When Does Defense Start? Many of you would answer that your defense starts when your team shoots.

If that's the case, when do your defensive principles start applying? If you're like most teams, your defensive principles don't show up until half court.

That can work. But it's not ideal. If you run a 'no middle' defense like The Outer Third Defense With Nick LoGalbo, you want to apply those principles immediately!

Think of it like this: if you don't start forcing outside until the forecourt, you allow your opponent to begin every possession in the middle of the floor.

If the ball is already in the middle, you must work harder to get the ball to a side. Conversely, if you get the ball to a side right away, you can set your defense from the start. That locks the offense to one side of the floor. You are allowing no ball reversals and no paint touches, essentially taking your opponent out of their offense.

Coach LoGalbo uses the Marquette 3v3 Full Court Drill to work on getting the ball to a side in the backcourt.

No Middle Defense Drill - Marquette 3v3

Setup

• 3 offensive players line up across the baseline.
• 3 defenders line up across from the offensive players.
• The offensive player in the middle starts with the ball.

Rules

• Each offensive player is limited to 2 dribbles in the backcourt.
• Once the offense crosses half court, the teams play live 3v3, with normal scoring.
• The offense gets one shot to score.
• The offense and defense switch on the way back.

• When the ball is in the middle third, the defense's goal is to force the offense to the outer third, preferably forcing them to dribble with their weak hand (see 1 being pushed left above).
• Player 1 tries to split the gap between x1 and x3.
• X3 must provide help on 1's drive and then recover to player 3.
• Because x2 is 2 passes away, they should drop back into a ball-you-man position.

• When player 3 passes back to player 1, defenders must rotate to the proper position. This continues throughout the drill.

3 Progressions for Marquette 3v3 No Middle Defense Drill

As your players get more comfortable with the drill, consider these variations:

• Play through the rebound. This forces players to box out.
• Make it live full court 3v3 from the start.
• Give the defense bonus points for a stop where they keep the ball on one side of the floor throughout the possession.

A Defensive System That Gives You Options

Extending The Outer Third Defense With Nick LoGalbo to the full court has a couple of benefits:

First, your players learn to immediately control their offensive player. This instills an aggressive mindset while pinning the ball to the sideline early.

Second, it gives you pressing options. Many teams like to use a blindside trap when they get the ball going up the sideline. Forcing the ball to the outer third early allows you to use this tool. It could be a core part of your full court defense or a change of pace.

Either way, it will lead to turnovers and easy baskets for your team. So get up and guard, and watch your team impose its will on your opponents!

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