Defensive Selection Guide
Defensive Selection Guide is a defensive strategy involving recommended zone 2-3 zone 3-2 zone 1-3-1 zone box-and-1 triangle-and-2 matchup zone.
Team Defense
PRESS DEFENSE
If the baseline defender (Safety) misreads, the skip to the opposite corner is a wide-open shot.
Direct answer
What is PRESS DEFENSE?
If the baseline defender (Safety) misreads, the skip to the opposite corner is a wide-open shot.
Quick facts
| Category | Team Defense |
|---|---|
| Source volume | BASKETBALL_PLAY_VAULT.md |
What it is
- If the baseline defender (Safety) misreads, the skip to the opposite corner is a wide-open shot.
- Deny the inbound pass — the defender on the inbound receiver positions between the ball and their man; a five-second violation is the ideal outcome.
- The ball handler cannot retreat without a backcourt violation — trapped between the boundary, two defenders, and the 10-second count.
How it works
- Deny the inbound pass — the defender on the inbound receiver positions between the ball and their man; a five-second violation is the ideal outcome
- Ball pressure at all times — on-ball defender is in the ball handler's space the moment they receive the inbound pass
- Deny passing lanes — off-ball defenders shade aggressively toward the ball (deny, not contain)
- Force the baseline / sideline — funnel the ball handler toward the corner where options are most limited
- Trap the corner — when the ball handler reaches the corner (sideline + half-court line), the nearest off-ball defender sprints to form the trap
Bilingual terms
| English | PRESS DEFENSE |
|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese | 紧逼防守 |
| Traditional Chinese | 緊逼防守 |
Learn before and after
These graph neighbors help place PRESS DEFENSE in the larger basketball map.
Full-Court Man Press
Full-Court Man Press: Deny the inbound pass — the defender on the inbound receiver positions between the ball and their man; a five-second violation.
2-3 Zone: Trapping Out of Corners
2-3 Zone: Trapping Out of Corners is a defensive strategy that a common adjustment to 2-3 zone is trapping.
Defending Multiple Zones
Defending Multiple Zones is a defensive strategy involving defensive communication becomes critical when running multiple zones or switching between.
Short-Corner Attacks and Soft Spots
The short corner (the area between the block and the corner along the baseline) is a soft spot in the 2-3 zone.
1-2-2 Zone: Press Applications
1-2-2 Zone: Press Applications is a defensive strategy that the 1-2-2 zone is often employed as a full-court or three-quarter court press.
Related concepts
1-2-2 Zone: Press Applications
1-2-2 Zone: Press Applications is a defensive strategy that the 1-2-2 zone is often employed as a full-court or three-quarter court press.
2-3 Zone: Trapping Out of Corners
2-3 Zone: Trapping Out of Corners is a defensive strategy that a common adjustment to 2-3 zone is trapping.
Short-Corner Attacks and Soft Spots
The short corner (the area between the block and the corner along the baseline) is a soft spot in the 2-3 zone.
Attacking the 1-3-1 Zone
Attacking the 1-3-1 Zone: Station two players in opposite corners; when ball enters one corner, skip to the other before the baseline defender can.
Full-Court Man Press
Full-Court Man Press: Deny the inbound pass — the defender on the inbound receiver positions between the ball and their man; a five-second violation.
Half-Court Trap
Half-Court Trap is a defensive strategy involving defenders who chase the ball after it escapes give up position.