What are the Violations of Illegal Guarding? There isn't time to teach these things when they are juniors on the varsity team. My son has played for 3 years and the first year (3rd grade) I was a volunteer coach and his team worked hard but we had the least talented team and only won on game and that was a forfeit because the other team didn't show up (schedule mistake). The league says the rule is designed to reduce the risk of injuries, particularly concussions, and to create a more aesthetically pleasing product on the court. or do you want us to focus on winning games now and hinder their development in the future? I assure you that you can get the best of both worlds. It's attitudes like yours that are a detriment to youth sports everywhere. Here is the article:Important Lesson for Youth Basketball Coaches By Jeff Haefner Heres a guest post and very good lesson from Coach Ken Sartini. If they do, its a foul. Teaching how to play or beat a press or zone is like teaching calculus to a kid before he knows how to multiple and divide.This all depends on the age we are talking here and even what country you live in. Thanks. I'll be the first to tell you that the kids, and parents, didn't enjoy watching the team go 5-7. If the face guarder gets out of position or loses focus for just one moment, then the offense has a chance to make easy scoring opportunities. But the finer points of M2M defense are difficult to teach due to the above mentioned constraints. Usually, the distance to take into account is not less than 1 step. Defense on a particular player typically occurs within a small area on the court, so being agile will give you an advantage. I hope the kids that play under me get the most of the things I have control of, and I positively influence the things I have influence over. I get it. Protect your space with your front foot at 12 o'clock and once pass the defense, sever the angle by putting your body in front of the defense, putting the defense on your back. For all of those that are preaching about young kids need to learn the core fundamentals of man to man defenseyou need to realize that a lot of zone defense principles reflect man to man defense! Put yourself in a 3rd or 4th graders shoes. You can build offense in pieces as the season progresses but if you can''''''''t stop the other team from scoring, your done. That is a very legitimate issue with playing M2M D. I can't tell you what to do but here are some things for you to consider as you decide if you should teach M2M defense or not.- Teaching a good man defense is not easy. I wish varsity coaches would talk to the youth coaches in their communities to stress fundamentals and what they want to see and don't want to see out of the youth programs, since isn't it our job to prepare them for hopefully varsity and above athletics? It's hard explaining to my own 7th graders why we aren't going to use a zone defense when every team we come across uses it. I agree with J that the sportsmanship so many coaches preach to their players tends to disappear when it comes to their own personal desire. The Suns look to improve on that in Game 2 as the offense was stagnant at times in Game 1. CLYDEJACKSON - GOLF COAST BLUE CHIPS BASKETBALL SPORTS24 M DriveEast Hampton, NY 11937Phone: 409.939.3430Email gcbcbasketball0[@]gmail.comDownload on the AppStoreGet it on GooglePlay. The players must know how to cover these.The most important aspect of defense is communication. Discipline. "This is a great website. I'm afraid that using zones and junk defenses will get you a couple of extra wins now, but they will teach bad habits because kids can get away from good man principles (For example: swarming the ball, not watching their man, going for tons of steals) and be successful at the youth level. But it all starts with M2M fundamentals. https://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/coaching/youthdefensestory.html. Some had played in the 3rd grade and I even have a 3rd grader on my team. Johnny, great post.In our youth leagues, until grade 9 you have to play m2m and are not allowed to press. Get to the rim with ease (to create a shot for yourself or a teammate) b. There is always a diamond in the rough if you are willing to take the time to polish it. There are two types of face guarding: hand-checking and arm-barring. The Kings blew the Warriors out 118-99 in Game 6, dragging this heavyweight first-round series to a deciding Game 7 on Sunday afternoon back . My team panics and tends to make a bad pass. And when a kid makes the left hand layup in the game your credibility as a coach and mentor just went through the roof. Eliminating zones in youth rec play starts at the top I feel. I have 7 players on the team. The offender is penalized with a technical foul resulting in a free throw for the opposing team. Don't let these people bother you.As for the first part of your post..I was a varsity coach, so I knew what I was looking at.. you can watch some games and see some kids that are hands down, head and shoulders above the others no brainer they will play HS ball. how far, thats another story. Before our first game we