Drop Coverage

What it is

• Ball-screen defender (POA) fights through screen or slides under (does not switch)

How it works

• Mechanics: Ball-screen defender (POA) fights through screen or slides under (does not switch)
• Mechanics: Big defender (Anchor Big) sits in drop position (5–8 feet below screen, in the paint)
• Mechanics: As handler passes to roller, Anchor steps up to contest roller
• Mechanics: POA recovers to handler
• Mechanics: Weak-side help fills cutters

Reads and counters

• The anchor big reads the handler's eyes and pocket: contain the ball at the level of his drop, then close out late only when the handler gathers for a pull-up.
• If the handler turns the corner downhill, the big walls off the rim and forces a floater or kick rather than conceding the layup.
• On the roll pass, the big steps up to the roller and the guard must beat his man back over the screen to take away the pocket bump.
• Weak-side defenders read the skip lane: stunt to tag the roller but recover to shooters before the handler sprays it to the corner.
• Against a shooting handler, the guard goes over the top tight so the big can stay back without surrendering a clean pull-up three.

Teaching cues

• Contain at the level, force the floater
• Wall up, no layups
• Tag the roller, then spray-recover
• Over the top, chase the shooter
• Big stays home, contain at the level

Bilingual terms

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