Basketball Press Offense: How to Break Any Type of Press and Avoid Turnovers -- Press Breaker Drills, Offense, and Strategy
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Basketball Press Offense Overview: Key Teaching Points + 3 Press Breaks
They say pressure can bust pipes or make diamonds. It’s not different on the basketball court.
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Mediocre teams panic when they get pressed. They lose their composure, leading to turnovers and bad shots.
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Good teams are able to “handle” pressure.
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The best teams are able to “beat” pressure. They see being pressed as an opportunity - an opportunity to attack and score. This video will help you become one of those teams!
Whether you coach youth, high school, or college players, chances are you're going to see full-court pressure. When that moment comes, will your team panic… or attack?
In this article, you’ll learn:
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Key teaching points that help your players stay poised and attack pressure
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3 effective press break strategies from top coaches
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Why random, aggressive basketball beats predictable press offense sets
If you're looking to stop giving up live-ball turnovers and start scoring layups on the press, keep reading.
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33 Winning Basketball Plays
5 Press Break Teaching Points That Win Under Pressure
Before we dive into Xs and Os, here are some foundational habits that Jim Huber teaches as part of The Youth Skill Development to help your team succeed against pressure.
Regardless of what press break you run, these concepts will result in fewer turnovers and more scoring opportunities.
1. "Pause for Poise"
When pressure comes, players tend to panic. They speed up, make bad decisions, or dribble into traps.
We teach players to “pause for poise.” Catch the ball, chin it, look before you dribble. Make defenders chase passes, not your dribble.
John Wooden famously said, “be quick but don’t hurry.” Pausing for poise does just that.
2. Avoid the “Coffin Corner”
Many presses try to bait you into inbounding the ball into the coffin corner (the deep corner near the baseline). It looks open—but it’s a trap waiting to happen.
Instead, use the ability to run the baseline after a made basket. Shift the defense with fakes or movement, and create better angles to inbound away from trap zones.
3. Teach Ball Toughness
Traps are inevitable. What matters is how your players respond. Teach players to:
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Stay low and strong
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Rip the ball through
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Step around defenders with poise
Use pass fakes and jab steps to create separation
The goal? Beat the trap, don’t panic in it.
4. Have An Attack Mentality After the Break
Too many teams cross half court and relax. Instead, teach this: If you beat the press, go score.
Good press offense often results in numerical advantages for your team. Don’t let those go to waste!
Look for 4-on-3s, 3-on-2s, and early layups. Punish the press, and teams will stop using it.
5. Spacing + Reversal = Pressure Relief
Keep your players spaced. If two defenders can guard three offensive players, you're too close. Use ball reversal to shift the defense and create gaps to attack.
Also, teach players to meet the pass and shorten passing angles to avoid turnovers.
3 Game-Tested Press Breaks That Make The Press Pay!
Press Break #1: The “Bubble” Press Break From The Coaching System With Danny Miles
The “bubble” is designed to get your best ball handler (typically your point guard) the ball in the middle of the floor with space to operate.
How It Works:
2 players (3 & 5) run deep and wide.
4 inbounds
1 cuts to the ball side sideline (not to the coffin corner).
2 has a read. They can start up the opposite side. However, if they see that their team needs help inbounding, they must come back as a pressure relief.
4 looks to inbound to either guard. Whichever guard does not receive the inbounds pass (2 above), cuts hard to the middle. 1 looks to throw it to 2 on the run up the floor.
If 1 can’t hit 2 in the middle, they reverse the ball to 4, who steps in after inbounding. 4 must stay behind the ball to present a safe passing option if 1 is trapped.
4 immediately reverses to 2, who pops back out to their side. This puts the defense in rotation.
After making the pass back to 4, 1 sprints to the middle and looks to receive a pass from 2 on the run.
The beauty of this action? It creates multiple layers of inbound options while maintaining spacing and transition opportunities.
Press Break #2: 2-Up From The Youth Coaching System With Jim Huber
A lot of teams use a zone press to slow you down and force late-clock decisions. This break beats it before it even gets set. It can also be used against man pressure.
How it works:
Your 2 guards (1 & 2) screen for each other to get open for the inbounds pass. They must be physical and look to seal if the defense switches.
The ball side forward (4) flashes up on the catch.
The weak side forward goes deep to keep the defense honest and maybe get an easy basket.
1 look to hit the ball side forward. As that’s happening, the guard who didn’t receive the pass sprints down the middle looking for a pass to start an offensive attack.
If the ball side forward isn’t open, reverse the ball and use the same action on the weak side.
1 passes back to the inbounder. This cues 5 to flash up & receive a pass from 3.