had 7 hours of total practice. Its not rocket science Ken, just put em where they aint. Coach Tyler Whitcomb takes great pride in his team's defense. Fly past your opponent when you're quickly bringing the ball up the court. Just a thought! It is legal in high school basketball, though there are limitations on how it can be used. I think I was looking forward to it more than my son for a chance to learn. It is undeniably clear that over 99% of the youth coaches that teach zone first end up with players using bad defensive technique and developing bad habits. If you are a lockdown defender, you must be able to prevent your opponents from taking quality shots or taking shots period. Lunge forward to slap the ball away if a taller opponent faces you and dribbles. Does anyone have any suggestions?Thanks,Coach A. Hi guysHere are some thoughts on why coaches use these defenses. Its too late. Simply subscribe to our monthly newsletter and receive: 72 Basketball Drills & Coaching Tips - 136 page eBook, 21 Basketball Tips & Tricks for Players - 20 page eBook, 32 Winning Basketball Plays - 96 page eBook, Over 200,000 players, coaches and parents subscribed. The shorter your steps are, the quicker you are. My team is awesome and has an unbelievable amount of fun. The offensive players that are able to decelerate and slow down then explode to the next spot are the ones that create space for scoring . Even if the high school coach decides to play zone, the man principles that pounded into them from an early age will make them much better. My emphasis is every kid plays (league rules too) every kid contributes and every kid will score a point in a game at some point in the season. While guarding is legal in games, there are times where positioning makes it illegal. I completely understand the pressure to win (from parents, etc). If someone had stopped him from doing that some years ago and taught him a quick release, he'd be at leat twice as effective as he his now. We are trying different things but they don't seem successful. Deny passing lanes. So I would echo making M2M half court your primary and first defense to learn and go from there, but not get tied to any generalization that you can''t play this defense until X age. The point guard O1 dribbles toward the wing opposite the star and passes to that wing. Some players are naturally good on defense, but others need to practice so that they can improve in this aspect. My 12yr old son has done fine playing both types depending on the circumstance and it has given him some very good knowledge of strategies that can be employed. A defensive player is able to move vertically within the imaginary cylinder created after they have established themselves on the floor. On top of that, you have 2 or 3 defenders pressuring you. By using face-guarding, defenders can be more mindful about watching where other offensive players are moving and anticipate plays ahead of time. This way, they have to go through you if they want to score, and it makes it much harder for them to get open. Using feints, misdirection passes, and quick cuts, you can put your defender off balance and create opportunities for yourself or your teammates. Thats not an ideal situation for a child to learn how to handle the ball and recognize situations.Children of this age also dont have the mental-processing capabilities to handle those situations. I liked to think that I treated all my players the same - rotten just kidding kids need to know that you care about them as individuals, NOT just basketball players. Bottom line, we win. I have been coaching youth sports for 15 years from 1st grade to High School Football and basketball Boys and Girls and the notion that it is wrong to teach zones,presses and other defenses as well as man to man is garbage.I have 6th grade girls now and if you play man-2-3 zone 1-3-1 zone full court trap whatever they know how to break them both by alignment and how.Because we know how to run multiple defenses we also understand how to beat them. Loosing by 20 points a game is not fun and having some poor kid get embarrassed on the court is even worse. Sign up for our weekly 3-POINT PLAY email and get the latest updates and promotions from PGC. Is there any drill or anything she could do to help herself. Whatever you do in basketball is improved with practice. http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/haefner/should-you-use-the-popular-high-ball-screen-play-for-your-youth-team/, http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/defense/age.html, https://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/coaching/youthdefensestory.html, https://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/defense/age.html, http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6463#p6463, http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/blog/index.php/should-we-teach-basketball-skills-to-kids-under-the-age-of-10/, http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/coaching/dealing-with-parents.html, http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/pr/mandefense.html, http://www.positivecoach.org/uploadedFiles/Free_Tips_and_Tools/Coaches_Tools/ParentLetter.pdf, http://www.positivecoach.org/ConPics/Con79/parent_pledge.pdf, http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/coaching/teach-youth.html. Agility