Defence - 2-2-1 Basics

Defence
2-2-1 Basics

Start in a 2-2-1 set with the ball out of bounds.

On the inbounds pass to 1,

- X1 takes the ball
- X3 has short sideline
- X5 has long sideline
- X2 drops to cover short middle, taking away a pass to 3
- X4 drops to protect the basket (a pass to 5).

X1 can pressure the ballhandler (speed him up), or contain him (slow him down). Ball pressure can be straight up or more commonly force sideline (see 2-2-1 UConn, Mann, Oakland).

X1 and X2 are partners, when one takes the ball the other covers short middle.

X3 is in the passing lane to 2, in a open stance to see 2 and the ball.

X3 and X4 are also partners, when one covers short sideline the other protects the basket.

X5 is the interceptor on both sidelines.

Jim Calhoun - X3 gets into the passing lane to 2, any pass must be over his head. X2 pinches to the middle below ball level, making sure the ball doesn't come to the short middle by dribble or pass. X4 covers long middle.

Brendan Mann - X3 and X4 start at halfcourt, quite narrow, in an open stance to see the ball and a player. X5 is at the 3-point line. On the inbounds pass, X2 gets to the split line, taking away any short pass middle, X3 gets about 2/3 off the ball and 1/3 off a man, X4 takes away deep middle, X5 follows the line of the ball.

Fran Fraschilla - on the inbounds pass, X2 finds the middle man (here 3), sinking on a sharp angle to the middle. X4 is on a sharp angle to X3, ready to play a long diagonal pass. X3 plays in the passing lane on the sideline ("lanes" the pass). X5 always moves ballside, if a pass is thrown over the second-line defender (here X3) he can shoot the gap to steal the pass.

Isaiah Adams - 2-2-1 press (YouTube) - X1 forces 1 down the sideline, keep everything out of the middle. X2 takes away middle (somebody will be in the middle, here 3). X5 can take a couple of steps over, his next rotation is to take away 2.

Bob Hurley - use a 2-2-1 against teams that like to run, lane and slow them down, traps are generally at halfcourt. Always play man defence on a missed shot. They like a 2-2-1 press on a free throw, with two rebounders who play the front line of the press on a miss, and run back to the second line on a make.

Greg Kampe - the 2-2-1 can be used on a made or missed free throw, the front-row defenders are offensive rebounders unless shooting.

2-2-1 Tempo press (coachesclipboard.ca) - the goal is to slow the tempo, X1's job is to contain the ball, not to pressure. If the ball is dribbled, stay with the ball. X2 takes away any pass to the middle, fronting 3, and stays if the ball is dribbled. X3 has short sideline, X5 has long sideline, X4 covers the basket and a diagonal pass. The back defender never has basket responsibility.

Don Kelbick 2-2-1 - "straight line circles" - weakside X2 should have one foot in the centre circle, weakside X4 is in a straight line behind X2 with one foot in the foul circle. X5 shades ballside but protects the basket (don't give up layups).

Coach Mac 2-2-1 - conservative variation - X5 always protects the rim, here weakside X4 becomes sideline interceptor.

Other variations include denying an inbounds pass, and matching up on an inbounds pass.

See Defences - 2-2-1 UConn, Fraschilla, Mann, Oakland, Walberg, Kimble, also 1-2-1-1 (2-2-1) thumbs up, 1-2-1-1 Kentucky, YouTube playlist - 2-2-1 press.

X1 and X2 double team if 1 drives up the middle, X3 and X4 are interceptors, X5 is the safety.

If 1 blows by, X1 and X2 sprint to back tip, other defenders retreat (you will get steals from behind).

See 2-2-1 Walberg, 1-2-1-1 (2-2-1) thumbs up.

Calhoun - if 1 gets to the middle on the dribble, X1 tries to back-tip from behind, X2 tries to slow him down, the other defenders retreat.

Dean Smith (2-2-1) - on a slow dribble, X2 would give ground then sprint to double-team, surprising the ballhandler.

Aleksandar Dzikic - 2-2-1 press (FIBA YouTube) - they push the ball to the middle. They don't trap, they just want to slow down the offence. X1 and X2 set up outside the 3-point line, and let the ball come to them. Here X1 would be between the ball and his basket. The primary job of the second-row defenders is to protect a pass to the middle.

