Knowledge (XXG)

2–3 zone defense

Source 📝

40: 278:"Hiding" poor defensive players—because the 2–3 zone is so team-oriented, players who are less effective defensively are less likely to be exploited by the offense. It is very difficult to target just one defensive player in the 2–3 because the zone is always shifting and players work together. Similarly, using a 2–3 more evenly distributes fouls throughout the players on defense, meaning foul-prone players are less likely to accumulate many fouls or foul out. 238:
feet in the direction of the right wing and the player with the ball. Similarly, if that player moved to the right corner, the 4 player would move to guard him and the rest of the defense would shift towards that direction. So much so, in fact, that ideally no defensive players should be on the left side of the court at all, because it would require several passes, or a long pass(skip pass) through the defense to get the ball to the left side.
1520: 566: 308:
areas of the court (zones); so, it is more difficult to quickly and accurately assess where the offensive players are, and which defensive players are supposed to block them out. As a result, 2–3 zones often yield more rebounds for the opposing offense, which can tire out a defense, and/or put them far behind in scoring.
250:— this is probably the most important thing to remember when playing a 2–3 zone. Players should talk to each other on the court about who's open, who should be where, what to do, and everything else worth knowing. The team must work together, and the best way to do so is to communicate with each other on the floor. 307:
Rebounding—in man-to-man defense, defensive players know whom to "block out" if the shot misses, and an offensive rebound's attempted; each defender covers the individual offensive player they're assigned to personally defend. However, in the 2–3 zone, defensive players do not guard individuals, only
237:
For example, if a player with the ball stood on the right wing (beyond the three-point arc), defensive players 1 and 2 would shift towards that direction. To effectively operate the 2–3 zone, a defense must move as a whole. In this case, that would mean every defensive player shifting around 5 to 6
233:
The individuals that make up a 2–3 zone are often described as "being on a string." This means that as one player moves, he pulls the imaginary string (which is attached to every defensive player) and therefore pulls the entire defense in that same direction. As the ball moves throughout the court,
225:
The widespread use of the 2–3 zone is likely due to its somewhat intuitive operation. The two players on the top of the zone are usually a team's guards, and they guard the zones closest to them on the perimeter and three-point arc. In the same way, a team's forwards guard the sides of the zone and
319:
line area (i.e., the center of the 2–3 zone) is often a weak spot in the zone that is exploited by the offense. Multiple defensive players tend to "collapse" (i.e., converge at once) on an offensive player who has the ball in this part of the zone, leaving other offensive players unguarded on the
299:
Perimeter scoring—because the 2–3 zone often leaves some parts of the perimeter wide open for the opposing offense's long-range shooters, offenses that excel at 3-point shots and mid-range jump shots always have a chance to keep the score even (or, to build large leads). This is probably the 2–3's
281:
Slowing the game (Gibson)—Because the 2–3 often guards the interior of the court well, offenses generally pass the ball around the perimeter frequently before attempting to penetrate the defense or initiate an offense. As a result, it takes longer for an offense to take a shot, and therefore slows
274:
Forcing outside shots—it generally holds true that as players get further away from the basket, their chances of scoring decrease. The 2–3 essentially fills the middle of the court and is very effective at preventing penetration into the lane and heart of the defense, leaving the perimeter as an
323:
Degree of difficulty—because the 2–3 zone relies so heavily on well-timed teamwork, each individual player must know exactly where to be at all times. Because a zone defense is more complex than simply following one player always following his counterpart around the court, there is a higher
334:
The 2–3 zone is sometimes called a 2–1–2 zone, simply because the player (usually the center) standing under the basket moves further up on the key. The concept, however, remains the same. The 2–1–2 concept is used when the other team runs cutters to break down the
282:
the tempo of the game. Therefore, hypothetically defensive players have more time to catch their breath as a result. Also players exert somewhat less energy in a zone than in man-to-man since they often cover less ground while playing defense.
234:
every player should shift simultaneously in the direction of the ball. When a player in the zone is shifting, that player should look to fill in gaps of space vacated by other shifting players and also guard offensive players in that space.
285:
Fewer offensive plays—There are far fewer zone offenses than there are man-to-man offenses to prepare for as a defense. As a result, defenses often have a better idea of what to expect from the offensive team when playing a zone
260:
Offensive players closer to the basket take priority. The defense begins at the basket and radiates outwards—the idea is to force the offense to take shots from the perimeter and prevent access to the basket and surrounding
892: 303:
Playing from behind—teams that are losing rarely use the 2–3 zone, because it gives the opposing offense ample time—and space—to repeatedly pass the ball around the perimeter, reducing the amount of time left in the
141:. It is referred to as the 2–3 because of its formation on the court, which consists of two players at the front of the defense (closer to half court) and three players behind (closer to the team's basket). 256:
Although it is a zone defense, players should always be aware of the offensive players' locations on the floor. It is more important to guard an open player than stay within the normal constraints of the
324:
probability that at least one defensive player will forget which opposing player he/she was assigned to guard. Players must be extremely practiced and knowledgeable to run a 2–3 zone correctly.