is something that can be increased through training. Defenders must respect this rule before establishing a legal guarding position on a player that is in the air. But its an effective way to defend against shooters and playmakers. Can You Put a Portable Basketball Hoop in the Ground? I don''t agree with what they do but at least they step up and volunteer to coach.I have played all Man D so far and have been very successful. They know how to move their legs, establish legal guarding position, come up with steals and deflections and keep their opponents out of the lane. I enjoyed reading Coach Coe's commets and agree that it is important to teach every last detail. I teach man everyday to my junior high group but if I did want to play a box and 1 how long would that take to teach 15 minutes? So don't give up on players or unevenly spread your coaching around. Basketball Defense: How to Defend the Back Screen and Floppy Actions Basketball Immersion 25.6K subscribers 4.5K views 3 years ago This is a sample of the videos that are posted on the. He related to me of a college coach that came in to coach some of his younger kids and taught nothing but fundamentals. plus three free eBooks with over 270 pages of our favorite basketball drills and plays! In the leagues my select team plays, we play the full high school rules. Often rule changes are made to accommodate the offense. Get your inside foot higher than your defenders top foot. That playing experience would have done wonders for my senior year. I am rambling, and I am frustrated with the league we have and its rules. Sorry but that is a fact. There needs to be some education in the youth world about proper teaching progressions. I would consider a 2-3 or box and 1 simply to give the girls a bit of a breakand yes, let them be lazy and take a breather every now and then. "Sometimes we can play a little faster and make quick decisions," Suns superstar Kevin Durant said . By 8th grade, some teams can effectively provide primary help in that situation, but get disorganized trying to provide secondary help.Effective help principles in M2M require a lot of time to teach, and are very confusing to young and inexperienced players who have trouble remembering who they were guarding to begin with.It isn't being "lazy". Can drain it from anywhere inside of 25 feet. I like Coach Sar's suggestion of using a low curl screen. 2023 Point Guard College LLP. Defenders that are considered to be lockdown defenders can do one or more of the following things really well. Makes no sense at all.If you haven't already be sure to read this article: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/defense/age.html. I understand that the fundamentals of man to man defense are important, but are 1/2 court zones and traps inherently bad for the youth players? It incourages lazy defense and lack of defensive awerness. The basketball defense rules state that a player playing defense should not push, hold on to, charge into or impede the progress of an opponent by using their appendages or body in any abnormal way. Failure to do this will result in an unsportsmanlike foul and lead to an injury if the offensive player does not land properly. The key is getting the floor spread and moving the ball quickly. (Prevents Spam). Not through this website, but by actually creating a feeder program. They don't. Lets take a look at what we consider to be a legal guarding position, how it is performed, and how it affects the basketball game. We probably don't get past half court on 50% of our possessions. The superstar opponent was a no show as he was suspended from school. Want more posts like this? I coach 7th grade boys and we recently loss to a team that runs a 3-2 defense with the 3 defenders on mid-court waiting for my ball handlers. So, up until then it was legal to put a hand in the face of a shooter. Also I am not going to lie I want them to win. That is the measure of your success as a youth basketball coach. You must take each category and break them down to the smallest detail. This face guarding drill is a sample of the full length instructional video called: 'Suffocating Pressure Defense' from innovative basketball guru, Tyler Whitcomb Learn a suffocating pressure. The ball side forward should be high and wide(10-15 ft above the 3 pt line and close to the sideline), weak side forward should be at the weak side block, this forces the defense to extend back to the basket some to cover the man. I am the assistant coach of a homeschool girls team (ages 12-18) and we are playing against a team we lost to 37-30 who played a Box-and-1 against us last time. Try to force your opponents to do things they are not good at. Coach -There are times when your talent level is down and you have to rely on some smoke and mirrors. (varstiy ball)Its not always about the smarter players, its also about who has the best players. Not much time especially if your kids