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Youth Basketball Play for 2-3 Zone

Posted on May 4, 2010 at 4:46 PM

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This play is run against a 2-3 zone defense.

#1 Dribble enters to the wing.

#3 rolls away and fills the backside wing.

#2 steps out and fills the point.

On the pass back to #2, #4 will flash into the middle, cutting against the grain.

If #4 is open on the cut,#2 should get him the ball for a shot.

if #4 does not have a shot, he should look down to #5and then to number one on the wing.

If #4 is not open, #2should move the ball down to #3.

On the pass to #3, #5 will slide across the laneto work to free himself.

#3 may have a shot attempt, or a feed to #5.

Note: when #2 makes the pass to #3, #2 and #1 should relocate toward the ball, and to get into a to guard front.

If nothing is open, #3 will start another ball reversal by passing to #2.

On the pass from #2 over to #1, #5 will screen the outside baseline defender and #4 will use the screen to cut to the wing.

#3 will flash into the middle from behind the zone.

#1 can feed #3 in the middle, #4 in the corner, or if #5 slips the screen, #1 may be able to get a ball to him.

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Best Offense for Youth Basketball

Posted on April 12, 2010 at 1:15 PM

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I am coaching a youth basketball team of 10/11 year olds and am having a tough time getting them to run any type of offense. What would be the best type of youth basketball offense to run and how do i get these kids to pay attention long enough to teach it? As it stands they play basketball in a big mass on the court and they have no spacing. Please help!!

COACHES RESPONSE:

Running an effective youth basketball offense can be dificult at this age. You have to keep your plays simple and if you are having trouble keeping their attention then I would suggest that your plays are too complex for them at this time. Take a look at this page below for an easy youth basketball motion offense that you can run and there also several suggestions for practice drills that will help you implement the offense on game day.

Great question and happy to hear how much you care about teaching these young players the right way to play the game.
Obviously fundamentals are key towards the individual players development, proper technique etc..But you are not alone when it comes to trying to implement a set offense for 11 year olds as a team.
A very simple motion offense we give coaches like you advice on is fairly easy to run and teach. So the 5 players start out in their 5 spots (top key, Right and Left Wing and Right and Left corners) - the point guard passes to either wing and cuts towards the hoop - the player from the opposite wing replaces the passer and the movement occurs like that.
You can run simple - ball screens and down screens out of there and its a lot of back door cuts and movement (which kids like to do) - simple things for them to remember and run.

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Zone Buster Basketball Offense

Posted on April 2, 2010 at 6:34 PM

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How the heck do I beat a zone?"

Playing against a good zone can be one of the most

frustrating things a coach can face.

You can't get the ball in the post. You can't enter it into the wing. Your players are standing still.

Your team is chucking up ill-advised treys,

while the opposing coach sneers with self-satisfaction.

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WHY NO ONE *DARES* PLAY ZONE AGAINST ME

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The funny thing is... once you figure out how

to beat a zone, it's like running a layup drills

against no defense.

Coaches who know me don't even *bother*

playing zone against me... Because they know my team will eat it

for breakfast!

They key is getting the ball into three "hot spots"

on the floor.

These are areas where *any* zone is vulnerable.Once you get the ball into these hot spots, the zone is forced to make rotations...

Then the floor opens up... And then you can make pinpoint passes for

layups and 12 foot jumpers all day. This video will show you how to get started:

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7 Years and Under Youth Basketball Coaching Tips

Posted on January 11, 2010 at 5:21 PM

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I get letters all the time from new coaches of very young playerswanting to know where to begin with these kids. They ask about drills,about zone vs. man-to-man defenses and offenses for 5 and 6 yearolds—Offenses for 5 & 6 year olds?? This age, they’re lucky toknow which side of the ball is up!

Young kids probably know nothing of the game—the rules, the lines onthe floor, player positions, and more. So, here’s some of what I useto enlighten these novice coaches.

They may not say it, but every player, parent and coach new tobasketball wants to know how it all works—how everything fits together.

The game moves so quickly, the transitions from offense to defense andback again can be a blur, and the interplay between the five members ofa team can be an enigma.

If you’re the parent or coach of a child new to the game, please don’tassume that they understand the game. Take whatever time is necessaryto ensure that each child understands the words that describe the game,the action and the rules. It will give them confidence to get startedand keep their frustration level down. Remember that what one childmay understand another may not.

Walk around the floor with them and point out the lines. Tell thechild what the lines are called and what they’re for. Bring up rulesthat have to do with the floor. Point out the locations of the“elbows”, the “low block”, the “lane”. Point out the key, the point,the wings, front-court, back-court and talk about the playing positionsassociated with play in these areas.

Talk about the positions of the players and the unique talentsassociated with playing the point guard position, at shooting guard,small forward, power forward and the center in the post. Talk aboutthe play at the point, on the wings and at the high, mid and low post. All the things these players do can be confusing, so clarify terms likeback door, slash, flash, penetration, screen and roll, give and go,power moves, pivot, denying the pass, fronting the cutter, etc., etc.

Description:01= Sideline 02= Endline 03= Midcourt line 04= Imaginarydividing line 05= FT line extended 06= FT line 07= 3-pt. line 08=Elbow (corners on both sides) 09= Nail (mid. pt. FT line) 10= Jumpball circle 11= Lane, 3-sec. area, post 12= Wing area (both sides) 13= Point area (top of circle) 14= Low post block (both sides)

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Easy Youth Basketball Motion Offense

Posted on January 11, 2010 at 2:42 PM

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First, pick a couple cuts or screens that you think would be goodfor your group. For example, you could choose down-screens andaway-screens.

Next, run shooting/footwork drills that incorporate thosemovements. You could have two offensive players (no defense). Oneplayer on the wing, another player on the block. A coach or thirdplayer could have the ball on top of the key. The player on the wingsets a down screen, the other player rubs off the screen, catches theball, pivots, and shoots.

Now repeat over and over. Your players areworking on screens (part of your motion offense), pivoting footwork andshooting (skills).

You can do the same thing with away screens, basket cuts, andany type of cut or screen. The key is to choose a couple elements fromyour motion offense and turn those elements into skill building drills.Your imagination is the only limit to the types of drills you can comeup with. It’s also important to mix things up and make the drills funtoo!

By practicing this way, you save a huge amount of time and get more done.

In a youth motion offense, your primary rules should allow you tomaintain spacing, maintain order, keep people moving, and keep everyoneinvolved. For example, use a 5-out motion and have three rules:

After every pass, the passer moves. (Cut or screen)Do not stand still for more than 2 seconds.Take the first good shot. When teaching motionto young players, don’t go too fast and don’t worry too much about yourplayers executing offense. If they maintain decent spacing and movearound, you are in good shape.

Almost all of your time should be on skill development. Then as time goes on, you can take a skill and showthem how to use it in different situations in the motion. But evenbefore that just let the kids get comfortable on the court. Let themplay and learn at the same time as you. Movement and spacing will causethings to happen. They will start figuring things out.

Youth coaches should concentrate on teaching skills and then just letting kids play. Motion is perfect for that.