Defense press Scramble press SCRAMBLE PRESS RULES AND ALIGNMENT
THE SCRAMBLE PRESS IS A MAN TO MAN PRESS. THE ONLY MAN THAT IS NOT GUARDED IS THE MAN TAKING THE BALL OUT OF BOUNDS. EVERYONE ELSE HAS A MAN AND THE OTHER DEFENDER IS THE FLOATER THAT STAYS ON BALLSIDE WHERE THE OFFENSE IS TAKING THE BALL OUT BUT IS OVER THE TOP OF THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE LOOKING TO STEAL THE LOB. AFTER THE BALL IS INBOUNDED IT IS ALOT LIKE THE RUN AND JUMP. YOU MAY SWITCH MEN, YOU WANT TO TRAP WHERE YOU CAN AND ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE BACK FOR NO EASY SHOTS. IF THEY BREAK THE PRESS, THE DEFENDERS MUST TRANSITION QUICKLY TO THE OTHER END OF THE FLOOR.
1. ANYONE BELOW THE FT LINE IN THE BACKCOURT IS FACEGUARDED. THIS MEANS THEY DO NOT SEE THE MAN, THEY ONLY
SEE THEIR MAN AND ARE LOCKED IN ON HIM. THE FT LINE AND FT LINE EXTENDED IS THE THRESHOLD IN THIS DEFENSE.
2. IF THE MAN YOU ARE GUARDING GOES PAST THE FT LINE EXTENDED THE MORE YOU OPEN UP TO HIM AND START SEEING THE BALL, YOU WILL ALSO NOT BE AS CLOSE TO HIM.
3. IF THERE ARE TWO GUARDS ON OFFENSE UP TOP AND THEY SCREEN OR SWITCH SIDES OF THE FLOOR, THE TWO GUYS FACEGUARDING JUST SWITCH MEN.
4. THE DEFENDER WHO DOES NOT HAVE A MAN IS ON BALLSIDE AND WILL USUALLY BE THE MAN WHO IS IN THE FIRST TRAP.
5. THE GOAL OF THE SCRAMBLE PRESS IS TO TRY TO GET 2-3 TRAPS BEFORE HALFCOURT OR GET A TURNOVER FOR A STEAL.
6. IF THEY BREAK THE PRESS, THE SHOTS YOU DO NOT ALLOW ARE OPEN LAYUPS, SHORT "KISSES OFF THE GLASS" AND WIDE OPEN 3 POINTERS.
7. YOU WILL ALWAYS ALIGN YOURSELF THE WAY THE DEFENSE IS ALIGNED. IF THEY HAVE 2 UP, YOU ARE FACE GUARDING TWO. IF THEY HAVE ALL 4 UP YOU FACE GUARD ALL 4 AND HAVE ONE MAN RIGHT OVER THE TOP OF THE LINE AND DISCOURAGE THE LONG PASS OR THE LOB OVER THE TOP.
8. THE BACKMAN OF THE PRESS NEEDS TO BE GOOD AT STOPPING THE 2 ON 1 IS IT HAPPENS. PRACTICE SITUATIONS WITH HIM. ENCOURAGE HIM TO LET THE OFFENSE TAKE THE MID-RANGE JUMPSHOT.
9. AFTER THE BALL IS IN BOUNDS, YOU TRAP AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE AND TH OTHER DEFENDERS KNOW WHERE THEIR MAN IS BUT THEY FLOAT LOOKING FOR THE STEAL.
10. THE TRAP IS VERY CRITICAL, ESPECIALLY THE 2ND TRAP. MOST TIMES YOU WILL GET ONE TRAP, IF YOU CAN GET THE 2ND TRAP YOU WILL MOST LIKELY GET A TURNOVER.
11. IF YOUR MAN IS AT HALFCOURT AT THE START OF THE PRESS, YOU PLAY OFF OF HIM AND FLOAT TO
1 Defense press THE MIDDLE BUT STILL CAN NOT ALLOW THE PASS UP THE SIDELINE TO HIM. IF HE RUNS UP YOU RUN UP WITH HIM, THE CLOSER HE GETS TO THE FT LINE EXTENDED THE CLOSER YOU GET TO HIM. IN ONE POSSESSION YOU COULD GO FROM OFF THE MAN, TO HIM RUNNING UP AND YOU 3/4 DENYING HIM TO FACEGUARDING HIM ONCE HE CROSSES THE FT LINE EXTENDED THRESHOLD.