can already play man. this is really gonna be helpful when i start basketball in Dec. Love the discussion! Just do your best to power him out of the post. By: Carlos Yap. Players inside work together to find open spots.Hope this helps. Sorry, fellas. I ran this myself A LONG time ago when I was coaching 8th graders. If I have SOME talent and need something to keep me close, I think we have to think out of the box. The Internet's #1 Website for Basketball Camps, Resources and Learning Products. Whatever method you choose, the goal is the same: to make it as tough as possible for your opponent to see the ball. Some kids are just out because their parents want them to get exercise ( which is great). We are allowed to play zone and I am teaching them how it works. Did you show the screener the proper way to screen and seal. We said that to say this, developing good basketball defense strategies is a lot harder these days than in the past, so it is unreasonable to expect a team or individual to prevent another from scoring consistently. Lets take a look at some of the different aspects of defense that you can work on to become a lockdown defender, the basketball defense fundamentals. I realize that at some levels time is a big factor - so planning is even more important. Additionally, coaches should assume a governing presence and be seen at practices and games. if you want a coach that wants to do everything he can to develop your players, develop skills, and set a great foundation for them, then you're in the right place. Face guarding is legal as long as the defender doesnt put their hand in the players face or obstruct their view with their body. I want them to learn that working hard not just for themselves but for each other, helping each other obtain victory feels good and gives them confidence. Try to work harder than everyone else to be the best when you step on the floor. Fortunately, I had a great experience but the one thing that did shock me the most was how little the HS coaches have time or desire to re-do or make a kids fundamentals sound. The "faceguarding" rule was changed in 2004-05 to include the player with the ball. Agility is something that can be increased through training. This discussion always baffles me. De'Aaron Fox scored 24 points and made a backbreaking 3-pointer that led the playoff newcomer Sacramento Kings to a second straight victory over the defending champion Golden State Warriors, 114-106. Face guarding is legal as long as it doesnt involve physical contact or impede movement. So as a high school coach, you have to waste the next 3 to 4 years trying to get them to break those horrible habits they learned at a young age from playing junk defenses, zones, traps, and full court presses.Coaches need to focus on the fundamentals if they are interested in the long-term development of the players, not just a quick win when a player is 10 or 11 years old. Another type of defense is zone defense, where players guard an area rather than a specific player. I told them that their education was the foundation for their lives. Understanding the restricted zone is equally vital for players, coaches, and referees, as it holds great value in a basketball game. Our rec league simply forbids it in grades 3-8. Most of the details are overlooked. It seems counterproductive for development leagues to be so focused on winning that the fundamentals of the game never get taught.Zones can be extremely successful, but even those are dependent on players understanding basic defensive concepts. My kids were a little upset and I think are starting to wonder why we don''t put in some zones. iT is best if the opposeing team has a point gaurd that scores often the most points(common 4th grade situation) that it is best to go into a sag defense. 2. But luckily there are strategies and techniques you can use to help you guard and even lockdown much quicker and faster players. So, still dont know if the box-and-1 would have had any effect. In addition to knowing when to go for a steal, being disciplined also means remembering what you learned during training for all the other aspects of defense and doing them when the situation presents itself. One of the biggest mistakes players make when guarding quicker players, is trying to cut off a player too quickly. One potential downside of face-guarding is that it puts much strain on the defending teams players. Practice and do what you practice. Coaches in highschool should not be that upset about a 9th grader having to learn the basics. COPYRIGHT 2023 - GcBcBasketball.Com - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Instead, while you are still down in the paint, create contact with your defender and get the high-foot advantage. Being able to break down the different key factors in personal defense and work on them will help you improve them individually and improve your overall performance, making you a Lockdown defender. Like the writer of this article says, make sure your team is confident in the offense. Try not to hurt him, but just see if you can distract him or make him uncomfortable. Just teach spacing and cutting was