cajunspur
06-19-2008, 11:23 AM
Today we will discuss breaking a full court press.
You will see a variety of inbounds formations to start a press breaker. Some people like to just try and get the ball in quick before the press can set up. This works in the NBA and sometimes college, but the younger the players get, sometimes it is better to let the press set up as well as your press breaker. You will sometimes see 4 people along the free throw line extended. Most teams put their 2 guards at the free throw line and their 2 forwards on each side of half court.
As soon as the inbounder (I am in the school of thought that you use your point guard to inbound the ball against a press) picks up the ball, the attempt to get open should start. If it is a 4 wide site a series of screens usually occurs. If it is a 2 up and 2 back set, the 2 guards usually screen each other. Against a zone press you can usually have your guards just split and run to either side of the court. If the guards cant get open, the forwards will run up at about 3 seconds to get the ball.
Once the ball is inbounded to one of the guards, the formation should be either the opposite guard or forward fills the middle of the floor. The point guard that passes the ball in is the safety valve. The forward on your side stays upcourt near the sideline and the opposite guard or forward that didnt fill the middle goes opposite deep.
Your first look is always to the middle. Getting the ball to the middle of the court is always the key to beating a press. Your second look is up the sideline. It is typically a dangerous pass and should not be a lazy lob. Your safety valve is next in the progression.
Lets say the ball goes back to the safety valve. I am in the school of thought that once a player goes to the middle of the court (when I say middle I dont mean centercourt, I mean halfway between each sideline. finding the open spot and moving up the court as the ball does) that he stays there. Some teams like to interchange whoever is in the middle which also works. The safety valve should first look to the middle, then either sideline. The formation should like somewhat like a 1-3-1 press breaker. This will work against 1-2-2 presses as well as 2-2-1 presses.
Of course you want to dribble the ball as little as possible, in trying to break a press.
Sometimes people confuse full court man to man with a "man press." In a man press, the defense usually picks up man until the ball is inbounded and then they drop into a zone. In the case a team picks up full court man, everyone else should clear out and let your pg take the ball up court. If your pg is not a great ball handler(typically only true in younger basketball), a screen (or pick same thing) can be set on his man to assist him in taking the ball up court.
In the WNBA, I hear they break the press by dribbling off their foot or passing the ball to the other team. I refuse to watch it, so I cant say for sure.
You will see a variety of inbounds formations to start a press breaker. Some people like to just try and get the ball in quick before the press can set up. This works in the NBA and sometimes college, but the younger the players get, sometimes it is better to let the press set up as well as your press breaker. You will sometimes see 4 people along the free throw line extended. Most teams put their 2 guards at the free throw line and their 2 forwards on each side of half court.
As soon as the inbounder (I am in the school of thought that you use your point guard to inbound the ball against a press) picks up the ball, the attempt to get open should start. If it is a 4 wide site a series of screens usually occurs. If it is a 2 up and 2 back set, the 2 guards usually screen each other. Against a zone press you can usually have your guards just split and run to either side of the court. If the guards cant get open, the forwards will run up at about 3 seconds to get the ball.
Once the ball is inbounded to one of the guards, the formation should be either the opposite guard or forward fills the middle of the floor. The point guard that passes the ball in is the safety valve. The forward on your side stays upcourt near the sideline and the opposite guard or forward that didnt fill the middle goes opposite deep.
Your first look is always to the middle. Getting the ball to the middle of the court is always the key to beating a press. Your second look is up the sideline. It is typically a dangerous pass and should not be a lazy lob. Your safety valve is next in the progression.
Lets say the ball goes back to the safety valve. I am in the school of thought that once a player goes to the middle of the court (when I say middle I dont mean centercourt, I mean halfway between each sideline. finding the open spot and moving up the court as the ball does) that he stays there. Some teams like to interchange whoever is in the middle which also works. The safety valve should first look to the middle, then either sideline. The formation should like somewhat like a 1-3-1 press breaker. This will work against 1-2-2 presses as well as 2-2-1 presses.
Of course you want to dribble the ball as little as possible, in trying to break a press.
Sometimes people confuse full court man to man with a "man press." In a man press, the defense usually picks up man until the ball is inbounded and then they drop into a zone. In the case a team picks up full court man, everyone else should clear out and let your pg take the ball up court. If your pg is not a great ball handler(typically only true in younger basketball), a screen (or pick same thing) can be set on his man to assist him in taking the ball up court.
In the WNBA, I hear they break the press by dribbling off their foot or passing the ball to the other team. I refuse to watch it, so I cant say for sure.