6 I Would Invest Time in... Baseline Out of Bounds (BOB) Special situations, of which I consider BOB to be, can determine the outcome of many games. I would spend time on BOB because scoring easy points leads to success. Turning it over on BOB can lead to unnecessary lost possessions. Execution not Implementation Most coaches do not spend enough time on the execution of BOB. They spend way too much time on the implementation of BOB. You don t need more than two BOB s if you focus on the reads and execution. You can also make it seem like you have more BOB s by running the same play out of different set-ups. For example the BOB 1 and 3 I outline in the diagrams can be run out of a wide box or a straight line set-up. The Goal of Inbound The goal of inbound is to get the ball inbound safely. The amount of risk you take in doing so is a decision you have to make as a coach. The inbound passer is the key to the on-court decision making process. To help the inbound passer with their decision process we educate them as if they were a quarterback going through their progression of reads to find the open receiver. What is your Risk Tolerance Your risk tolerance as a coach and the ability of your inbound passer to follow a progression of reads should determine what type of BOB your team is suited to run. My view is that you try and get a lay-up off the first progression of reads by your inbound passer. The second progression creates a safe inbound pass that could lead to a shot or if the defense makes a mistake possibly an easy score. The third progression is a pass to a safety spot designated in advance. Our BOB can change from year to year based on the decision making ability of our inbound passer; and also game to game based on the effectiveness of our opponent at defending BOB.
Defending BOB is Important Nothing is more annoying than giving up easy scores on BOB. I would spend time defending BOB as a high school coach. We have four calls for our BOB defense. What call is determined in advance by scouting report or by the set-up of the BOB. The calls relate to the position of the player covering the inbound passer. HOLE We protect under the basket and limit any opportunities to the weakside of the floor. POST We start on the inside of the post or top of the post to prevent a direct lob pass. SWITCH OUT We start on the outside of the ballside low player and switch to deny a cutter into the area. The player giving up their check on the switch becomes responsible for the inbounder. Switching Out on a Sideline Out of Bounds (Free) ON BALL We are active covering the inbound passer and are prepared to cover their cut after they inbound the ball. Here are some examples of BOB plays to illustrate these points: 3 screens 5 5 screens 2 4 screens 3 3 screens 5 5 screens 2 4 screens 3 Watch Video of BOB BOX 1 & 2 (Member only)
2 10 Defense Switch Every Screen I would switch every screen. With limited practice time it is hard to teach players how to defend every screening situation you could encounter. One reason to switch every screen is to focus practice time on what leads most directly to wins. The simplicity of switching every screen creates more time within your practice to focus on the other things on this list that make a big difference at the high school level. Don t Worry About Match-Ups Match-ups should not be a big concern at the high school level. Most teams have only one or two players that are effective scorers so having an easily adaptable defensive system is important. The 10 Defense easily adapts to trapping and packing in your Defense on the best player on your opponent s teams. Less Time to Scout and to Apply Scouting Reports Switching also removes much of the work from scouting. Switching reduces the effectiveness of an opponent s offensive actions because you can disrupt their timing and force them to counter the switching. Switching Negates Talent Switching is an effective way to compensate for a lack of talent as it focuses your defensive efforts on worth ethic and communication. Both are controllable factors. Game Footage 10 Defense Clinic Footage: Switching all Screens on Defense so can Focus on Offense
3 Plays for Lay-Ups Keep It Simple I would run sets for lay-ups. Outside of your base offense the only reason to run a set is to get a lay-up or quick isolation for your best player. Do not run complicated multiple option sets. Run simple sets that focus on getting the lay-up. If the lay-up is not available then the set can flow into a one-on-one for your best player or a two-player action. Decision-Making Progression All sets should have a decision making progression. We want these sets to have a progression of reads that result in a lay-up attempt or an isolation. If the play doesn t lead to a lay-up, it can flow into a two-player action. Use Sets for Lay-Ups Deceptively At higher levels I would save these plays and only run them occasionally when we need a score. This is so they do not appear in opponent scouting reports as a frequently run set. We also would usually only run them in the second half so an opponent did not have half-time to adjust. Here are two examples of sets for lay-ups: Pacer Backscreen Pacer Backscreen #5 cuts the screen #3 exchange low & #2 exchange high Pacer Backscreen #5 backscreen for #1 Options: 1. Attack for lay-up on the catch (#2) 2. Basket cut #2 3. Two-player game with #5 & #2 (quick Ballscreen) Watch Video of the Pacer Backscreen plays Clear out Backscreen Watch Video of the Clear out Backscreen plays Clear out Backscreen Drible at action: #1 dribbles at #5 who cuts down. #4 cuts up Clear out: #3 vacates the ballside Clear out Backscreen Options: 1. Lay-up to #1 2. Flare to #1 3. Two-player action #5 & #1
4 Mask Ballscreens Why Masking is Effective I believe the high ballscreen is effective at the high school level because you can create a twoplayer action with your two best players. You can also hide less effective offensive players. Disguising the High Ballscreen Since the high ballscreen is a popular offensive action run by many teams I think it is in your interest to mask the ballscreen with an action before the high ballscreen occurs. It could be a screen, a cut or some other simple deception. The goal is to disguise the action and also to distort the defense s ability to cover the action. One Play That Looks Like Many Plays Instead of running multiple plays run a high ballscreen with multiple masking actions. This allows you to focus your teaching on the reads and decision making of one play instead of multiple plays. Screen the Screener High Ballscreen (Free) Watch Video of Different Plays that Mask the High Ballscreen Horns Post to Post Action into Spread Masking a High Ballscreen
5 Transition Defense Emphasis, Not Magic There is no magic drill to teach transition defense or rebounding. It is mostly about emphasis. Everything I would do in practice would end in a transition with the goal of reinforcing the habit. Whether you play fast or slow making an opponent play offense against five defenders will lead to a stronger defense. Transition Defensive Tips The key to transition defense is the first three steps a defender takes. We sprint to center, talk while running, turn and defend. We want to cover the ball, ballside wing and the basket first. Followed by the weakside wing and the release of the get back defender at the rim. The get back defender should be responsible for the weakside of the floor so they can hold the rim until released by the first post defender back. Reaching in on the rebound, unless part of a five player of philosophy of jamming the outlet, leads to disadvantage so we want to avoid that as well. If we are playing against an opponent with a dominant point guard we modify the system to disrupt an outlet to them. The player who is being covered by the point guard does not offensive rebound or get back. They find the point guard and deny them the outlet. Transition Defense: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About (Free)
6 Offensive Rebound Do You Have an Offensive Rebounding System? Most coaches do not spend enough time teaching an offensive rebounding system. I would send four to the boards with a get back. Scoring is hard enough especially if you are not very talented offensively so I would emphasize an attacking philosophy to try and get second chance scoring opportunities. I would teach my players what should happen when we secure an offensive rebound. A Sample Offensive Rebounding System Watch Video of an Offensive Rebounding System
7 Trail Trap Easy Scoring Opportunities from Your Defense I would take advantage of the lack of skill depth of many teams. The one fullcourt defense I would utilize would be trail traps. A trail trap is a deceptive trap. It could take advantage of a team s lack of multiple skilled ballhandlers and decision-makers. What is a Trail Trap? Watch Video of the Trail Trap Defense Game Footage 2-on-2 1-on-1 Turn the Ball When the Inbounder Clears Out 4-on-4 Trail Trap: The Geometry of Recovery 3-on-3 Covering the Deepest Pass