the plan (they all need to be developing fundamentals during the time we have together, passing, dribbling, defense and some shooting, although we play on a 10' rim and its a chuck not a shot). Trying running a Flex offense out of the 4 low set. All defenses break down when the ball goes inside. These tactics are part of the game. If defense is attempted outside of legal guarding position, it is considered to be a foul. It is very important for you to work on your defensive stance so that if you are required to do this for an extended period of a game, you are endurance will be on par. That said, what is the restricted zone in basketball? It hit me like a ton of bricks, that what I just taught these kids was all they were really going to get before they play HS ball. To become a lockdown defender, you must have good footwork. If a varsity coach or a rec coach can't hold up to that type of pressue, then we shouldn't be coaching.Keep up the good worknot everyone can coach this game. Are they keeping their eyes up? Coach is all about FAMILY NOT ME and screens are not part of the offense, I just feel bad that my daughter is always trying to get open and running the baseline till her tongue is hanging out. Putting one's body in the way of an offensive opponent is known as guarding. Your suggestions are very valuable but if your team depends upon only one or two players for scoring and/ or ball-handling, junk defenses will "love" to play you. 2. Here is a great reason to teach man to man. This distance gives you a cushion, so you can change direction when you need to without getting beat. While I realize coaching youth basketball can be extremely difficult (I also coach my son's 9-10 team), by not focusing on good man principles you are hampering the development of your players by laying back in a lazy zone defense.I see it in my own program with our freshman squad. The best way to keep him from overpowering you is to keep your arm on his back and lower your center of gravity so he can't push you back. The vast majority of high school coaches also run zones including the regional qualifying high school varsity coach that works as an asst for our youth teams. The NCAA defines face guarding as, "Purposely obstructing an opponent's vision by waving or placing hand (s) near his or her eyes" in Rule 10, Section 6, Article 1 in the official rules, which cover both men's and women's basketball. A team ran a box-in-1 on my point guard and my other guards could not handle the pressure. If your opponents are able to play to their strengths, it makes your job as a defender a lot harder. Required fields are marked *. basketball as long as the defender does not make contact with the offensive players. The next way you can blow past your defender is to utilize change of pace. Receive 72 drills, 32 plays & 7 shooting workouts! I like to have my better team defenders guarding other offensive players because I know that they will be reliable from a team defense aspect. If your opponents cant shoot, then they cant score. Enjoy I went to church this morning and as I was looking through the weekly bulletin I came upon this: Jesus said: A foolish person builds a house on sand. 1. I have been coaching for a lot of years at the Jr High level as well as 4th and 5th grade teams and I spend an average of 30 minutes a day on man-to-man defensive principals. Or try comng from behind to win a game by pressing a team when for the last 5 years ,since 7th grade, the kids have only played 2-3 and no longer know or never knew how to stay in front of somebody and use their feet to play good man to man defense without getting burnt. In addition to relaying information, one must learn how to listen and interpret information received. I've seen it first hand. Lockdown defenders know how to communicate with their teammates effectively. in our rec leagues, 3rd grade up to 8th, there is a no zone rule. Bottom line is you better teach stances, footwork, balance, rotations, and all of that regardless of what type of defense you play. One type of defense is man-to-man defense, where each player guards a specific player on the other team. Becoming a lockdown defender takes discipline and effort. OK, thats my sermon for the day. So it works pretty well. Try to force your opponents to do things they are not good at. Try to keep within an arm's length of your opponent at all times, unless he drifts far from the basket. Take away his best move, force him left etc and make sure that you have a lot of help. If we are to have a good program we need to build from the bottom up ( the foundation ) and that begins at the lowest level possible, teaching the fundamentals of the game and how to play, NOT just sets and winning as the end all. Rather, they learn how to play out of position and other tactics that take advantage of flaws in our developmental leagues. Problem with spreading the floor is, my girls are maybe strong enough to throw a 10 - 12 foot pass and most of the time its one second too late. I'm a little bit worried that they are creating all-star teams in 1st and 2nd grade and traveling across the state to play other teams.