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OFF-ball DefenceAREASOFEMPHASISGUIDELINES FOR COACHES• Working with young players indefensive breakdown situations toteach anticipation. Encourage ability tobreak up the rhythm and timing ofoffensive play. The ability to hedge andrecover by the OFF-Ball defenderwithout committing to rotate but puttingdoubt into the mind of the offense srequired.• Establish defensive breakdown drills fullcourt and half court 2v2, 3v3, 4v4situations including good on ballcontainment and correct OFF-Ballpositioning progressing through thevarious screening and cutting situations.• Use shell drill and extended shell drill toimprove the process of our defence andeffective OFF-Ball positioning helprotate and extend into run and jumpextended defensive concepts.• Establish and rehearse team defenceprinciples to defend the ON-Ball screenand pick and roll offense at U16 andU18 and senior level.• Basically we go over, through or underthe screens depending on the situationand the coach’s preference orphilosophy. As a general rule over andthrough are the most acceptedmethods.• U16 and U18 level coaches shouldspend an appropriate amount of timeteaching in the post and how to defendit in terms of the concepts, principlesand techniques listed in the Offenceand Defence Master checklists.• From the youngest of ages of U12 andU14 players should be taught how todefend the pass and cut correctly androutinely. Coaches at this level shouldalso ensure that the offensive movementis included in the team offence andteam session breakdown drills. This setsthe tone for the continued progressionof OFF-Ball defence in defending othermovements without the ball; includingdefending the flash cut from the weakside. Learning to defend these threecuts at U12 and U14 levels andmastering them by U16’s will establisha good platform for better systematicOFF-Ball defence.• At U16 and U18 levels this thenprogresses or is immersed intodefending teams who prefer continuityor set offence. Often cuts come offscreens so teaching how to defend the”UCLA cut”, “flex cuts” or “shuffle cuts”are then logical progressions for U16and U18 club teams.• British Basketball coaches should coachand prioritise the over the screen with ahard show and recover.• Ensuring that our youngest agedplayers at U12’s and U14’s experiencefull court defence in both man to manand in zone pressing is alsoencouraged rather than staying solelywith a sagging man to man defence.145