Breaking Pressure

I see a lot of questions regarding full court offenses and press breakers to combat full court pressure.

I don’t believe that breaking pressure is a function of pattern play but rather a function of spacing and philosophy. Knowing that, here are a few things to think about that may help in executing against all types of pressure.

I also think that all pressures are the same. If you attack them with the same philosophy and intent, all pressures are forced to react similarly. Whether it is a 1-2-1-1 heavy pressure or a 2-2-1 wait and see, it you attack them the same way, they have no choice but to react the same way.

PHILOSPHY

Like most offenses, your full court offense has to be performed inside of some type of thinking with an objective in mind. Do you want to clear the back court without turning the ball over and then trigger your half court offense, do you want to flow into some type of half court offense as does a transition break or do you want to turn it into a transition game with the intention of taking the ball to the basket? Whatever you decide to do, it must be articulated to your team so they all act as one.

SPACING

I think spacing is critical to beating any pressure. Forcing any defense to play over a larger distance makes it more venerable and easier to beat. Put yourself in a position where they have to spread out to play you, holes will be everywhere.

My first step in spacing is to create 3 lanes. There is one simple rule: do not cross lanes with the dribble. Dribbling across lanes against full court pressure will destroy your spacing and create chaos that will enhance defensive pressure.

The next aspect of spacing is to try not to inbound the ball below the block to the baseline. If you can get the first pass to be up around the foul line extended, you have already gained an advantage against the pressure.

The ball should be inbounded to a ballhandler in an outside lane.

This involves teaching your players how to get open where they want, not where the defense wants.

Next, you need to get the ball inbounds quickly. Some coaches like to let the ball bounce until they have set up their inbounds action, but I prefer to get it in and play on the fly. The number 1 enemy of pressure defense is advancing the ball quickly.

How you get the ball in quickly, again, is up to you. There are a lot of options. You can designate a player (Joe always inbounds the ball), a position (5-man takes it out), make a limited choice (closest to the ball between the 4 or 5-man), or first man to the ball. I am sure there are other choices, but I just have not used them. Over time I have decided that the limited choice is best for me. I think that either the 4 or 5-man will be close to the basket as the ball comes through the net.

OPTIONS

I think all full court offenses should have the following options:

1. Break on the dribble
2. Long, over the top
3. Middle
4. Long , opposite
5. Back to the point reversal

How you affect those options is up to you. How, or if, your players rotate, how they cut, who they are, etc. is open to the things you like to do. They should be consistent with the other things that you teach and should contain those options, but other than that, I don’t think it matters what you do.

EXERCISE YOUR OPTIONS.

These are the options I like to use. I teach them in a progression so players learn them in the order we want to make the looks.

1. Beat it on the Dribble

When the ball comes in, I like to teach my ballhandler to turn outside and try to beat the pressure up the sideline. This accomplishes several things. First, if your ballhandler goes immediately and instinctively, the defense has to be pretty quick in their set-up to be able to defend it. This may happen a couple of times but it certainly won’t happen as a rule. Secondly, at the very least, the dribbler will push the trap further up the floor making it easier to pass out of.

I like to have him turn outside and go up the sideline for a couple reasons. First, remember, do not cross lanes on the dribble. Going up the sideline spreads the defense and opens passing lanes. Next, think about how pressures work. Ball pressure usually comes from the inside and traps usually come from the top or the bottom. By going outside on the dribble, your ballhandler is going away from pressure from the bottom and can see pressure from the top.

By going outside on the dribble immediately and instinctively, you will beat most traps before they are set.

2. Over the Top

The second look is long, up the court, over the top. After pushing the ball and the pressure up the floor, passing the ball over the top is a natural and instinctual action.

The way pressure works, there will usually be either some type of pressure coming from further up the court, looking to set a trap or some type of containment designed to slow the ball down, allow defensive recovery and set additional traps. Looking over the top eliminates that aspect of the pressure. If the offense is able to complete “over the top,” the basket will be in jeopardy and the pressure has to be called off. If the defense defends the “over the top,” they will have to vacate the contain or trapping aspect of the press which will allow the dribbler to advance the ball.

