Special Defense: 1-1-3 Match-Up Zone

FIBA EUROPE
COACHES - DEFENSE
Special defense:
by David Blatt
1-1-3 match-up zone

David Blatt began his coaching career in
1993 as the assistant coach of Galil Elyon
(Israel). Later, he has become the team's
head coach, and stayed there until 1999. He
was named Coach of the Year in the Israel
National League in 1996. He became also
assistant coach of the National team of
Israel. In 2000 he went to Maccabi Tel Aviv
as the assistant coach, taking over the
head coaching duties in 2001 (winning two
national titles and playing in the
Euroleague Final Four). He was again
Maccabi's assistant coach in 2003-04, and
then in 2004 he went to Dynamo St.
Petersburg, where his team won the 2004-
05 FIBA EuroCup and was named Coach of
the Year for the Russian League. Since 2005
he has been coaching Benetton (Italy),
where his team won the 2005-06 Italian
title. He became the Russian Men's
National team head coach in 2006.
Nothing can replace solid fundamentals and

strong individual and team defense. But
there are players and teams with clear pro-
blems in their defensive match-ups, or with
the inability to deal with the basic defensive
situations. The main reason for these pro-
blems comes to the difference in technical
and physical skills.
A better strategic approach to this concern
can help hide these weaknesses, and can
change or ruin the opponents' offensive flow.
One of these strategies can be the use of the

1-1-3 zone defense to face the three most
common offensive plays of European basket-
ball:
1) Double high post with series of screens.
2) High pick-and-roll.
3) Play with the double exit for the guard.
RULES FOR DEFENDERS

These are the main rules for the single defen-
ders:
▼ The first defender must be in front, put-
ting constant pressure on the dribbler,
pushing him to one side of the court.
▼ The defender on the free-throw line must
switch on every screen, defend against
the high post, or guard the first pass to the
high-post player.
PAGE 24 | 24 2007 | FIBA ASSIST MAGAZINE
D.1 D.2 D.4
D.3 D.5
▼ The defender against the low-post player cuts along the baseline to the opposite side,
must prevent any pass to the post player, de- X5 goes high to guard 5, X3 goes low to guard
fending in front of him (or 3/4 in front of him, 4, X1 guards 2, X2 is on the free-throw line,
depending on the single defensive system or and X4 covers the paint (diagr. 5).
philosophy).
▼ The player on the wing must play against the DEFENSE AGAINST THE HIGH PICK-AND-ROLL MADE
offensive player on the wing, forcing him to BY 1 AND 4
get higher or lower (depending on how the The offense sets up a 1-4 set, with a point-
post player is guarded). guard and four offensive players on the same
▼ The defender in the paint must protect the line. 4 and 5 go high and make two screens: if D.6
rim and be responsible for the defensive re- 1 uses the screen made by 4, X2 switches and
bound on the weak side. goes against 1, while X1 guards 4 (diagr. 6).
DEFENSE AGAINST THE DOUBLE HIGH POST WITH A If there is a single screen with 5 going high to
SERIES OF SCREENS pick for 1, X2 must be ready to switch against
On the screen for 1 made by 5 against X1, X2 1, going out to the right or the left side, depen-
switches and defends against 1, who comes out ding on which side uses 1 to get out of the
of the screen and dribbles in the wing position, screen (diagr. 7).
while X5 goes high to the free-throw line in
order to guard 5, who rolls to the basket after If 1 passes the ball to 3, X1 goes to defend
making his screen (diagr. 1). against 3 and X5 guards 5, who cuts to the D.7
basket. X4 helps against 3, in order to make
If 4 comes off the lane and goes to the central easier the recover of X1 and then goes again-
side of the court to receive the ball from 1 and st 4, who has gone out to the corner (diagr. 8).
change the ball side, X1 goes to guard 4 and
X5 defends against 5 (diagr. 2). PLAY WITH DOUBLE EXIT FOR THE SHOOTING GUARD
2 cuts in the lane and can choose which side to
When 4 passes the ball to 2 on the opposite go off the screen, using the screen of 4 or 5. In
side, X3 goes to guard 2, X1 moves to the this particular example, 2 goes to the left and
elbow on the strong side and X2 moves to the uses the screen made by 4.
free-throw line, while X4 protects the basket
(diagr. 3). X3 goes to guard 2, X5 goes against 4. X1 then
goes to the elbow on the ball side and X2 on D.8
If 4, after passing to 2, makes a screen for him, the free-throw line, while X4 is protecting the
X3 switches and goes against 4. X1 guards 2, basket (diagr. 9).
while the other three defenders have the
usual responsibilities, as explained before If 5 screens against X3, X3 defends against 5
(diagr. 4). and X1 defends against 2, while X5 goes high
to the free-throw line, and X2 goes against 1
If, after our switch, 4 rolls to the basket and 5 (diagr. 10).
FIBA ASSIST MAGAZINE | 24 2007 | PAGE 25

FIBA EUROPE
COACHES - DEFENSE
D.9 D.12
D.10 D.13
D.11 D.14
The new situation will now have X3 guarding

5 and X1 against 2 (the player with the ball).
X5 is on the free-throw line, X2 defends
against 1, and X4 is low on the help side
(diagr. 11).
If 4 cuts from the low post in order to

screen on the opposite side, X1 switches
and goes against 2. X5 helps in the middle
and X4 is on the help side, while X2 stands
on the free-throw line and X3 (if the ball
isn't close to him) goes back to his position
in the low post (diagr. 12).
If 2 goes to the central side of the court,

cutting around 5 and 1 dribbles to the wing,
X1 defends against 1, X2 follows 2 and
stops on the free-throw line, when 2 gets
out of the lane. X4 guards 4 and X5 guards
5 (diagr. 13).
If 1 passes to 2, who is on the central line of

the court, and then cuts into the lane, X2
keeps on guarding 2 and, if 1 cuts in the
paint, X1 prevents him from receiving the
ball.
While 1 cuts in the paint, if 3 cuts along the
baseline, X3 follows him until X5 can guard
3. X5 can "leave" him to X4 (diagr. 14).
PAGE 26 | 24 2007 | FIBA ASSIST MAGAZINE
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What defensive strategies are described for dealing with common offensive plays?

How does the defense respond to a double high post with a series of screens?

FIBA EUROPE

1-1-3 match-up zone

Nothing can replace solid fundamentals and

One of these strategies can be the use of the

RULES FOR DEFENDERS

FIBA ASSIST MAGAZINE | 24 2007 | PAGE 25

The new situation will now have X3 guarding

If 4 cuts from the low post in order to

If 2 goes to the central side of the court,

If 1 passes to 2, who is on the central line of

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