Thank you for sharing this! We’re coaching well over 100 kids ages 12-18 and focused on promoting & developing Basketball IQ vs “set plays” So we run a simplified Motion Offense with an emphasis on the spacing & reading the defense and defender to identify & determine your best option. And with our Middle School Girls we are teaching a whole lot, and enduring the better more experienced teams PRESSING THEM TO DEATH. With the older teams, I prefer 3-across to clear space in the backcourt. But this Version of 4-across is a simple, fast setup for the younger players to identify & execute. We’ll be working on this tomorrow! Thank you!
This is very helpful. Great concepts and emphasis. I came looking for something that would help us not rely so much a very strong ballhandler. Take some pressure off of the point guard and involve more players, especially when facing a trapping defense. I have really enjoyed all of your content and would love to see more.
Ran a very similar 4 man breaker, worked when I could get kids to run it. One issue we had was a short guard getting trapped on the sideline. Picking the ball up in the corners of death.
Not a fan of the 4 low for youth basketball. Brining all 10 people within 15 feet of the basket isn't conducive to good decision making. Also it's really tough to space enough to prevent 1 defender from guarding 2. Much prefer spreading the court and once inbouding the ball, similar to your break each time you catch the ball you will have 3 short options and one long option. Perfect spacing stretches the press to it's limits...never passing backward is like never using a retreat dribble to attack. Sure you can do it but a backward pass followed by a quick ball reversal does to a press what a ball reversal does in the half court...gets everyone out of position and forces everyone to react and move perfectly or the press breaks down.
Coach, love the concept. My question is, what if we can enter the ball to the post at the free throw line and have to throw to a wing? What's the rotation.
The best press break I ever watched, as a coach, was Green Valley HS, Las Vegas. They used the 5 to inbound, 3 and 4 were on the opposite baseline. The 1 and 2 worked together to start the press break. The 5 was coached to be the best passer on the team.
Coach, love the idea, but skip pass from 4 to 2 seems risky against a press. Why not pass from 4 to 5, 2 and 3 can run down opposite sidelines to wings, 4 and 1 then fill in just above midcourt and 5 has great options. What do you think?
We press because most people can't deal with pressure at all times, also we would steal that skip pass to the 2....No lag person and a skip pass we would be salivating.
Which one do you think is better to press if our team is faster and have more stamina, but we are weaker in rebounding? I want to press and I think we can close down our opponent, but which one we should learn 1-3-1 diamond or 2-2-1 or this one 1-2-2. I want to put max pressure for our opponent team
When you throw the ball back to 1 opposite guard 2 rotates to middle while 5 rotates over to ball side wing area - 3 clears to weak side of floor. My question is does 4 stay wide in the back court? So if the pass goes to 2 "middle" he has a 3 on 2 situation with 5 & 3. "Correct"?
Hey coach, how do you feel about setting a screen in the wheel ? For example, when 2 has the ball, instead of 5 coming across he sets a pick for 3 instead?
I'm concerned the entire press is predicated on inbounding the ball to one of the high post players. In theory its great. Unfortunately, I can't imagine this pass being available vs any decent team in a man press, diamond or 2-2-1 press. (where two men are stationed at the high posts directly on top of your players) A simple screen isn't going to cut it if you are constraining yourself to the FT line area I'm afraid. Sealing, pushing off, or any type of cut won't help unless your post men are extraordinarily strong, tall or athletic. If the inbounders defender face guards the two high post players as well, the odds of this pass getting through are even less I'd imagine. 9 times out of 10 on a zone press the two high post players will also be defended by guards. The posts are not going to easily shake them and get open. I will say its ground breaking. I've never even heard of a press break with no reversal pass. Having said that the general principles are very good. A rip upon catching a pass, getting to the open spots and understanding that breaking a press is not a set pattern that works every time are crucial. Much appreciated for the thought provoking video.
Wet Bandits thanks for the comment. Just as the press break is not a matter of sequential steps, neither is getting the ball in. We work a lot in practice on getting open, screening and shaping, etc. You will be amazed when you run it at how efficient it actually is to have your biggest guys getting the inbound pass. Big men, especially ones who have been taught well, are extremely adept to getting open, catching and facing, and reading the floor. Also, to answer your comment directly, there are going to be times where good teams take the entry pass away, or make it very difficult...we also work on what to do in these situations. For the sake of time, I didn’t put all of those isolated situations in the diagram. Plays are great but concepts are way better...reading and reacting to every situation is the ultimate goal when it comes to coaching...hopefully you can use the play, really focus on the whole concept of the press break, and then begin to teach your players how to respond in each situation. Thanks for watching!
Good concept. Just a Q: dont you mean 'pass back towards your own basket' under 2? You try to attack the opponents basket.. Or we might mean the same but say it differently?
Coach Scott, I was wondering how you implement these techniques while defenses are applying more front facing defenses. Where you would be playing an initial matchup zone where it start out looking like a man to man. Assuming the deep ball is not an option as I am trying to discourage my younger aged players not to have that be their default option as it is often times out of control or inaccurate at younger ages; the question I have is how would you recommend getting the 4 or 5 open when there is more front side pressure? Hope that makes sense. I was coaching against a well played press that initially looked like a face guarding man but then transitioned into a trapping zone style press. Thanks for the help, loved the video...…..so Villanova to have them catch, rip and pass fake...…..might as well have said they needed to catch on a 2 foot jump stop as well!!!!
Benjamin Claassen if you are getting face-guarded, you would need your bigs to screen for each other. Screening and shaping back to the ball is your best bet. If you teach basic “getting open” concepts in practice, it shouldn’t be too difficult for your players. The hardest part about a press is that the offense gets anxious and tried to rush things...that is why catching, ripping, and ball faking is so important...it naturally slows your players down, in a good way. Plus it puts the offense in control...instead of being in a constant reactive state. Hope that helps.
Dude simple overagressive fronts u should embrace test have the seal there own fate you seal them downscreen the have a player leak out and inbounder make that long open pass down court
Thank you so much, Coach! I appreciate it. This was what I was looking for. I appreciate you taking the time to explain. Keep the videos coming. Thank you! 🙏🏽
I have a better solution as long as you claimed that this could break any press, try to do with players that are not athletic enough. A claim like this always makes me laugh, such arrogance in thumbnail. Not system wins game not system stop ball played do, I guess not every coach understand it.
Hey coach! Thanks for the video. I have been looking for a press break that would be the same for man or a zone press. We have played some teams that are very long and athletic that play pressure full court man to man presses. What would your recommendation be if they switch the screen and both of those middle men aren’t open? All players are denying and making it tough to get the ball in. Do the 2 or 3 come up to help? Thanks again for your help and posting the video!
Hey Frank. We love to catch the ball in the middle of the floor at all costs. If our big men are being denied hard and they've screened, shaped, and still not able to get open, then we try to look for other options. One thing we work on in practice for this scenario is replace cutting. The wings would recognize that the bigs can't get open, and they would sprint to the middle of the floor while the bigs vacated to the wings. In theory, it doesn't really matter who catches the in-bound pass, as long as we are not stuck in the corner or under our own hoop. As I alway tell my players...some get it and some don't..."we aren't gaming the play, we are playing the game." Basically saying that not everything is a perfect science, and that's why I don't buy much into "plays." Work on different situations in practice and help teach your players to be decision makers instead of play runners. Hope that helps!
Switch a big with a guard in the middle of the floor and when they switch the screen, have the guard seal him and have him on his backside and flash back to the ball. Clear everyone out have him bring it up 1 on 1 and run your man offenses.