BasketballOffenseAttackingthe23(or212)ZoneDefense

ByJamesGels,fromtheCoachsClipboardBasketballPlaybook(http://www.coachesclipboard.net/Playbook.html),@http://www.coachesclipboard.net (http://www.coachesclipboard.net)
The23(or212)zonedefenseisthemostcommonlyusedzonedefense,designedtostoptheinsidegame.The212zoneisthesameasthe23,exceptthatthemiddlelowdefenderispositionedalittlehigherinthe
paint,sothetermscanbeusedinterchangeably.Goodoutsideshootingcanripthiszoneapart.Butyoustillneedtogettheballinside,especiallylateinthegame,orwhenyourshootersarenothitting.
FirstreadZoneOffense(ZoneOffense.html).Mostlyweattackzoneswithageneralzoneoffenselike"Zone23"belowandjustworkthatoffense.Usuallythatisallweneedtodo,aslongasweexecutewellandarepatient,
makethezoneshift,andworktheballinside.Butattimes,wewillrunasetzoneplaytogetsomeoneopenforagoodshot,whetheraninsideshotora3pointer.
Inteachingoursystem,wefirstteachourbasiczoneoffense(s),andthenaddafewplaysastheseasonprogresses(see23ZonePlays(23ZoneOffensePlays.html)).Butfirst,ifyouarecoachingyoungplayers,considerthis
simple23zoneoffense(Simple23ZoneBuster.html)...easytounderstandandteach.
"Zone23"
Rulesthiszoneoffenseusesa131offensiveset.

1.O5willrunthebaselinefromshortcornertoshortcornerandwewilltrytopasstheballtoO5fromthewing(O2orO3),usuallyafterreversingtheballonce.WedonotwantO5topostuponthelowblock,asthisspot
istoowelldefendedbythethreelowzonedefenders...apasshereisusuallydoubleteamedandresultsinaturnover.
Additionally,iftheballispassedintothehighpostO4,O5shouldtryto"duck"underneaththezone,sealthedefender,andreceivethequickpassfromO4forthelayup(diagramA).
2.IndiagramA,thewingsO2andO3aresetoutalittlefartherthanusualfromthethreepointarcsothattheX1andX2defendersarenotintheirpassinglane(fromO1).Afterreceivingthepass,O2orO3candribble
in,getthedefendertocommitandthenpassorshoot.Iftheballgoesintotheshortcorner,O2andO3shouldbothslidedowntothecorners.

GoodskippassesbetweenO2andO3catchthezoneovershifted(diagramB),butmakesuretheskippassisopen...someteamswillaggressivelytrytostealthispass(withtheweaksidelowdefendercheatingout).A
counterforthatisafakeskiptothewing,andthenalobpasstoO5ontheweaksideblock.
3.O4moveswiththeball.Whentheballisatthepoint,O4isatthefreethrowline.Whentheballisonthewing,insteadofpostingattheelboworatthelowblock(whichareusuallydefendedinthiszone),O4willsetup
alittlelowerthantheelbow,actuallyinthegapbetweenthehighandlowdefenders(diagramB).
Wedon'tlikeO4puttingtheballonthefloorwithadribbleasthisusuallyinvitestroublefromcollapsingdefenders.O4shouldreceivetheball,pivotandfacethehoopandeithershootorpasswithoutholdingtheballtoo
long...aquickdecisionisneeded.Whentheballisintheshortcorner(O5),O4cutstotheballsidelowblockforthepassfromO5andthepowerlayup(diagramC).
4.YoucangettheballtoO5byapassfromO2orO3,oroccasionallyfromO4.Oftentimes,itiseasiertomakethewingtoO5passafterreversingtheballoncefromsidetoside,asthiscausesthezonetoshift(e.g.O1
passestoO3,O3skippassestoO2andO2thenpassestoO5).O5maybeabletomakeaquickinsidepasstoO4cuttingforthelayup(oncetheX4defendercommitstoguardingO5).
AnotheroptionforO5istopasstoO3intheoppositecorner.Additionally,whenO5getstheballintheshortcorner,O2canslidefurtherdownintotheballsidecornerandusuallywillbewideopenfora3pointshotifO5
passesbackout(becausetheX1defenderwillusuallynotdropallthewaydowntothecorner).
5.TheweaksidewingalwayscutstothecornerwhenO5getstheball(DiagramB).WhenO4hastheball(DiagramC),theweaksidewingcaneitherslideintothegapbetweenthehighandlowdefenderslookingforthe
mediumrangejumper,orifhe/sheisagoodthreepointshooter,lookfortheskippassouttothethreepointarc.Theweaksidewingmustbeanoffensiverebounderonthebackside.
6.Outsideshootershaveatendencytoletthefirstopenshotgo.Sothatwecontinuetotrytogettheballinside,wehavearule..."oneposttouch".Beforetakinganoutsideshot,theballhastogoinsidetoO4orO5for
atleastonetouch.
Theexceptiontothisruleisoutsideshooterscanshootintransition,offthebreak,ifthereisa"kickout"passforthe3pointshot.Butiftheshotoffthebreakisnotthereandwesetupinourzoneoffense,thenthe"post
touch"ruleapplies.
7.Wheneverperimeterplayershaveachancetodribblepenetratethegapsinthezone,theyshouldusuallybethinkingaboutapullupjumperinthegapbetweenthelowandoutsidedefenders.Adriveallthewaytothe
hoopisusuallynotpossiblebecauseofthethreebiglowdefenders.
LookingatDiagramC,youcanseethatonceO4getstheball,thereareseveraloffensive"triangles",orpassingoptionswhereyougaina3against2advantageonthedefense.Quickpassingwillgetyouagoodshot.
UsingtheShortCorner
Thediagramsbelowshowagreatwaytousetheshortcorner.DiagramSC1showsO1dribblingtotherightwing,engagingX1,andO2movesdowntothecorner.O1passestoO2,whichcausesthelowoutsidedefender
X3tocomeoutandguardO2.O2takesacoupledribblesup(diagramSC2)andthis"lifts"theX3defender,makingO5openforthepassintheshortcorner.