12. ENCOURAGE THE BALL TO THE SIDELINES.
13. YOU CAN NOT ALLOW FOR THE OFFENSE TO PASS THE BALL IN AND BACK TO THE INBOUNDR AND THEN LET HIM TAKE OFF SPEED DRIBBLING DOWN COURT, STOP DRIBBLE PENETRATION AND PUSH OUT.
THE DIAGRAMS THAT FOLLOW WILL SHO YOU THE ALIGNMENTS.
IN THIS SITUATION THE DEFENSE HAS 2 GUARDS UP AND 2 PLAYERS AT HALFCOURT. ON DEFENSE TRIANGLE 1 AND 2 ARE FACEGUARDING AND 3 IS THE "FLOATER" WHO WILL LOOK FOR THE STEAL IF THEY TRY TO LOB OVER THE TOP AND HE WILL BE THERE FOR THE FIRST TRAP. 4 IS OFF HIS MAN A LITTLE BUT STILL DISCOURAGING THE PASS TO HIS MAN UP THE SIDELINE. 5 IS THE BACKMAN WHO IS GUARDING 3. IF 3 RUNS UP ON THE WEAKSIDE, THEN 5 MUST GO WITH HIM. THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IS THE "FLOATER", HE MUST BE QUICK AND SMART. HE MUST BE ABLE TO STEAL PASSES, TRAP QUICKLY AFTER THE BALL IS INBOUNDS AND ALSO BE AWARE OF THE LONG BALL IF THE TWO OFFENSE AT HALFCOURT RUN UP TO THE BALL. HE WOULD TURN INTO THE BACK MAN OR SAFETY IN THAT SITUATION.
IN THIS SITUATION THEY ARE IN A 1-1-2-1 SET ON OFFENSE. WE HAVE ONE MAN FACEGUARDING. TRIANGLE 3 IS THE FLOATER AGAIN AND WILL FOLLOW OVER THE TOP OF WHERE CIRCLE 2 GOES SO THAT THEY CAN NOT LOB OVER THE TOP TO HIM. TRIANGLE 4 IS ON WEAKSIDE AND IS PLAYING THE MIDDLE BUT STILL KNOWS HE HAS HIS MAN.
2 Defense press IN THIS SITUATION THEY HAVE 3 UP AND 1 GUY BACK. THE 3 GUYS UP ARE BEING FACEGUARDED WITH THE FLOATER ON BALLSIDE RIGHT OVER THE TOP. 5 IS PLAYING OFF HIS MAN BUT MAKES SURE THAT A LONG PASS CAN NOT BE MADE TO CIRCLE 4 DOWN THE FLOOR.
THEY HAVE 4 UP IN THIS ALIGNMENT. IF YOU WILL NOTICE, THE FLOATER HAS STAYED THE SAME. IT MAY NOT BE LIKE THIS EVERYTIME BUT TRY TO HAVE THE SAME GUY BE THE FLOATER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. IF CIRCLE 4 WERE TO TAKE OFF LONG, 3 WOULD PICK HIM UP AND 5 WOULD BE THE OVER THE TOP MAN. THEY JUST SWITCH POSITIONS. HE WILL HAND HIS MAN OFF AND PLAY THE FLOATER POSITION. YOU USUALLY DO NOT WANT YOUR 5 MAN AS THE FLOATER UNLESS HE IS ATHLETIC, BUT AT SOMETIMES HE MAY HAVE TO PLAY THIS ROLE.
THIS SHOWS THE ALIGNMENT FOR 1 GUY UP TO 4 GUYS UP. I WILL SHOW YOU HOW THE MOVEMENT SHOULD BE KNOW.
THEY START IN A 2 UP ALIGNMENT. 3 ON WEAKSIDE TAKES OFF LONG FROM HALFCOURT. 4 TAKES A FEW STEPS TO DISCOURAGE THE PASS BUT DOES NOT GO ALL THE WAY WITH HIM, HE WANT TO GAMBLE SOME. 4 ON BALLSIDE SPRINTS UP, TRIANGLE 5 STAYS WITH HIS MAN AND THE CLOSER HIS MAN GETS TO THE FT LINE EXTENDED, THE CLOSER HE GETS TO HIM. WHEN 4 GETS TO THE FT LINE EXTENDED, TRIANGLE 5 WILL GO FROM 3/4 DENY TO FULLFRONT FACEGUARD. CIRCLES 1 AND 2 ON THE ELBOWS JUST BREAK AND GO OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. WHEN EVER THEY DO THIS THE DEFENDERS JUST SWITCH MEN AND FACEGUARD THE OTHER MAN. THE BALL IS PASSED INTO 2 IN THE CORNER AND 3 AND 2 TRAP HIM AND THE OTHER GUYS ARE MANNED UP FLOATING AND GAMBLING. IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT ONCE THE BALL IS IN PLAY THE YOUR MAN THE IS FURTHEST BACK GAMBLES UP AS MUCH AS HE CAN SO HE CAN HELP THE OTHERS. BUT IF HE EVER SEES SOMEONE TAKE OFF DRIBBLING HE HAS TO GO PROTECT THE BASKET QUICKLY.
