Zone Offenses
Zone defenses create special problems for the offense. Plays and sets designed to be successful against man-to-man coverage often run into problems against zones. You must have a "zone offense(s)" in your offensive arsenal to counteract zone defenses. We use two zone offenses, called "zone 1" and "zone 2". These are designed to be used against a zone with a two-guard defensive front ("zone 1"), and a zone with a one-guard defensive front ("zone 2").General pointers in attacking any zone defense.
1. Beat the defense up the floor.
If it is your team's offensive style, fast-break and push the ball up the floor as quickly as possible, before the defensive zone can get set.
2. Full-court press on defense
This favors a "transition type", wide-open, up-tempo game. A slow-down, half-court game allows the zone defense to be more effective. /
3. Analyze the zone
What kind of zone set are you facing, 2-3, 1-2-2, etc? Then set your offense accordingly.
If the defense shows a two-guard front (e.g. 2-1-2 or 2-3 zone), use a one-guard set, with a point guard, in order to "split" the two outside defenders.
Example sets to use are: 1-3-1, 1-2-2, "3-out, 2-in", or 1-4 offense. See Diagram A.
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Just the opposite applies if the defense shows a one-guard front (e.g. 1-3-1, or 1-2-2 zone). In this case, use a two-guard set to "flank" the single outside defender.
Example sets to use are: 2-1-2, 2-3, 2-2-1, 4-out 1-in offense. See Diagram B.
Watch to see if the defense keeps switching its defensive set, and be ready to call out your offensive counter-move from the bench. Some defenses will keep changing on you, and you can't call a time-out every time! /
4. Patience
Be patient on offense, but take the first open, good percentage shot. Make sure your best shooters are getting their shots. It's always easy to just settle for outside shots against zones. But you still must get the ball inside. We have a rule that (except in transition), before any outside shot goes up, we must have one post touch first (either low or high post).
5. Offensive rebounding
Crash the offensive boards as a zone defense often does not have clear-cut box-out assignments, and extra, high-percentage shots can be gotten off the offensive rebound. /
6. Maintain good spacing
Stretch the zone with a pass to a wing or corner, and then skip pass to the opposite side. Don't get "bunched up" Players should move into the gaps and passing lanes in the zone (see Diagram C). "Overload" zones by flooding areas of the zone with more offensive players than it can cover.
7. Attack the gaps, but avoid unnecessary dribbling
Unnecessary dribbling allows the defense time to adjust or reset. However, guards and wings should look to dribble-penetrate the gaps in the zone (Diagram C), and look to dish off inside. Another good option is the "penetrate and pitch back"... when someone dribble-penetrates, the next perimeter player over rotates into the spot vacated by the dribbler. Now, as the dribbler sucks that perimeter defender inside, he/she can stop, pivot and pass back out to where he/she came from, which will be wide open for the 3-point shot.
8. You must get the ball inside
Get the ball inside for high-percentage shots. It's OK to take the outside jumper or three-pointer, but don't settle for the outside shot on every possession (see pointer #4 above). You must find a way to get inside to be successful. You must be able to get those important "points in the paint". Having success inside will cause problems for the defense, may result in their getting into foul trouble, and will open up your outside shot when the defense collapses inside. When the ball goes inside, if it is well-defended, go "inside-out" with a quick pass out for a wide-open three-pointer.
9. Use crisp passing
And use the "skip" pass from corner to opposite wing, and wing to opposite corner. Look for the lob pass to the baseline and back-door. Passers should use ball-fakes, where they fake a shot or fake an overhead pass in one direction to get the zone to move, then pass in the opposite direction. Reverse the ball from side to side a few times and the zone often falls apart and gets out of position.
10. Screen the zone
Set screens against the zone, both inside and outside. Players should make cuts into the open areas, and look to the weak-side, or "back-door". You can design and use set plays against zones often taking advantage of screening either the backside of the zone (followed by a skip pass), or screening inside.
I like the "pin and skip"... e.g. vs the 2-3 zone, using a 1-3-1 set, we get the ball to a wing. Then the baseline post player, instead of cutting to the ball-side, stays opposite and back-screens (pin-screens) the weakside low defender, as the ball is skip-passed over from the wing to the weakside corner for a wide open 3-pointer. If the low outside defender slips around the screen and runs to the ball, a quick pass inside to the post is usually there.
11. Triple-threat position on the perimeter
Make sure your players receive the ball in "triple-threat" position, ready to shoot, look inside and pass, or penetrate. Don't allow perimeter players the bad habit of catching and dribbling. Unless there is a gap for a quick attack to the hoop, players should receive the pass in triple-threat position.
12. One last strategy:
If you have the lead and the opponent switches to zone defense, and if you are not confident that you can beat their zone, you can refuse to play against it. Instead, you go into a "4-corners" delay offense. Since you have the lead, they will have to eventually come out a play you man-to-man. Of course, this strategy won't work if there is an offensive shot clock rule. Also, if your forte is a fast-breaking style, going to a delay game may be the worst thing you can do!
For specific offenses against specific zone defenses see the following pages:
Type of Zone Defense
· 2-3 (2-1-2) zone defense -- see Attacking the 2-3 zone, 2-3 Zone Offense Plays, and Stanford Motion-Zone Offense.
· 1-2-2 zone defense -- see Attacking the 1-2-2 zone.
· 3-2 zone defense -- see Attacking the 3-2 zone.
· 1-3-1 zone defense -- see Attacking the 1-3-1 zone.
· All zone defenses -- see 4-Out Zone Offense.
· Attacking the box-and-1 zone -- see Box-and-1 Offense.