198: 214: 837: 187: 157:'s team, Grafton YMCA, in West Virginia. The zone defense was used because the gym floor was made of green pine and it was very slippery when wet, when the roof leaked. 210: 173: 180: 253:
Players should anticipate the next pass before it happens, so that when it does, each person knows where to go on the floor and fewer breakdowns happen.
480: 295:
On the other hand, there are many reasons why many coaches prefer not to use the zone. Its strengths can easily become its weaknesses, which include:
168:
that Cam Henderson was using. The top defender dropped back to form the 2–3 zone. Henderson developed this style of basketball successfully at
452: 424: 202: 1327: 383:
Coach Don Casey & Ralph Pim, Own the Zone – Executing & attacking the zone defense, New York: McGraw Hill, 2008, p. 18
374:
Coach Don Casey & Ralph Pim, Own the Zone – Executing & attacking the zone defense, New York: McGraw Hill, 2008, p. 18
1322: 627: 1556: 226:
its center guards the lane and center of the defense. As the opposing team moves with the basketball around the court, the
634: 363: 1551: 447: 311:
Gaps in the zone—there are a few areas on the court that often cause breakdowns in the 2–3 zone, especially at the high-
1230: 842: 692: 462: 169: 1498: 1368: 1235: 659: 513: 417: 393: 1250: 863: 536: 531: 1482: 1422: 1392: 1172: 1119: 990: 887: 868: 669: 639: 611: 1530: 1342: 829: 649: 596: 591: 551: 546: 503: 490: 270:
The 2–3 zone is a very effective defense when executed properly. This defense's strong suits include:
161: 1215: 1182: 1144: 1029: 969: 877: 733: 1402: 1363: 1082: 882: 810: 644: 574: 410: 31: 1460: 1299: 1154: 913: 908: 858: 702: 622: 138: 1524: 1465: 1397: 1210: 952: 940: 679: 601: 312: 39: 1432: 1417: 1407: 1279: 1192: 1051: 927: 707: 1503: 1427: 1240: 1167: 957: 712: 345: 1358: 1225: 1202: 762: 697: 654: 541: 498: 1545: 1470: 1411: 1187: 1177: 1046: 800: 788: 783: 687: 150: 101: 1439: 1337: 1314: 1289: 1162: 793: 1284: 1274: 1245: 1114: 1098: 1007: 962: 767: 757: 206: 17: 1477: 1220: 1019: 985: 664: 526: 433: 316: 191: 165: 1036: 1024: 1014: 947: 935: 741: 586: 154: 1139: 1041: 995: 521: 217:
championship playing the 2–3 zone, which has become Boeheim's trademark.
1444: 565: 1002: 470: 137:
is a defensive strategy used in basketball as an alternative to
406: 475: 402: 153:'s Bristol High School first used a 3–2 zone defense against 190:(NAIA) championship title with his 2–3 zone defense and 1491: 1453: 1385: 1351: 1313: 1298: 1267: 1201: 1153: 1132: 1107: 1091: 1075: 1068: 978: 926: 901: 851: 828: 809: 776: 750: 732: 725: 678: 610: 573: 512: 489: 461: 440: 123: 115: 107: 96: 91: 83: 75: 67: 62: 54: 49: 188:National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics 164:did not provide the rebounding support for the 418: 8: 30: 1295: 1150: 1104: 1072: 975: 848: 747: 729: 579: 458: 425: 411: 403: 183:, to snap their 40-game winning streak. 356: 29: 320:wings, blocks, and/or baseline areas. 186:In 1947, Henderson led Marshall to a 7: 179:In 1938, Marshall University upset 25: 394:"Fraschilla: Syracuse's 2-3 zone" 275:offense's most accessible option. 