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How to Combat a Pressing Defense

By John A. Krafft

Athletic Director and Basketball Coach, Elgin, Illinois, High School

HE first thing to do to combat a

! pressing defense is to build up indi-

vidual cleverness. This can be done
through a series of special exercises upon
which we spend hours every month.

All ‘players must learn to fake one way
and go another. They must fake front-
ward, sideward, backward, and in ail di-
rections. They must learn to fake one,
two, three, and even four times if neces-
sary. Fakes may be made with the entire
body or with parts of the body.

After the ball has been thrown in court
to the player who is loose, the one receiv-
ing the ball must dribble low to control
the ball. He must dart one way and drive
another, one, two, or three times depend-
ing upon success. As he darts and drives
to get around the defensive forward, the
forward may back up. If he does, the
guard will easily, and soon, get the ball
past the middle of the floor. The dribbler
with the ball may body-fake and feint to
make his job more easy.

In order to teach the aforementioned
fundamentals, we line up the players the
length of the floor one against one, as
shown in Diagram 1, to practice these
stunts. O is.on defense; X has the bail.
X dribbles the length of the floor. O on
defense tries to stop him.

In Diagram 2, we have an exercise in
which we practice getting loose from our
opponents. This exercise may be practiced
on either side or in the middle of the floor.
XT passes to X2 after X2- jockeys and
feints to get loose from O who guards
him. O is on defense and attempts to

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DIAG. |

keep X2 covered.

After the fundamentals mentioned have
been learned, most any set-up will be suc-
cessful in bringing the ball down the floor.

In Diagram 3, the guard passes in to
his companion guard and rushes down the
floor, receiving a return pass. This places
four on three for a scoring situation. X1
passes to X2 who return-passes to X1 who
drives down the floor rapidly.

In Diagram 4, the guard passes to the
companion guard, and each guard blocks
for each other until the ball gets across
the middle of the floor. With the guard in
possession of the ball, all players advance

 

 

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DIAG.3

 

down the floor as rapidly as he progresses
and proportionately. X1 passes to X2.
X1 sereens for X2 who keeps the ball,
getting it across the middle. ‘

Diagram 5 shows what to do if a guard
cannot get loose. He screens for the for-
ward while he gets open to receive the
ball, and bring it down the floor. X1 fakes
a pass to X2 but passes to X3 after X2
screens the guard of X8. X2 then goes
down in the forward position.

Diagram 6 shows that, if the guard and
forward are both held up, they screen
for the last forward who receives the ball
and bring it down. X1 fake-passes to X2,
who screens X3’s guard. X3 comes up to
get the pass but screens for X4. X1
passes to X4. X4 and X1 bring the ball
down. X2 and X8 take corner forward
positions.

If both forwards and the guard are

screened off, the center fakes and cuts to
receive the ball as a last resort only. He
then brings the ball down the floor or
returns it to the guard to bring it down
as shown in Diagram 7. X1 fake-passes
to X2 who screens X3’s guard. X8 comes
over and screens X4’s guard. ‘X4 screens
X5’s guard. X1 passes to X5. X65 and
X1 work together getting the ball across
the middle.

As soon as the players get past the
middle, they then set up the regular of-
fensive maneuvers or drive in, if open, for
a drive-in shot. The guard throwing in
“the batt trom-out-of bounds-must-be-eare-
ful not to pass in the ball to his companion
under the opponent’s basket where inter-

 

 

 

 

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THE ATHLETIC JOURNAL”

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