# Zone Defence · Basketball Level 4: Intermediate

Basketball · Level 4: Intermediate · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/basketball/level-4/zone-defence/)

Zone Defence in Basketball (Level 4: Intermediate) on Insporta: 100 sourced facts behind 10 tests. Covers: the idea of a zone; the 2-3 zone; and more.

The idea of a zone, the 2-3, the 3-2, the 1-3-1, matchup zones, box-and-one and other junk defences, zone strengths and weaknesses, rebounding and shifting, and when to play a zone.

## Test 1: The idea of a zone

- Zones leave outside shots, so shooters punish them. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- He takes whoever is in his zone. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- A 2-3 has two in front and three behind. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Zones pack the area near the basket. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Cutters pass from one area to another. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- The man with the ball must always be guarded. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- The defender calls him and hands him over. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Enter, guard, move, hand over. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- One, two, then three in front. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Each defender guards an area. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)

## Test 2: The 2-3 zone

- Syracuse played it for decades. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Three players near the rim crowd the lane. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- The gap in the middle of the zone is the free-throw line area. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Covering the short corner opens the rim. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- The low wings slide out to the corners. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- They cover the area above the free-throw line. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- The high post sits in the 2-3's gap. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Pass, slide, shift, drop. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Two in front, then the back line with the centre in the middle. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Two defenders in front and three across the back near the rim. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)

## Test 3: The 3-2 zone

- Three cover the perimeter, two the lane. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Three defenders spread over the perimeter. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- The top three cover the arc and the high post. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Fewer bigs inside mean fewer rebounders. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Both start with a point defender and spread. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Three out top contest outside shots. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- A 2-3 puts three on the baseline. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- One, two, then three at the back. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Pass, step out, cover, drop. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- The short corner and baseline. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)

## Test 4: The 1-3-1 zone

- A point, a middle row of three and one at the rim. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- He pressures the ball at the top. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Its shape sets up traps on the wings. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- He must cover both corners and the rim. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Length fills the wide gaps. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- He sits at the free-throw line. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- A skip pass beats a zone that shifts to trap. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Pass, stop, trap, cover. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- One, three, one. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- One back defender must cover both corners. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)

## Test 5: Matchup zones

- Temple's zone puzzled opponents for years. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Attackers cannot tell if it is zone or man. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Players must agree who takes whom. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Some teams start in a zone and turn into man-to-man. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- The attack calls the wrong play. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Packing the paint can fool the attack. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Hand-offs between defenders keep the zone shape. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Start, guard, edge, hand over. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- The matchup zone sits in between. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- A zone that guards the man in its area. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)

## Test 6: Junk defences

- One stopper shadows the star. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- It is used against teams with two main scorers. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- They mix zone and man-to-man. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- It puts all attention on one man. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Only four defenders guard four attackers in a zone. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- The others score while the star draws the chaser. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Four attackers then face four zone defenders. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Pick, chase, box, shift. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- None, one, then two. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- The fifth defender stays with number 2 wherever he goes. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)

## Test 7: Strengths and weaknesses

- Size near the basket matters more than speed there. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Guarding areas means fewer chases and fewer fouls. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- No star can hunt him one-on-one. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Gaps and shifts leave shooters open. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Quick passes beat the slide. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Patient passing takes time. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- In a zone he can avoid chasing a scorer. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Attack, close, stop, reset. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Pass, shift, reverse, skip. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- It protects the paint. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)

## Test 8: Rebounding from a zone

- Three defenders already sit near the basket. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- He boxes out whoever is in his area. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Weak-side misses are far from the zone's big men. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Long shots give long rebounds. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- He sits near the far side of the rim. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Everyone boxing out closes the gap. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- The weak-side cutter must be boxed out. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Shot, find, box, grab. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Longer shots, longer rebounds. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- No defender has a set man to box out. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)

## Test 9: Shifting with the ball

- Ready feet make the shift on every pass possible. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Shifting on the pass, not after the catch, closes gaps. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Small slides keep the shape. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Late shifts leave open shooters and lanes. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- High hands deflect passes over the zone. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Two attackers in one area beat one defender. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- The zone shifts to match the overload. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Pass, move, meet, fill. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- An empty rim is the worst. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- The whole zone slides together towards the ball. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)

## Test 10: When to play zone

- A zone puts bodies in the lane. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- A sudden change upsets the attack. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Several defenders surround the big men. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Guarding areas avoids getting lost in screens. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Young players need on-ball and help skills first. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- A failing defence should be changed. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Man-to-man lets defenders stay with shooters. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Read, time-out, explain, start. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- Zones prefer poor shooters. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)
- When the opponents shoot poorly. (Source: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3, zone defence)

Sources: FIBA/WABC Coaches Manual Level 3 and general coaching references; original questions authored, nothing reproduced. Numbered FIBA rules belong to the Rules category.

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