Florida man
 | 1 Florida Gators man-to-man defence Larry Shyatt In the frontcourt they want to turn the ball 3 times, or 2 times with a great ballhandler. Once the ball is in the backcourt they don't want to turn it, keep it out of the middle, then keep it out of the paint, not forcing middle like Dick Bennett. Off-ball defenders are in a closed position with inside-hand (ballside) finger tips and inside foot touching an imaginary "rope" between their man and the ball (including X5). Bigs have an advantage getting to the rope. Shyatt - get as far up the rope as you can without giving up an open 3 (it depends on the player). You can use the rope analogy in a fullcourt press situation, you just have to know your limitations. Variations - arm on the rope for a full deny-team, or even body on the rope, e.g., Duke. The midline or splitline represents everything they do defensively, it determines ballside and helpside. Helpside defenders straddle the midline, Florida is a rotational, over-help team. |
 | 2 On a pass to the other side of the floor, the first responsibility is to sprint to the midline and get finger tips on the rope. If 1 is able to make a chest pass or a pass without air under it, that's lack of ball pressure, but that doesn't mean X1 has to get in him at all times - when 1 is ready to pass, then trace the ball. Contain the ball when it's in the middle, pressure the ball on the wings. Defenders have active feet and hands. Play cat and mouse one pass away (early stunting), but it's all an act since they don't help and recover. 3-point shots result in upset victories by weaker teams. Billy Donovan - guarding the 3-point line means taking it out of the game, no 3-point shots, they want to give up challenged 2-point jump shots. They don't help and recover, don't let a shooter catch and shoot, if there is a pass, be there on the catch with heels above the arc. Against a good 3-point team you are going to give up 3s if you run back to the paint in transition, fan out, and get a man. With the 3-point line a team with inferior talent can beat a team with superior talent. |
 | 3 Ball on the wing. |
 | 4 Ball in the corner |
 | 5 Here 1 uses 5's ballscreen, X2 has to have an early act, dance around, make 1 hesitate, but if 1 gets by, X2 keeps his finger tips on the rope, he can't let 1 chest pass to 2. Opposite post X4 has to step up (not over) to get 1 and make him make an uncomfortable play. Billy Donovan - guard dribble penetration from the interior, rotating from inside, step up and trap the ball, rotate opposite, leave open the guy opposite. Don't give a guard a bail-out pass to the wing, make him skip it, there is enough time to recover back to that. |
 | 6 Here X4 stops baseline penetration outside the lane (he can't get there if he doesn't straddle the midline), closest man X3 takes a pass to 4, and yells "ball", the most important word on defence. Closest man X1 then takes a pass to 3. You don't have your man. |
 | 7 Post defence is results-oriented. With the ball on the wing, the post defender defends on the high side when the ball is above him, then gets in front when the ball is even with or below him. They don't get on the bottom side because of ball reversal by dribble or pass. |
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