FOR VISUAL EXPLANTION)

WASHINGTON BASKETBALL

PACK LINE DEFENSE

POST

Two areas that are defined from Day 1: Pack Line: An area one step inside of the painted three point arc. We will tape this area down in early practices to help us learn where this area is located Rule of Pack Line: if your player does not have the ball you have BOTH feed inside

Post:

An area step out of the three second lane and one step up from the second FT spot. This area extends across the lane to the opposite side of the court and runs parallel with the backboard. Rule of the Post: NO two feet inside this area catches, push outside the post then chin on shoulder outside the post area.

These two areas are the basis of the PACK LINE defense. The marriage between our perimeter defense and our post defense are keyed by these two areas. As time progresses, these areas will not require being marked but until they are clearly defined the time and money spent to tape these areas will some of the best you spend.

WASHINGTON BASKETBALL

PACK LINE DEFENSE

DEFINE YOUR POSITION IN THE PACK LINE

Once again simplicity is the key here. In basketball, your player either has the ball or they dont. In the pack line, that basketball certainty defines your responsibility and your position. We will introduce the various positions and responsibilities as they would occur during the flow of a game and progress through an entire possession.

When your player has the ball on the perimeter (any area outside of our defined POST) 1) 2) 3) You were there on the catch You were there with high hands to take away quick shot or quick pass You were close enough to pressure without getting beat off the bounce A. We dont get beat to the OUTSIDE B. We dont get beat in a STRAIGHT LINE

OUTSIDE: This is our term to define toward the baseline when the ball is on the wing and also define the area toward the sideline when the ball is in the middle of the floor.

STRAIGHT LINE: Term describing an opponent drive that is in a straight line from the spot they received the pass to the rim. There is no effective defense to help in drive situations like this.

This situation is referred to as GUARD YOUR YARD. This gives our players the confidence to apply ball pressure and the individual accountability that we are only asking them to be really effective in containing the dribble three feet in either direction. With the other 4 players properly positioned, the ability to GUARD YOUR YARD is a non-negotiable skill in our attack.

WASHINGTON BASKETBALL

PACK LINE DEFENSE

When your player does NOT have the ball on the perimeter : 1) 2) 3) You are about half way between the ball and your player You are on the line, a step off the line that would connect the ball to your man You are actively able to see both ball and man

This position is simply defined as the GAP.

This imaginary line connecting the ball to our player applies to ALL areas of the court outside of the post. It is constantly changing with offensive player movement which dictates our defensive movements. BUT, we are always on that line and off that line a step. It is this positioning in the GAP that defines a standard of the PACK LINE POSITIONING IS YOUR HELP

When your player does NOT have the ball in the post:

1) 2)

You have constantly fighting for space to keep offense out of POST You have CHIN ON SHOULDER as you fight to keep them from having two feet in the POST.

CHIN ON SHOULDER: A visual term that describes our defensive body position as we are fighting to keep and opponent from catching the ball in the POST area defined earlier. By placing our chin, on our opponents TOP SIDE shoulder, we have place ourselves in good position to win the battle for that valuable space. We are maintaining contact with opponent around the basket and also discouraging a quick entry pass . This position combined with our perimeter players NOT getting beat to the outside eliminates the most common passing lanes and keeps our opponents from catching the ball deep in the post.

This simple terminology defines EVERY scenario that occurs in the half court when players are in a static position. Obviously your opponents are not going to simply stand still like in a shell defense, but these basic principles are a must to learn before every progressing.

WASHINGTON BASKETBALL