Zone 2-3
The 2-3 (or 2-1-2) zone defense is the most commonly used zone defense, designed to stop the inside game. The 2-1-2 zone is the same as the 2-3, except that the middle low defender is positioned a little higher in the paint, so the terms can be used interchangeably. Good outside shooting can rip this zone apart. But you still need to get the ball inside, especially late in the game, or when your shooters are not hitting.First read Zone Offense. Mostly we attack zones with a general zone offense like "Zone-23" below and just work that offense. Usually that is all we need to do, as long as we execute well and are patient, make the zone shift, and work the ball inside. But at times, we will run a set zone play to get someone open for a good shot, whether an inside shot or a 3-pointer. In teaching our system, we first teach our basic zone offense(s), and then add a few plays as the season progresses (see 2-3 Zone Plays). But first, if you are coaching young players, consider this simple 2-3 zone offense... easy to understand and teach. /
"Zone-23"
Rules - this zone offense uses a 1-3-1 offensive set.
1. O5 will run the baseline from short corner to short corner and we will try to pass the ball to O5 from the wing (O2 or O3), usually after reversing the ball once. We do not want O5 to post up on the low block, as this spot is too well-defended by the three low zone defenders... a pass here is usually double-teamed and results in a turnover. Additionally, if the ball is passed into the high post O4, O5 should try to "duck" underneath the zone, seal the defender, and receive the quick pass from O4 for the lay-up (diagram A). /
2. In diagram A, the wings O2 and O3 are set out a little farther than usual from the three-point arc so that the X1 and X2 defenders are not in their passing lane (from O1). After receiving the pass, O2 or O3 can dribble in, get the defender to commit and then pass or shoot. If the ball goes into the short corner, O2 and O3 should both slide down to the corners. Good skip passes between O2 and O3 catch the zone over-shifted (diagram B), but make sure the skip pass is open... some teams will aggressively try to steal this pass (with the weak-side low defender cheating out). A counter for that is a fake skip to the wing, and then a lob pass to O5 on the weakside block.
3. O4 moves with the ball. When the ball is at the point, O4 is at the free-throw line. When the ball is on the wing, instead of posting at the elbow or at the low block (which are usually defended in this zone), O4 will set up a little lower than the elbow, actually in the gap between the high and low defenders (diagram B). We don't like O4 putting the ball on the floor with a dribble as this usually invites trouble from collapsing defenders. O4 should receive the ball, pivot and face the hoop and either shoot or pass without holding the ball too long... a quick decision is needed. When the ball is in the short corner (O5), O4 cuts to the ball-side low block for the pass from O5 and the power lay-up (diagram C).
4. You can get the ball to O5 by a pass from O2 or O3, or occasionally from O4. Oftentimes, it is easier to make the wing-to-O5 pass after reversing the ball once from side to side, as this causes the zone to shift (e.g. O1 passes to O3, O3 skip passes to O2 and O2 then passes to O5). O5 may be able to make a quick inside pass to O4 cutting for the lay-up (once the X4 defender commits to guarding O5). Another option for O5 is to pass to O3 in the opposite corner. Additionally, when O5 gets the ball in the short corner, O2 can slide further down into the ball-side corner and usually will be wide open for a 3-point shot if O5 passes back out (because the X1 defender will usually not drop all the way down to the corner).
5. The weak-side wing always cuts to the corner when O5 gets the ball (Diagram B). When O4 has the ball (Diagram C), the weak-side wing can either slide into the gap between the high and low defenders looking for the medium range jumper, or if he/she is a good three-point shooter, look for the skip pass out to the three-point arc. The weak-side wing must be an offensive rebounder on the back-side.
6. Outside shooters have a tendency to let the first open shot go. So that we continue to try to get the ball inside, we have a rule... "one post-touch". Before taking an outside shot, the ball has to go inside to O4 or O5 for at least one touch. The exception to this rule is outside shooters can shoot in transition, off the break, if there is a "kick-out" pass for the 3-point shot. But if the shot off the break is not there and we set up in our zone offense, then the "post-touch" rule applies.
7. Whenever perimeter players have a chance to dribble-penetrate the gaps in the zone, they should usually be thinking about a pull-up jumper in the gap between the low and outside defenders. A drive all the way to the hoop is usually not possible because of the three big low defenders.
Looking at Diagram C, you can see that once O4 gets the ball, there are several offensive "triangles", or passing options where you gain a 3 against 2 advantage on the defense. Quick passing will get you a good shot.
"Zone-23" starting in a 3-Out, 2-In set
This set uses the same general principles and rules as "Zone-23" above, but gives your offense a little different "look". Instead of starting with a high post, the attack comes from underneath the zone, from the opposite low post. This means that we must start with a wing entry. Refer to the diagrams below.
The offense is started by O1 passing to the wing (Diagram A). If the wing pass is being denied, O1 dribbles to the wing, with O2 making a shallow cut out to the point (Diagram B). As the ball arrives on the wing, the ball-side low post (O4) cuts to the short corner yelling "ball, ball, ball!", in hopes of drawing the low post defender out with him.
Meanwhile, the opposite low post (O5) makes a cut from underneath the zone to the ball-side lane looking for the pass from the wing.
The wing passes to either O5 along the lane or O4 in the short corner (Diagram C). O5 has the option of shooting, driving to the hoop (if the X5 defender has moved out), or passing to either O4 or reversing it to O3 (who should be wide open on the opposite side). If the pass from the wing goes to the short corner (O4), then O5 cuts to the low block looking for the pass from O4. Note that O2 and O1 have slid down a little toward the corner in case O4 must pass back out.