X1 and X3 trap if 1 drives up the sideline. The trap can be in the backcourt or frontcourt.

X2 and X5 are interceptors, X2 covers short middle, X5 covers the sideline (the obvious pass). X4 protects the basket.

If 1 spin dribbles, X2 can read it and attack from behind.

Mann - X3 can go early, get a good trap in the backcourt.

Calhoun - the first trap is not normally early. X3 comes up to trap when he sees that the ball is in full control by X1. As the ball nears halfcourt, X5 gets closer to the sideline, he mirrors the ball as it is advanced.

Adams - as X5 leaves to take away the sideline pass, X4 has to protect the rim.

Dean Smith - if 1 dribbles up the sideline, the defence drops back hoping to make something happen around the mid-court line with a double-team of X1 and X3, X5 moves over as interceptor, X4 would be goaltender, X2 an interceptor.

Fraschilla - have X4 and X5 play the second line so a big rotates to cover the basket, the deep man is usually the best interceptor (X3) because he must play sideline to sideline.

Tempo press - the only trap is up the sideline, either side of halfcourt.

Kelbick - he likes to trap just before halfcourt, opposing teams expect to be trapped once they cross half.

Variation - X1 and X2 trap, see 2-2-1 Oakland, Walberg, Kimble (In stunt).

The only pass available is to 4.

Option - trap if 1 passes up the sideline to 2 out of a trap, or before a trap.

Here there is a second trap on a pass up the sideline, by X3 and X5.

Coach Mac - the first trap is anywhere between the foul-line extended and halfcourt. A second trap can be very effective, the opposition won't be expecting it. On a lob pass over X3, X5 stops the ball then X3 comes to double team.

See 2-2-1 UConn.

Here 1 passes to 2 before a trap.

X1 and X3 trap a short pass, e.g. if 2 breaks back to the ball (shown).

X5 looks to intercept any long pass up the sideline, or X3 may be able to trap with X5.

Greg Kampe - trap if the ball is dribbled or passed into a sideline trap box.

Coach Mac - X5 and X3 trap if 1 passes up the sideline before or during a first trap.

See 2-2-1 Oakland.

If 1 reverses the ball to 4 in the middle of the floor, get back in a 2-2-1 box, with no ball pressure.

If 1 dribbles to the middle, X1 stays with the ball, and X2 stays with 3 in the middle.

Coach Mac - if the ball is reversed back to the middle of the floor, all players should be back to the original 2-2-1 positions. X1 and X2 are on the elbows with high hands to discourage vision and a pass up the middle. On a sideline pass, ballside X1 or X2 picks up the ball and forces sideline.

Basketball Canada - X1 can move over to pick up the ball, allowing X2 to remain in the middle.

Variation - X2 takes the ball, defenders get into a diamond shape, see 1-2-1-1 (2-2-1) thumbs up, 1-2-1-1 Kentucky.

X3 / X4 take away any pass up the middle.

X1 and X2 trap if 4 drives up the middle (shown).

X1 and X3 or X2 and X4 would trap any drive to the outside.

X5 has basket protection with the ball in the middle of the floor.

The 2-2-1 shifts on a pass to 3,

- X2 takes the ball
- X1 drops to cover short middle
- X4 has short sideline
- X3 drops to protect the basket, bumping X5
- X5 has long sideline.

X1 and X3 create a weakside.

If the ball goes from side to side in one pass,

- X1 drops to cover short middle, bumping X2
- X2 takes the ball
- X3 drops to protect the basket, bumping X4
- X4 has short sideline
- X5 has long sideline.

Weakside becomes strongside.

Calhoun - X2 holds until bumped by X1, he can't leave early or the middle would be open.

Fraschilla - X2 plays the ball, X1 sinks on a sharp angle to the middle, X4 "lanes" a sideline pass, allowing X3 to form a sharp angle with X4.

Tempo press - X1 and X2 "scissor" on a guard-to-guard pass, X2 holds in the middle for a 1 or 2 count then takes the ball (contain, do not pressure).

See 2-2-1 Mann, Fraschilla.

Look to trap if 4 drives the ball, or passes up the sideline, X3 protects the basket.

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