Zone offence Principles, sets and options

| 1 Zone offence progressions - basic sets, tilted sets, running the corners, and post x-cuts: Principles of zone attack
- fast break (beat the zone up the floor) - line up in the gaps - shallow cut - drive the gaps (get two defenders on the ball) - freeze dribble (right at a defender) - quick ball reversal (with full reversal to the corner) - skip pass - pass fake - shot fake - jab step - misdirection dribble - attack from behind - inside-out - attack the short corner, high post - overload - screen the zone - crash the boards.
Bill Self - the ball moves the zone.
Mike Dunlap - the zone hates full reversal to the corner.
coachesclipboard.ca - getting the ball into the middle of the zone is a fundamental principle, this can be done by dribble penetration, flashing into the middle, or posting at the elbows. Flash from behind the zone with your back to a sideline, hands up, stop or pause in a gap between the top and bottom rows of the defence. Randy Sherman - flash middle from weakside, aim for the bottom of the "dots" (jump circle), can fan the ball opposite. Coach Daniel - drive the gaps or baseline behind the zone. Kirby Schepp - you want to change sides, get paint touches, and attack with the dribble then pass-pass. |

| 2 a) 4-out 1-in This typical man-to-man set can be used against any zone, but especially a 1-2-2 or 1-3-1. Jay Wright - try to run your man-to-man offence against zones. Ballscreens are highly effective, especially with shooters. Jeff Bauer - 5 begins behind the zone on the baseline. Randy Sherman - against a 1-2-2, filling the gaps means lifting 2 and 3 above the dead corners. See Zone offences - Duke, Villanova, USA, Bauer.  | | |

| 3 b) 2-1-2 5 has the high post when the ball is out top, dives on a pass to a corner. Use against a 1-3-1 (or 1-2-2) zone defence, or against any halfcourt trapping pressure. Options - against pressure defence, have weakside 3 flash to the high post on a pass to 2 - use two high posts to enter the offence. See 2-1-2, 5star 2-1-2, Offence - Wootten four to score. Variation - 5 stays low for rebounding, see Pitt vs. 1-3-1.  |

| 4 c) Tilted 4-out 1-in Against an even-front zone, here 1 pushes a shooter to a corner, 4 has the top. See Greece, Duke, also Maryland.  |

| 5 d) Duke runner The corner shooter runs the baseline. Can be used against most zones. Look to get full ball reversal (corner to corner).
1 has three short pass options (an overload).
4 can ballscreen to help reverse the ball, or 3 can flash to the high post from weakside.
See Duke runner basics, Duke, also Florida ballscreen 3s.
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| 6 a) 1-3-1
5 goes short corner to short corner (but can first flash middle), 4 has the high post.
Use against an even-front zone (or trapping odd-front zone).
Tom Izzo, Jack Bennett - never have 1 and 4 in a tandem. Coach Daniel - 1-2-3 are free to move anywhere along the perimeter so long as they keep good spacing. Go inside to score, or inside-out to get good looks at 3s. Kermit Davis - use a 1-3-1 set against a trapping 1-3-1. |

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| 8 c) Offset 2-1-2 Two guards, high post, shooter on one side, low post opposite, use against a 1-2-2 or 1-3-1 zone. Look to get the ball to 4. |

| 9 d) Two-guard runner Two guards, high post, ballside low post (on the baseline), a shooter is the runner. Variation - 5 goes block-to-block, 2 runs the baseline below 5. Options - diagonal skip passes to 2 - the high post can ballscreen to reverse the ball (or step out). |

| 10 Other options, e.g. against a 1-3-1 zone
- 5 starts weakside, comes ballside on a pass to 2, stays on a return pass to 1, and will cross the lane again only if 3 finishes a swing to 2 on the other side (variation - 5 is always weakside when 1 or 3 has the ball). |

| 11 3) 2-3 (two low posts) Two-guard front, 4 and 5 on the baseline with a runner. Options - 2 can cut up the middle - 2 can start in the high post - the weakside post flashes high on a corner touch, or double-team - 4 and 5 screen for 2 - drag action out of the corner. Doug Schakel - attack a 1-2-2 zone with two guards, two low posts, and a rover. Heath Millar - 3 dribble freezes to occupy the top and wing defenders, make the back of the zone come out to the corner on a pass. Coach K - look for 5 to flash to an open area then go back, stay behind the zone. See Duke (three deep), Atkins baseline, Runner (double low posts), Dave Odom rover (against a 2-3 zone), Heath Millar continuity, 5star baseline, also Kermit Davis vs 1-3-1, Schepp vs 1-3-1. Without baseline running, see Pitt vs 1-3-1, Syracuse vs 1-3-1.  |

| 12 Also see High-low basics.a) 3-out 2-in 4 and 5 x-cut on ball reversal, see Pitt, Hurley basic set (start with 4 and 5 on the baseline). Other post-movement options - x-cut low post, high post ( Bill Self, Memphis) - the low post steps out to the short corner ( Self, Heath Millar, UConn) - x-cut short corner, mid-post ( Kermit Davis zone motion, Bruce Weber) - stay on ball reversal and screen the back of the zone ( Canada Basketball). Sherri Coale - the weakside post attacks the area where the (on-ball) defender comes from (high post or short corner), the ballhandler must know where his defender came from. For other options (e.g. motion, drag action, bleeding on a skip pass, screening), see Self, Pitt, 5star high-low, Davis, Millar. For other entries, see Geno Auriemma (shallow cut), Izzo arm chop (4 ballscreens), Memphis (1-4), UConn (4-out with trailer), and Maryland Women (dribbling off centre).  |

| 13 b) Overload
Two-guard front, baseline runner, 4 and 5 x-cut.
See T-game (double-post), Steve Bzomowski.
For other options (e.g. entries, ballscreens, drag action), see Huggins dive and fill, Atkins North Carolina t-game, Kermit Davis four high, Atkins high, Heath Millar, also Dave Odom vs 1-3-1.
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