3. Middle, Then Opposite

Putting the ball in the middle of the floor in any situation is an advantage for the offense. Once the ball is in the middle of the floor, there are unlimited options for the offense.

Because of the dynamics of pressure defense and the things that must be done to defend the ball in the middle, I really like to look to the opposite side when the ball is passed into the middle. A middle defender is usually brought from the weakside or from the point of the press. Either way, the ball has a safe outlet. By throwing opposite, up the floor you will create a numbers advantage that will put the defense at risk.

4. Long, Opposite

When you bring a man to the middle, if he is not open it is because they have stripped their defense of the long opposite pass. Making this pass gives you similar advantages to the “over the top” option or the “middle, opposite” option.

It is a natural progression as the pass can be easily seen when the passer is looking to get the ball to the middle

5. Back to the Point, Reversal

Everything in your full court offense should be designed to attack and push the defense up the floor. That leaves a lot of room to get the ball back to the point for a ball reversal.

Ball reversal is an enemy of full court pressure. If the defense has to defend 94 feet long and then defend 50 feet wide, it is a very difficult task. Not only do they have to cover the ground to defend, but they must also protect all the passing lanes as well. It's very difficult task, indeed.

By passing the ball back to the point, you have the ball in the middle of the floor in the hands of someone that is facing the defense. Once again, you have a player with the ball in a very advantageous position in regard to breaking pressure because he can see all 5 defensive players and all his offensive counters.

I believe that these options have to be present in any effective full court offense to counteract defensive pressure.

How you position your players, if and how you rotate them are a function of what you feel your players abilities are. Here are some sample rotations after the ball goes back to the point for reversal. Each rotation reflects the spacing and options that I feel are important in breaking pressure.

After the ball is reversed, all the options are once again present.

Additional Press Break Resources

Comments Most Likes First   Oldest First   Newest First Dalton Staggs says: 2/13/2011 at 4:14:18 PM the one way I was taught to break any full court press is just inbound the ball when it goes through the hoop... press broke. The reasoning is the defense needs time to set up its press when you set up an offense that gives the defence time to set up as well why give them that time? Once you inbound the ball before their press is set up then there are even more holes in their press and now you just get it over half court. Press broke. Like     login   register scott says: 2/6/2011 at 11:30:38 AM Wow...I have used everyone of your pressbreakers and it has worked to the point were the other teams back of there press cause of the easy layups we get.It has been a tremendous couple of years for our town here in conn.turning this basketball program around in less than 2 yrs.with all your help.Every single play you have on here has worked.Our kids look forward to teams pressing us so we can get easy layups.especially on the 2-2-1 defense. Like     login   register Jeff Haefner says: 1/27/2011 at 4:03:43 PM That is something you continually need to work on by emphasizing it, encouraging it, and rewarding it. You can check out this motivation article for ideas: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/mental/motivate-players.html Like     login   register francis mwangi says: 1/27/2011 at 2:54:02 AM i coach high school girls in kenya but they do not want to play aggressively any suggestions on drills that can help Like     login   register Phil says: 1/26/2011 at 2:57:36 PM These press plays work 110% perfect. I coach 2 elementry school junior teams. and both boys and girls teams run these plays like they are in high school. Thank you to the line press breaker play/ by don kilbeck. Like     login   register Barry says: 1/26/2011 at 11:10:09 AM Use the inbounder or reversal option player as the quarterback. They should be able to see the floor and guide the dribbler. By calling out either side, centre or reverse the dribbler will hear what their best option is. Like     login   register Tim says: 1/26/2011 at 10:17:56 AM Thanks for the overview. Like the flexibility and will try to teach the concets to our kids. I've been using a "post and turn opposite" approach, which is in here in many ways, but the kids have been too rigid with it, and the defense has been picking it apart. One trouble I see when the guard starts flying up the sideline is that they dribble themselves into the trap. Any ideas for helping them recognize when to stop or how to back out and either pass middle or reverse before getting caught in a dead-ball trap? Like     login   register Gordon says: 1/26/2011 at 10:09:30 AM Don, This might be the most concise and easy to follow press break discussion I have ever seen. Thanks for the great write up - I currently use the line press breaker, but I will try to implement portions of this as the season continues. Like     login   register

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