As before, the pass down the sideline cues 2 to cut hard in the middle.
5 passes to 2, who attacks.
Why it works: Most zone presses are designed to trap the first pass. By reversing quickly, you create numbers and attack downhill before the press can reset.
Press Break #3: Sideline Attack and the Power of the 45° Drive From Get Comfortable Playing At An Uncomfortable Pace With Rob Brost
Many press breaks prioritize the middle of the floor. Coach Brost uses that against the defense by attacking the sideline and using 45° angles to create driving lanes and mismatches.
Why We Like It:
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It's fast. They want to get the ball out and go before the press can set
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It pulls defenders out of help positions.
It mimics transition spacing and keeps us in our offensive flow.
How it works:
The closest player to the ball (4) inbounds.
The point guard gets to the ball side sideline immediately.
2 puts themself in the middle as a decoy.
Upon receiving the pass, 1 looks up the sideline to 3, who looks to attack at a 45 degree angle to create a 2v1 with 5.
This concept is influenced by how NBA teams like the Milwaukee Bucks attack. Whether it’s sideline-to-middle or middle-to-opposite-45, we’re always looking to create pressure on the defense, not just relieve pressure on ourselves.
Recap: The Winning Formula vs. Presses
If your team wants to thrive under pressure and flip press situations into scoring opportunities, remember these key ideas:
Teach poise before Xs and Os
Run the baseline smartly
Avoid coffin corners
Train players to escape traps with strength and technique
Keep spacing wide and pass options plentiful
Attack with numbers and a score-first mentality
How To Break Any Press & Avoid Turnovers Ebook
Additional Press Breakers For Your Team
Here are some specific press breakers to help your team:
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Cheetah Press Break - if you’re looking for a home run press breaker that can get your team a layup, check this out
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ITZ Press Break - a simple press attack that uses great spacing to attack the defense
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1 Up - A 1 up press breaker to get the ball to your best ball handler with space
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3 Up - if you feel you need multiple inbounds options, consider this 3 up press breaker
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Line - A press break that brings 4 players up, giving you maximum options against aggressive pressing teams
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Indiana - a press break that uses non-traditional spacing to confuse the defense and create passing windows for your inbounder
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Triple Stack - a highly effective press break play in end of game situations when you are being denied
Press Break Coaching Resources
Articles:
Videos:
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Mike Krzyzewski: Duke Basketball - Breaking the Press- This DVD gives you some additional tips, several good drills, and reinforces important press break concepts.
9 Best Press Offense Drills
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Press Break Quick Inbounds Drills - a drill to work on getting to spots quickly and inbounding before the press can set up
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No Dribble 3v2 Continuous - a drill where the offense can’t dribble and has to read the defense to find open players and advance the ball
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Monkey In The Middle - a 2v1 passing drill where the offense must make good passes that avoid deflections
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No Dribble Advancement- a challenging drill where the offense must use screening and cutting to create passing windows to advance the ball
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Ultimate Passing - a fun passing drill that mimics ultimate frisbee and works on getting open and throwing accurate passes
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Overload Drill 1- a 7v5 drill to help players handle intense pressure
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Circle Trap - a great drill to work on passing out of pressure
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Full Court Disadvantage Press Drill - a press break drill where you are outnumbered in multiple ways, forcing players to be strong with the ball
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7 Best Drills To Teach Elite Basketball Footwork- a series of drills that will help all players reduce turnovers and play with more poise and balance
Press Break & Youth Basketball
Note for Youth Teams
If you're getting pressed in a youth league, our suggestion is to find a different league. Presses and traps are VERY counterproductive for youth players and slow their skill development. Presses, traps, and zone defenses should be against the rules in youth basketball. If you don't believe me, just listen to pro coach Stan Van Gundy (who also coached his kids' youth team).
You can also listen to former NBA player and youth basketball expert, Bob Bigelow.
That said, sometimes you will be forced to play against pressure. That’s why we included a press break from The Youth Coaching System With Jim Huber. With youth teams, emphasize these 3 points:
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Don’t panic - presses thrive when the offense gets rattled. Remind your players they now have the advantage because the defense has to cover more ground.
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Eyes up on the catch - too many youth players put their heads down and dribble into bad spots. Coach your players to look up first to see what’s open ahead of them.
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Look opposite - most presses overload to the ball side. That means that players should look to pass or dribble opposite of where they got the ball from. This will create more space and force the press into longer rotations.
Finally, choose to look at playing against the press as an opportunity, not an obstacle. While we might not think it’s best for youth basketball, it does give your players a chance to improve. Take that opportunity and run with it!
FREE BONUS PDF
33 Winning Basketball Plays
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