match-up zone offense
Submitted by abarron on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 09:55
I know that you can run your man-to-man offense against a match-up zone. I am in a conference where several teams play match-up zones. I know you can run the match-up but I am looking for something else to run against the match-up zone defense. Please assist me with any resources, articles, books, or any other type of information.
Thanks
I'm always to hear other
Match -up zone offenses
Coach,
Our primary defense has been the match-up zone and we ran into a team a few seasons ago at a tourney that really gave our match-up problems. I liked the match-up because we didn't have alot of players on the team and we really needed to protect our core group of players from foul trouble (we'd front the post whenever the ball was on the wing) and it would allow our bigs to play closer to the basket (and vice versa with our perimeter players) while maintaining an aggressive, on the ball pressure that can be missing from a straight zone.
After the game, I approached the coach and congratulated him on their victory and asked him what he they were running and he replied "The Shuffle". He was very open and told me a little about it and I looked it up on the web. Evidently, the offense was created, in part, by Dean Smith when he was an assistant at Air Force with Coach Spears. It's a pretty simple continuity and we started to run it ourselves. What makes it so effective is the number of weakside to ballside cuts, which can make it especially effective against a match-up. During that tourney game against the Shuffle, we continually found that our bigs were on the perimter and vice versa. You can run the Shuffle against man, zone or the match-up. When running it against match-ups (which we didn't see much of unless we were in practice) we'd de-emphasize the screening element and focus on cutting more.
Also, teams sometimes would try to overload against our match-up and it's always a good idea, no matter what defense you're facing, to penetrate the middle of the court.
Match-UP offense
Coach,
Do yourself a favor and purchase Pete Carill's "Chin Series" video. I have used this offense for 8 years now as our continuity offense out of our Princeton motion. We have gone strictly "Princeton" with everything in our program offensively and the "Chin Series" is great against any matchup zone defense. It's a shuffle cut type offense but utilizes backscreens, follow screens, and weakside to strongside cuts. You will get interior looks as well as check cuts for 3's out of this offense. All of these terms are "Princeton Offense" terminology and you will not be sorry that you purchased this video if you will buy it and take a look at it.
Excellent.
Shuffle Is a Great and Often Overlooked Offense
If you have a group of solid 2-3 position players who are somewhat athletic and can shoot the 3 the Shuffle is a very dangerous offense. It would work well against the Match-up because there is a lot of screening action between the PG to Center screens (difficult to bump or switch on) and the fact that your 2-3-4 men are constantly playing inside-outside in the course of the Shuffle's pattern. Again as I mentioned in an earlier post the key to beating Match-Up is good ball movement and constant screening actions forcing the defense to make coverage decisions and change defensive responsibilities. I'm always to hear other coaches ideas about what has worked for them as well to share with the many coaches around the world that follow The Basketball Highway.
passing drills
Coaches,
I'm looking for some good passes drills, if there's some good ones you'd like to share I would greatly appreciate it. Also, if you know of any good dvd's or books please let me know, i coach 6th grade boys and 8th grade girls.
Thank you,
Keys to Attacking the Match-up
Coach,
The reason some man to man offenses work against the Match-Up Zone is that they include two key elements that present problems for this defense, screening actions and more holes to penetrate primarily because of more fluid movement of players and the ball to stretch the defense. There are a lot of zone offenses that can work against the Match-up but key is they should involve a lot of player movement and screening actions. The screens force defenders to switch assignments or at least have to communicate changes in responsibilities. Often the screener can flash back into a gap off a screen to get a quick look on the interior of the match-up. Additionally, if you are facing an aggressive Match-Up or a Zone that extends in pressure, spread the court, include screening actions and look to penetrate hard into the middle of the match-up after a rapid ball reversal. This can force the defense to collapse to stop penetration and force match-up defenders to lose their assignments weakside. Stay tune, we have some animated clinics from the Highway we'll have coming in the next months that will demonstrate this concept. Many zone offenses fail to be effective against the Match-up from my perspective because they are gap and movement offensives which fail to put pressure on defensive assignment switches through the use of screening action. I like misdirection screening as well meaning you are screening away from the movement of the ball. This stretched the match-up and opens the interior for passes which present higher percentage scoring opportunities. Simple pick and roll situations can present some problems for the match-up as well if you have a great penetrator with the ball.
Let's hear from some other coaches in terms of what works for them against Match-Ups.