Basketball Offence and Defence Strategies

Offence Strategies

Rotation

Rotation is about quickly rotating the ball by using quick passes. This helps displace the opposing team’s defence. Once the opposing team’s defence is displaced, the offensive team gets an opportunity to shoot.

Screen and Roll

When a player is blocked by a defender, another player blocks the defender in a process called screening. When the defender is not able to guard the offender, the offender moves forward. Once the offender moves forward the person screening the defender can also go forward. There are two types of screening: On-ball and Off-ball. On-ball is to screen a defender marking a player with the ball while off-ball is to screen a defender marking a player without the ball. While screening a player can not use his/her hands.

Fast Break

In a fast break, the offence attempts to move the ball forward as quickly as possible so that the defence is out of position and is outnumbered. When the defence is out of position the offence team gets an opportunity to shoot.

Give and Go

In give and go the player with the ball passes the ball to another player and then runs to the basket or open space. The player catching the pass then passes it back quickly to the open player. The defender is often watching the pass or not ready which leaves the player open for a shot.

Isolation

Isolation is an offence strategy where the player with the ball is given space to play one-on-one against a defender. This is done as all the other attackers move to one side of the court. This gives the player with the ball a better chance to get an opportunity to shoot. Isolation can only be implemented while the other team is playing man to man defence.

Defence Strategies

Man to Man

In man to man defence, each defender is assigned one attacker. The defender has the task of not letting the player he/she is marking move forward, pass or shoot.

Zone

Zone defence is a defence in which players focus on an area or zone. Each player has the objective of controlling a certain area. If an opposing player enters this area, the defender’s role is to stop and block him/her. There can be various formations of zone defence.