Gameplay Book

Gameplay System “Nash equilibrium”

Diagram Symbols

Positions Whilst we play a positionless offense, to initiate the motion, players will align themselves in a position based structure.

Guards ● Will be required to understand the opponent's defenses and command the offensive team on the court on how best to attack ● If you’re the inbound receiver, you will be challenged to take on a defender (while in back-court) in isolation. If double-teamed, open offensive players will make themselves available to pass to.

Forwards ● While setting up in the half-court set, you will be required to listen/watch the guard and align yourself to the designated set. ● If aligned on the interior, the position must be leveraged at all times. ● If guards are under a large amount of pressure you will be expected to assist in making yourself available for a pass or setting a .

Transitional Offense

From an inbound pass or in the backcourt ● The primary objective is to look for the . The secondary objective is to cross the halfway line as soon as possible. ● The closest player to the baseline will inbound to our strongest ball handler (on the court) ASAP to receive the initial pass. Initial receiver (now becomes current PG) will be ‘left on an island’ while remaining players get positioned in a half-court set. ● All other players put their backs to the sideline and travel upcourt ● If possible, while crossing the halfway line, the current PG will signal which alignment he/she believes will be best to attack the opposing defense, depending on the game situation, game flow/rhythm and previous advantages/disadvantages. ● Once the half-court set has been established the half-court offense can be initiated.

Offense

Half Court Set:

5 - Out 4 - Out 3 - Out

Tiered Spots:

There are 10 positions on the court which are divided into 2 tiers. Either tier can be used by players to establish spacing within a zone.

Domino Principle:

The domino principle is a spacing concept to give all players the opportunity to play free within a half-court set. The half-court is arranged into 6 zones.

● If you dribble or cut into another player's zone, your teammate will either: ○ Move to the next zone ○ Cut to the basket ○ Take a dribble hand-off

● If someone enters your zone, it's your responsibility to move to the next zone

● The domino principle creates a: ○ Delayed fill & replace system ○ Allows for dribble hand-offs to be executed ○ Creates a weak side double gap

● Communicating with each other when entering zones is crucial!!!

Offense system

● If you can beat your defender…do it!

● Spacing and positioning ○ At all times keep moving to remain in the signaled set ○ Away screen ○ Gain Position within the ○ Separate for space advantage ○ If a teammate is driving to the rim, the weak-side corner - must cut to the basket

● After a pass either ○ Cut to the basket ○ Set a ball screen ○ Set an away screen

● Screens ○ Screener - Jump-stop to set the screen ○ Ball Handler - Touch the back of screeners knee ○ Use ‘fist’ hand signal ○ It’s the ball handlers responsibility to get to the screener

● Gets - Find a key position on the court, use the ‘open palm’ signal ○ Ball handler passes to ‘get’ player and immediately cuts past the outside shoulder of ‘get’ player ○ ‘Get’ player can hand off to player cutting past ○ Fake handoff, drive, and score ○ Fake handoff, fake shot, pass back to cutting player ○ Catch & shoot

● Dribble-at’s - Ball handler towards a teammate ○ If defender overplays - Back cut to the rim ○ If defender players neutral - Jog towards the ball handler for handoff ○ If the defender underplays - Front cut to the rim

Defense

Positioning Principles: ● Pressure the ball - Elbow reach, high pressure, with the intention to force a bad pass or force the ball handler to pick up the ball ● Remove the threats - 1-step by 1-step distance, create the impression that the pass is available but remain ready to jump the pass ● Protect the basket - On the edge of the key (strong side) or under the basket (weak side). The objective is to take away and allow other defenders to play aggressively, knowing support is inside the key.

