Finishing the Defensive Trap

You begin by having two defensive players try to tie up the offense without fouling. Instead of having the defense flailing their arms, have the defense slowly move closer to the offense. You want to force the offense to give the ball to the defense by tying up a player for five seconds or causing a bad pass.  The offense tries to pivot away from the defense.  The drill lasts for six seconds. Have each player change positions twice in the drill.

Forcing the Offense Left or Right

Set up in your defensive stance. Your left foot is forward one foot away from the offense.  Now, place your left foot one foot to the left of the offense.  If the offense goes to the right, they will bump into you.  If the offense goes to the left, their progress will not be stopped.  This is the force left position.  The force right position places the right foot forward, one foot to the right of the defense.  This is the direction that you want to force left-handed players.

Proper Defensive Foot Movement

Proper defensive foot movement is crucial to the game. Practice this drill to improve your technique. Begin with the first step being a push off step in the opposite direction.  Start with the right foot forward and walk through the directions.  To move forward, push off with the backfoot, take one step forward with the right foot, step with the left foot and then step with the right foot.  Repeat four times with right foot and four times with the left foot.  To go backward with your right foot forward, push off with the front foot, swivel the body to face backward, step back with the left foot and then the right foot and then with the left foot swivel forward again.  Repeat the movement four times with the right and four times with the left foot.  To move left, you push off with the front of the right foot and step to the left with the left foot, stepover with the the right foot and then the left foot. Repeat four times with right foot forward and four times with the left foot forward.  To move right, push off with the back of the left foot and step with the right foot.  Step in front with the left foot and then with the right foot.  Repeat this drill four times with right foot forward and four times with the left foot forward. 

Overplaying Both Sides

Have two players start on one side of the lane. The offense tries to cut in front of and go behind the defense. The offense goes all the way to the other side of the lane. Have the defense prevent the offense from stepping into the lane. When the offense goes behind the basket, allow the offense to cross over to the other side of the lane. Continue to have the defense play the offense as they cross to the other side of the lane.  The defense should keep its head up and locate the offense by touch.

Forcing Left and Right at Full Speed

The offense should be able to move back and forth and left and right.  The distance between the offense and the defense is three yards. The drill lasts for 30 seconds with the offense switching to defense at the end of 30 seconds.  Now, have the offense line up head to head with the defense.  The offense moves side to side only.  The defense attempts to stay on front of the offense.  Repeat this drill for 30 seconds and then switch from offense to defense.

Force Left or Right with Slow Movement

You begin by having the offense walk back and forth as they wish. Faking is allowed to occur.  The defense should watch the midsection of the offense, not the ball, to avoid being faked out. Have the players force each other left for 30 seconds and right for 30 seconds and switch from offense to defense.  Next, have the offense jog back and forth, not to either side.  Have the players force each other left and right for 30 seconds each and then switch offense to defense.

Proper Body Position for Defense

It's important to have the proper body position for defense. Begin with your knees slightly bent and your feet wider than shoulder length apart.  Extend your right foot forward and rotate the left foot 45 degrees outward to the left.  Extend your right hand forward and slightly upward.  Your palm faces the defense.  Your fingers are spread fully and stretched upward.  Extend your left hand sideways, keeping it low to the ground to cover the ball.  Rotate the hand so that the palms face the ball and your fingers point downward.  Your body weight is on the ball of each foot.  Stay relaxed and be active.

Cover Down

Whenever the ball penetrates on a pass or a dribble, all players should cover down to the level of the ball and force it back out. When the ball is dribbled toward the baseline, the nearest help side defender must quickly stop the ball before it reaches the lane. If the ball is passed to the post, we keep him from dribbling by quickly covering down. When we cover down to the baseline from on top. When the ball is passed back out, all players recover to their man. USE THE CLOSEST MAN TO THE BALL RULE ON RECOVERY.

Playing Defense When You Lose Contact With the Offense

Have the offense and defense set up in the low post. A player at the top of the key attempts to pass the ball to the offense. Have the defense purposely lose contact with the offensive player. The defense should stay in the middle of the lane and watch the ball only, not the offense.  If you watch the passer, a pass cannot be thrown into the lane.  The passer tries to pass the ball to the open player in the lane within seven seconds.  In a game, a player locates their defensive assignment at the first opportune moment, when a pass cannot be thrown into the lane.  After seven seconds, switch the offense to defense.

Trapping the offense

You begin by having two defensive players and one offensive player. The defensive players set up one yard away from the offense with their inside feet slightly inside the feet of the offense.  The outside feet are both outside the feet of the offense and forward toward the offense.  The offense tries to walk by, through or around the defense.  The defense prevents this walking by moving with the offense, keeping the offense in the same relative position between the two defensive players.  Block the offense if they try to go around or through the defense.  Each drill lasts 15 seconds with each player changing positions three times.

Contest All Shots

Never allow an opponent to shoot the ball uncontested. The problem, however, with players attempting to block shots is the tendency to commit fouls. Therefore, the proper way to contest a shot is to stay on your feet facing the shooter until the shooter leaves his or her feet, then attempt to get your hand on top of the basketball. At the very least, get a hand up so it limits his vision of the basket or he has to shoot over you. While you may not block the shot, you will put the shooter under a maximum amount of pressure.

Watch his midsection

When guarding the dribbler, watch his midsection(waist). He can´t go anywhere without it, and you won´t fall for foot fakes or ball fakes.

Defensive Triangle

On Defense always be able to see your man and the ball (this is when your man doesn´t have the ball). When your man is 1 pass away, you can deny the player from getting the ball. You must be in a defensive triangle position with you, the ball and your man. Flatten out the triangle, with you at the center point of the triangle. Try to get a hand in the passing lane(straight line between the ball and your man). Position your head so that you can see both with your peripheral vision. Then slide up and back with your man, keeping that triangle position.

Defensive post position.

If a defender is posting you up (having his back to the basket looking for the ball)try to get in front and deny him the ball. If you can´t, get a good wide base and don´t let him back you in any deeper.Any contact with his elbows on your chest should be a foul on him.

Stance

The proper defensive stance is necessary in order to play good defense. On the ball, feet should be shoulder width apart, with the knees bent, and your butt down and your back straight. Your hands should be outside your knees with the palms up. You should be low(your nose to your man´s chest) in "nose-chest" position. When you are low, you can change directions more quickly, which is a key for playing great defense.

On The Ball Defense

One of the most important defensive concepts is the theory of keeping your body between your man and the basket. Your defensive positioning should always be between the ball and the man you are guarding. Be within an arms reach of your man, so you can put pressure on the ball. Focus on his belly button...where it goes, he will go. You can be faked out by his eyes, head and shoulder fakes. Try to make him go where he doesn´t want to go. From the middle of the court... force him to the sideline. From a wing position, force him baseline 12-15 feet away from the basket.

Wall Sits

A great exercise for increasing the strength and stamina needed in the legs for defense is wall sits. Take a position as if you were sitting in a chair with your back flat against a wall but with nothing underneath you to support your weight. Gradually build up the amount of time that you can do this.

Strongside Lane Closure

Strongside lane closure is the way you play defense when your man passes the ball and cuts to the basket. As s