1518: 564: 38: 27:Defensive strategy in basketball 172:, before moving on to coach at 221:How to play a 2–3 zone defense 1: 364:Basketball by David L. Porter 346:HoopTactics: 2-3 Zone Defense 300:most obvious Achilles' heel. 1573: 291:Weaknesses of the 2–3 zone 170:Davis & Elkins College 151:Eli Camden "Cam" Henderson 44:2–3 zone initial alignment 1512: 582: 562: 266:Strengths of the 2–3 zone 37: 640:Time line (8/10 seconds) 92:Play Development Credit 58:Half court zone defense 1557:Basketball terminology 1483:Chuck Taylor All-Stars 242:Key points of emphasis 181:Long Island University 1531:Outline of basketball 1525:Basketball portal 504:Protocol of Stockholm 1030:Backboard shattering 315:area. The high post/ 230:shifts accordingly. 1552:Basketball strategy 645:Basket interference 203:Syracuse University 174:Marshall University 119:Bristol high school 108:Year play 1st used: 84:Other common names: 34: 32:Basketball playbook 139:man-to-man defense 1539: 1538: 1381: 1380: 1377: 1376: 1263: 1262: 1128: 1127: 1064: 1063: 1060: 1059: 922: 921: 893:100-point scorers 824: 823: 721: 720: 602:Trent Tucker Rule 560: 559: 453:Index of articles 448:Glossary of terms 131: 130: 116:Play 1st used by: 16:(Redirected from 1564: 1523: 1522: 1521: 1369:Triangle-and-two 1296: 1280:Full-court press 1151: 1105: 1073: 976: 849: 748: 730: 708:Three-point play 580: 568: 459: 427: 420: 413: 404: 398: 397: 390: 384: 381: 375: 372: 366: 361: 162:3-2 zone defense 135:2–3 zone defense 97:Designed 1st by: 71:2–3 zone Defense 50:2–3 zone Defense 42: 35: 21: 18:2-3 zone defense 1572: 1571: 1567: 1566: 1565: 1563: 1562: 1561: 1542: 1541: 1540: 1535: 1519: 1517: 1508: 1487: 1449: 1373: 1347: 1309: 1294: 1259: 1241:Grinnell System 1197: 1149: 1124: 1103: 1087: 1056: 974: 918: 897: 847: 843:Winning streaks 838:Player tracking 820: 805: 772: 746: 717: 713:Four-point play 674: 606: 569: 556: 508: 485: 457: 436: 431: 401: 392: 391: 387: 382: 378: 373: 369: 362: 358: 354: 342: 331: 293: 268: 244: 228:zone as a whole 223: 215:NCAA tournament 147: 68:Technical name: 45: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 1570: 1568: 1560: 1559: 1554: 1544: 1543: 1537: 1536: 1534: 1533: 1528: 1513: 1510: 1509: 1507: 1506: 1501: 1495: 1493: 1489: 1488: 1486: 1485: 1480: 1475: 1474: 1473: 1463: 1457: 1455: 1451: 1450: 1448: 1447: 1442: 1437: 1436: 1435: 1430: 1425: 1415: 1405: 1400: 1395: 1389: 1387: 1383: 1382: 1379: 1378: 1375: 1374: 1372: 1371: 1366: 1361: 1355: 1353: 1349: 1348: 1346: 1345: 1340: 1335: 1330: 1325: 1319: 1317: 1311: 1310: 1308: 1307: 1304: 1302: 1293: 1292: 1287: 1282: 1277: 1271: 1269: 1265: 1264: 1261: 1260: 1258: 1257: 1256: 1255: 1254: 1253: 1248: 1243: 1233: 1231:Cherry picking 1228: 1218: 1213: 1207: 1205: 1199: 1198: 1196: 1195: 1190: 1185: 1180: 1175: 1173:UCLA High Post 1170: 1165: 1159: 1157: 1148: 1147: 1142: 1136: 1134: 1130: 1129: 1126: 1125: 1123: 1122: 1117: 1111: 1109: 1102: 1101: 1095: 1093: 1089: 1088: 1086: 1085: 1079: 1077: 1070: 1066: 1065: 1062: 1061: 1058: 1057: 1055: 1054: 1049: 1044: 1039: 1034: 1033: 1032: 1027: 1022: 1012: 1011: 1010: 1000: 999: 998: 988: 982: 980: 973: 972: 967: 966: 965: 955: 950: 945: 944: 943: 932: 930: 924: 923: 920: 919: 917: 916: 911: 905: 903: 899: 898: 896: 895: 890: 885: 880: 875: 874: 873: 872: 871: 855: 853: 846: 845: 840: 834: 832: 826: 825: 822: 821: 819: 818: 815: 813: 807: 806: 804: 803: 798: 797: 796: 786: 780: 778: 774: 773: 771: 770: 