O2passestoO5(diagramSC3).O4divestotheballsideblock.IfX5comesouttodefendO5,O5passestoO4forthelayup.IfX5staysinside,O5hastheshortcornerjumpshot,oradrivetothehoop.Withthisattack,
wearepressuringX5todefendtwoplayers.IfX4helpsonO4'sdivecut,O3readsthisandcutstotheweaksideblockforapassfromO5.

"Zone23"startingina3Out,2Inset
Thissetusesthesamegeneralprinciplesandrulesas"Zone23"above,butgivesyouroffensealittledifferent"look".Insteadofstartingwithahighpost,theattackcomesfromunderneaththezone,fromtheoppositelow
post.Thismeansthatwemuststartwithawingentry.Refertothediagramsbelow.
TheoffenseisstartedbyO1passingtothewing(DiagramA).Ifthewingpassisbeingdenied,O1dribblestothewing,withO2makingashallowcutouttothepoint(DiagramB).Astheballarrivesonthewing,theball
sidelowpost(O4)cutstotheshortcorneryelling"ball,ball,ball!",inhopesofdrawingthelowpostdefenderoutwithhim.
Meanwhile,theoppositelowpost(O5)makesacutfromunderneaththezonetotheballsidelanelookingforthepassfromthewing.

ThewingpassestoeitherO5alongthelaneorO4intheshortcorner(DiagramC).O5hastheoptionofshooting,drivingtothehoop(iftheX5defenderhasmovedout),orpassingtoeitherO4orreversingittoO3(who
shouldbewideopenontheoppositeside).Ifthepassfromthewinggoestotheshortcorner(O4),thenO5cutstothelowblocklookingforthepassfromO4.NotethatO2andO1havesliddownalittletowardthecorner
incaseO4mustpassbackout.

HiLoOption
DiagramF.Againusingthe3out,2inset,O1makesthepasstothewing,andthistriggerstheballsidepostplayer(O4)toflashtothegapneartheballsideelbow.Afterreceivingthepass,O4pivotsandlooksinsideor
makesashotfake,andpassestoO5whomaneuversinsidetheoppositepostdefenderforthepassandshot.

Ifthepasstothewingisbeingdenied,thendothesimpledribbleentryandrotateasseeninDiagramG.O1dribblestothewing.O2slidingtothecornerwillhelptooccupytheO4defender,forcingtheO5defenderto
moveuponO4asthepassisdeliveredtotheelbow.O5workstogetthatinsidepositionagainforthepassandshot.
SkipPassandWeaksideAttack.
Hereisanotherwayofattackingusingeitherthe131orthe3out,2inset,especiallyifO4isbeingdeniedandfronted.SeediagramH.You'llnotethatthe23zonedefensehasshiftedwhentheballisontherightwing.
Manyteamsdefendtheskippassbyhavingtheoppositelowpost(X3)rotateouttothewing.X3willthendropbackdownoncetheoutsidedefenderscatchupintheirrotation.Youcantakeadvantageofthatstrategyby
keepingyourlowpostontheweakside(insteadofmovingtotheballsideshortcorner).ThenmaketheskippasstoO3,andasX3rotatesout,makethequickpassinsidetoO5.O4screensthemiddle(X5)defenderso
thathecannotrotateintimetodefendO5.

"ZoneI"
It'simportantforzoneoffensestogetsomedribblepenetrationinthegaps.With"zoneI"...
"Zone23"startingina14set
Again,thissetusesthesamegeneralprinciplesandrulesas"Zone23",butgivesyouroffenseanother"look".Ifyouusea14setforyourmantomanoffense,thismightappealtoyou...

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Relatedpages:
ZoneOffense(ZoneOffense.html)
23ZoneOffenseDrills(23ZoneOffenseDrills.html)
ScreeningtheZone(ScreeningZones.html)
23ZonePlays(23ZoneOffensePlays.html)
Simple23ZoneOffense(Simple23ZoneBuster.html)
StanfordMotionZoneOffense(StanfordMotionZoneOffense.html)

Copyright20012016,JamesA.Gels,allrightsreserved.