Defensive Formations: Red Blue Green Full Court Run & Jump Full Court Defense Half Court Defense

● Pick up player ● Pick up players ● Pick up players straight away straight away straight away ● Force player to the ● Then play 2-foot ● Then drop to the sideline lane distance half-court ● Shadow player ● Once player ● Create pressure and around the court crosses halfway confusion ● Don’t allow line, play as if it’s ● Defenders on immediate drive Blue alignment back-court align to intercept forced passes

Defensive System

● Do not mark the inbounder. Double-team their biggest threat. ● Players must communicate and match up against opposing players ● No defender is ever allowed to be behind the ball line - Allow the backward pass ● At any point during the game, coaches can signal to ignore the inbound passers. At which point, players are to the opponent's first threat ● Help defenders are expected to step in, plant their feet and keep their hands high ● During the shot attempt, defensive players are expected to put their forearm on an opponent and then aggressively collect the basketball ● We want to force more passes than we have defenders

Red ● Full pressure man to man defense ● Utilizes our run & jump principles ● Allows us to apply a high level of pressure to force opponents to pick up the ball early or make a bad pass ● Used at the start of the game, when teams are unable to beat the press and when we notice mismatches ● On-ball defender must have zero regards about getting beat, his primary job is to create pressure

Blue ● Full court man to man defense ● Allows us to apply pressure without overplaying ● Used when tired or when up by a comfortable lead ● We never give up the easy drive and never force a turnover

Green ● Half-court man-to-man defense ● Allows us to withdraw all pressure and play conservative defense ● Used when closing out (winnable) games, if we are unsuccessful in the press and when we are fatigued.

Run & Jump Principle

● Ideally, we force every possession to either sideline - Position yourself to encourage dribbler to take the sideline lane ● As soon as dribbler drives, on-ball defender sprints to get in front and the weak-side defender sprints to get into a blindside trap position ● All other defenders need to be in a denial position to intercept a forced pass ● As soon as dribbler has crossed the half-court line, on-ball defender must cut dribblers momentum while weak-side defender traps from the side ● Force dribbler to pick up the ball ● Hands high, close to ball-handler, high pressure ● No reach-in fouls, the objective is to force a bad pass ● Other defenders must stay in a denial position but ready to intercept a forced pass ● During any point of the defensive possession, players are able to jump the ball handler ● Sprint towards your teammate who is playing on-ball defense ● Yell ‘jump’ and gain the on-ball positioning ● Teammates need to trust each other and immediately switch to remaining open player ● During the confusion, the offensive player will either pick up the ball or make a difficult pass ● All players must be constantly aware of the ‘jump’ situation and be ready to pick off the pass

Rebounding System

Offensive rebounding

● All players inside the 3 point line fight for the offensive ● Once the ball is in your hands, ‘Go Straight Up’ ● All players outside of the 3 point line, retreat into safety position ● Only kick out if open player calls for the ball

Defensive rebounding

● All players inside the 3 point line ‘Hit & Collect’ the basketball ● Once the ball is in your hands, ‘Escape dribble’ ● Scan the court horizon from strong - middle - weak lanes ● Once open player is located pass ● If no open player is located, dribble up court’ ● All players outside of the 3 point line, advance up court with backs to the sideline.

Inbound series - Back Court

Inbound series - Front Court

Gameday Rules “We either win or we learn”

Gameday Player Guideline

● Follow the scheme (offense, defense & transition) ● Conduct yourself as a professional ● Be the teams biggest fan

Gameday Structure

● Before the game ○ On arrival, we are ‘at work’ ○ Collect kit & get changed ○ Light shooting only ○ Coach will assign a captain ○ Captain to coordinate warm-up

● During the game ○ Remain seated while on the bench ○ Approach table and inform them when substituting ○ During timeouts create 3 walls around the coach. Never stand behind another player ○ During substitutions, find out who your teammate was marking ○ Half time is a 3 coaches talk & 2 minute dynamic stretch period

● After the game ○ Jog over to the bench ○ Complete team shouts ○ Line up with captain at the front & coaches at the back ○ Shake hands with all opposing players, coaches, referees & table officials ○ Come back to the bench for 2-minute coaches talk