3 Defense press IN THIS SITUATION IS SHOWS THE TWO GUARDS STACKED. THE WAY TO GUARD THIS IS THE TWO DEFENDERS GET IN FRONT OF THEM STACK AND TALK TO EACH OTHER AND ONE FACEGUARDS WHOEVER BREAKS TO THE RIGHT AND THE OTHER FACEGUARDS WHO EVER BREAKS TO THE LEFT. THE FLOATER(3) STAYS ON BALLSIDE.
THIS WILL SHOW IT THROUGH TO TWO TRAPS AND THEM BREAKING THE PRESS AND THE DEFENDERS GETTING BACK AND PLAYING DEFENSE.
2 BREAKS OPEN AND THE PASS IS MADE TO HIM. 3 BREAKS ACROSS HALFCOURT AND TRIANGLE 4 MOVES WITH HIM BUT PLAYS THE MIDDLE A LITTLE SINCE THE BALL IS BEING TRAPPED CIRCLE 2 SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SEE GOOD. 5 COMES IN BOUNDS FOR REVERSAL AND CIRCLE 1 BREAKS TO THE LEFT SIDELINE AND 1 GOES WITH HIM BUT IS NO LONGER FACEGUARDING.
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2 PASSES IT TO 5 AS 5 STEPS IN. THE CLOSEST TWO GO TO TRAP AND THE OTHERS MUST SCRAMBLE TO COVER THE OTHERS. THIS IS WHERE 5 MUST HELP BY MOVING UP A LITTLE AND COMMUNICATING. THE TWO THAT TRAPPED WERE 2 AND 1. 4 SPRINTS FROM MIDDLE TO COVER 1 ON THE SIDELINE AND 3 BREAKS BACK TO COVER MIDDLE.
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4 Defense press 5 PASSES BACK TO 2 AND 2 DRIBBLES HARD UP THE SIDELINE. THIS SIGNALS 5 TO PROTECT BASKET. 3 IS CLOSEST TO THE DRIBBLER AND WANTS TO TRY AND GET AHEAD OF HIM BUT NO TOO CLOSE, HE WANTS HIM TO KEEP HIS DRIBBLE. IF 3 PLAYS THIS RIGHT, THIS WILL GIVE THE REST OF THE DEFENSE TIME TO ROTATE. 2 SPRINTS FROM BEHIND TO GET THE BACKTAP OR TRAP IF IT IS THERE. 4 SPRINTS FROM MIDDLE TO 3 WHO BROKE DOWN THE SIDELINE FOR THE PASS FROM 2. 1 BREAKS TO THE MIDDLE BUT DEFENDER 1 SPRINTS TO MIDDLE TO COVER IT. 2 PASSES THE BALL UP THE COURT TO 3. THE PRESS IS BROKE AND NOW THE TEAM IS THINKING EITHER MAKE THEM TAKE A BAD SHOT OR MATCHUP.
2 LOOKS TO SCORE AND PENETRATES IT IN. THIS IS WHERE YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH YOU BACK MAN. HE STUNTS AND ALLOWS 4 TIME TO GET BACK ON DEFENSE AND 5 EITHER GIVES HIM THE SHORT JUMPER OR TAKES THE CHARGE. EVERYONE ELSE MATCHES UP.
FROM THIS POINT YOU CAN PLAY WHATEVER HALFCOURT MAN2MAN YOU WANT OR SWITCH TO A ZONE IF YOU HAVE WORKED ON IT.
THE BEST CHANCE TO GET A STEAL IS AT THE BEGINNING. I HAVE SEEN AND BEEN APART OF ALOT OF 5 SECOND CALLS OR THE INBOUNDER WILL GET CLOSE TO THE 5 SECOND CALL AND WILL TRY TO LOB IT OVER THE TOP. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE TEAM KNOWS HOW TO FACEGUARD FOR 6 SECONDS HARD. TEACH THEM TO USE THEIR BODY TO BLOCK THE CUTS TO GET OPEN.
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