765: 760: 754: 752: 745: 744: 738: 736: 727: 723: 722: 719: 718: 716: 715: 710: 705: 700: 695: 690: 684: 682: 676: 675: 673: 672: 667: 662: 657: 655:Double dribble 652: 647: 642: 637: 632: 631: 630: 625: 616: 614: 608: 607: 605: 604: 599: 594: 589: 583: 577: 571: 570: 563: 561: 558: 557: 555: 554: 549: 544: 542:Three-on-three 539: 534: 529: 524: 518: 516: 510: 509: 507: 506: 501: 499:James Naismith 495: 493: 487: 486: 484: 483: 478: 473: 467: 465: 456: 455: 450: 444: 442: 441:General topics 438: 437: 432: 430: 429: 422: 415: 407: 400: 399: 385: 376: 367: 355: 353: 350: 349: 348: 341: 340:External links 338: 337: 336: 330: 327: 326: 325: 321: 309: 305: 301: 292: 289: 288: 287: 283: 279: 276: 267: 264: 263: 262: 258: 254: 251: 243: 240: 222: 219: 146: 143: 129: 128: 125: 121: 120: 117: 113: 112: 109: 105: 104: 98: 94: 93: 89: 88: 85: 81: 80: 77: 73: 72: 69: 65: 64: 60: 59: 56: 52: 51: 47: 46: 43: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1569: 1558: 1555: 1553: 1550: 1549: 1547: 1532: 1529: 1527: 1526: 1515: 1514: 1511: 1505: 1504:Trading cards 1502: 1500: 1499:List of films 1497: 1496: 1494: 1490: 1484: 1481: 1479: 1476: 1472: 1471:Finger sleeve 1469: 1468: 1467: 1464: 1462: 1459: 1458: 1456: 1452: 1446: 1443: 1441: 1438: 1434: 1431: 1429: 1426: 1424: 1421: 1420: 1419: 1416: 1413: 1412:Breakaway rim 1409: 1406: 1404: 1401: 1399: 1396: 1394: 1391: 1390: 1388: 1384: 1370: 1367: 1365: 1362: 1360: 1357: 1356: 1354: 1350: 1344: 1341: 1339: 1336: 1334: 1331: 1329: 1326: 1324: 1321: 1320: 1318: 1316: 1312: 1306: 1305: 1303: 1301: 1297: 1291: 1288: 1286: 1283: 1281: 1278: 1276: 1273: 1272: 1270: 1266: 1252: 1249: 1247: 1244: 1242: 1239: 1238: 1237: 1234: 1232: 1229: 1227: 1224: 1223: 1222: 1219: 1217: 1216:Dribble drive 1214: 1212: 1209: 1208: 1206: 1204: 1200: 1194: 1191: 1189: 1188:Pick and roll 1186: 1184: 1181: 1179: 1176: 1174: 1171: 1169: 1166: 1164: 1161: 1160: 1158: 1156: 1152: 1146: 1143: 1141: 1138: 1137: 1135: 1131: 1121: 1118: 1116: 1113: 1112: 1110: 1106: 1100: 1097: 1096: 1094: 1090: 1084: 1081: 1080: 1078: 1074: 1071: 1067: 1053: 1050: 1048: 1047:Buzzer beater 1045: 1043: 1040: 1038: 1035: 1031: 1028: 1026: 1023: 1021: 1018: 1017: 1016: 1013: 1009: 1006: 1005: 1004: 1001: 997: 994: 993: 992: 989: 987: 984: 983: 981: 977: 971: 968: 964: 961: 960: 959: 956: 954: 951: 949: 946: 942: 939: 938: 937: 934: 933: 931: 929: 925: 915: 912: 910: 907: 906: 904: 900: 894: 891: 889: 888:50–40–90 club 886: 884: 881: 879: 876: 870: 869:Three-pointer 867: 866: 865: 862: 861: 860: 857: 856: 854: 850: 844: 841: 839: 836: 835: 833: 831: 827: 817: 816: 814: 812: 808: 802: 799: 795: 792: 791: 790: 787: 785: 782: 781: 779: 775: 769: 766: 764: 761: 759: 756: 755: 753: 749: 743: 740: 739: 737: 735: 731: 728: 724: 714: 711: 709: 706: 704: 701: 699: 696: 694: 691: 689: 686: 685: 683: 681: 677: 671: 668: 666: 663: 661: 658: 656: 653: 651: 648: 646: 643: 641: 638: 636: 633: 629: 626: 624: 621: 620: 618: 617: 615: 613: 609: 603: 600: 598: 595: 593: 590: 588: 585: 584: 581: 578: 576: 572: 567: 553: 550: 548: 545: 543: 540: 538: 535: 533: 530: 528: 525: 523: 520: 519: 517: 515: 511: 505: 502: 500: 497: 496: 494: 492: 488: 482: 479: 477: 474: 472: 469: 468: 466: 464: 460: 454: 451: 449: 446: 445: 443: 439: 435: 428: 423: 421: 416: 414: 409: 408: 405: 396:. April 2003. 395: 389: 386: 380: 377: 371: 368: 365: 360: 357: 351: 347: 344: 343: 339: 333: 332: 328: 322: 318: 314: 310: 306: 302: 298: 297: 296: 290: 284: 280: 277: 273: 272: 271: 265: 259: 255: 252: 249: 246: 245: 241: 239: 235: 231: 229: 220: 218: 216: 212: 208: 204: 200: 195: 193: 189: 184: 182: 177: 175: 171: 167: 163: 158: 156: 152: 144: 142: 140: 136: 127:United States 126: 122: 118: 114: 110: 106: 103: 102:Cam Henderson 99: 95: 90: 86: 82: 78: 74: 70: 66: 61: 57: 53: 48: 41: 36: 33: 19: 1516: 1332: 1290:Jordan Rules 1183:Four corners 388: 379: 370: 359: 294: 269: 247: 236: 232: 227: 224: 196: 185: 178: 159: 148: 134: 132: 76:Common name: 1364:Box-and-one 1285:Hack-a-Shaq 1275:Double team 1246:Nellie Ball 1236:Run and gun 1099:Shootaround 1052:Uncontested 1008:Finger roll 963:Back screen 660:Goaltending 248:Communicate 207:Jim Boeheim 1546:Categories 1478:Air Jordan 1428:Half court 1300:Man-to-man 1251:Small ball 1221:Fast break 1155:Continuity 1020:Posterized 986:Free throw 864:Field goal 830:Statistics 665:Shot clock 619:3 seconds 612:Violations 552:Wheelchair 547:Six-on-six 537:Twenty-one 532:One-on-one 527:Streetball 514:Variations 434:Basketball 352:References 317:free throw 192:fast break 166:fast break 87:2–1–2 zone 63:Name Usage 1393:Backboard 1386:Equipment 1211:Princeton 1037:Hook shot 1025:Alley-oop 1015:Slam dunk 991:Jump shot 948:Euro step 941:Crossover 742:Sixth man 734:Positions 726:Game play 698:Technical 670:Traveling 635:5 seconds 592:Officials 587:Jump ball 194:offense. 155:Clair Bee 149:In 1914, 1454:Clothing 1343:Match-up 1193:Triangle 1140:Ball hog 1092:Practice 1083:Playbook 1069:Strategy 1042:Air ball 996:Fadeaway 979:Shooting 970:Slashing 763:Shooting 693:Personal 688:Flagrant 650:Carrying 597:Turnover 522:Slamball 286:defense. 209:led his 124:Country: 79:2–3 zone 1461:Uniform 1445:Whistle 1323:1–2–1–1 1268:Defense 1168:Shuffle 1145:Gravity 1133:Offense 1076:General 936:Dribble 902:Defense 878:Rebound 852:Offense 794:Stretch 777:Forward 628:Defense 623:Offense 491:History 463:Leagues 145:History 1466:Sleeve 1403:Basket 1359:Amoeba 1352:Hybrid 1203:Motion 1108:Drills 958:Screen 883:Assist 811:Center 213:to an 205:coach 100:Coach 1492:Media 1423:Glass 1418:Court 1328:1–3–1 1178:Wheel 1115:Mikan 1003:Layup 928:Moves 914:Steal 909:Block 859:Point 801:Point 789:Power 784:Small 768:Combo 758:Point 751:Guard 703:Bonus 680:Fouls 575:Rules 335:zone. 329:Notes 304:game. 261:area. 257:zone. 55:Type: 1398:Ball 1338:Line 1315:Zone 1163:Flex 953:Flop 471:FIBA 313:post 211:team 199:2003 160:The 133:The 111:1914 1440:Net 1433:Key 1408:Rim 1333:2–3 1226:Fly 1120:Tip 481:AAU 476:NBA 197:In 1548:: 201:, 176:. 1414:) 1410:( 426:e 419:t 412:v 20:)

Index

2-3 zone defense
Basketball playbook

Cam Henderson
man-to-man defense
Eli Camden "Cam" Henderson
Clair Bee
3-2 zone defense
fast break
Davis & Elkins College
Marshall University
Long Island University
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
fast break
2003
Syracuse University
Jim Boeheim
team
NCAA tournament
post
free throw
HoopTactics: 2-3 Zone Defense
Basketball by David L. Porter
"Fraschilla: Syracuse's 2-3 zone"
v
t
e
Basketball
Glossary of terms
Index of articles

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.