Zone Defense

[Millenial23]

I know what zone is versus man-to-man defense, but I've recently seen mentions of a 2-3 zone versus a 3-2 zone. Can someone explain the difference between the types/formations of zone there are? (Including any other types if there are more than just those 2...) Thanks!

 

[chrissaran]

A 2-3 zone means two players out front and three down low. A 3-2 zone means three players out front and two players down low. A box and one means four players in a box around the free throw lane and one player playing one on one against an extremely hot shooting player. There are other versions, but the two you mentioned are by far the most commonly used.

 

[Millenial23]

So then isn't 3-2 zone almost the same as man-to-man because generally there are 3 guards (guards, wings combo, whatever you want to call them) out front on offense anyway? Or is the difference that in the zone, you don't stay with one player?

 

[Zorro]

So then isn't 3-2 zone almost the same as man-to-man because generally there are 3 guards (guards, wings combo, whatever you want to call them) out front on offense anyway? Or is the difference that in the zone, you don't stay with one player?

Yup.

 

[TitleTown]

There are a number of zones. 2-3, 1-3-1. 2-1-2, 3-2, etc and then there are hybrid defenses like the Box and 1 and Triangle and 2 which are a mixture of man to man and zone.

 

[CocoHusky]

I know what zone is versus man-to-man defense, but I've recently seen mentions of a 2-3 zone versus a 3-2 zone. Can someone explain the difference between the types/formations of zone there are? (Including any other types if there are more than just those 2...) Thanks!

If things get too deep just remember you asked for the help and fell free to slow me down. I tend to get really really Geekish about this kind of stuff because I have had some pretty good coaches along the way including Geno & Kathy Rush.
The Basics
Zone differs from man to man because each player is assigned primarily responsibility for an area of the court vs a specific offensive player.

The alignment is where the numbers come into play and starts as the offensive player would see the players on the floor. In a 3-2 zone the offensive player will see 3 defender aligned roughly in line with each other and then 2 defenders in a second line closer to the basket.


The variety of zone defenses include 1-2-2: 2-3: 2-1-2:3-2: or 1-3-1: Each has it's advantages and disadvantages. The biggest disadvantages of all zone defense is the tendency to give up offensive rebounds because players are more concerned about their area not their man. Who every came up with the 1-3-1 zone was one sick person & had way too much time on their hands. But for Geeks like me if you see a team execute a 1-3-1 zone correctly it is a thing of beauty and the opposing coach is surely cursing under his breath if not out loud. The other disadvantages of zone is that it is harder to teach because of the rotations. Rotations determine where a player goes and is determined by where the ball is.

In part II we can talk about match up zone if you like.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I tend to get really really Geekish about this kind of stuff because I have had some pretty good coaches along the way including Geno & Kathy Rush.

Geekishness in defense of basketball acumen is no vice!

 

[UcMiami]

The 'zone' in zone defense is indicating that you are assigning each defender to a specific area of the court (or field) so the differences are in how you are splitting up the total area to be covered and how far a defender will need to move and where they will pass off their responsibility to a neighboring teammate.

In a 2-3 zone, the two guards each are responsible for half the court from around the foul line out, and the three forwards are patrolling from the free throw line in - sideline to edge of lane, lane, and edge of lane to sideline.

In a 3-2 zone, the three outer players are typically guarding three point line in the corner to edge of the free throw line, center free throw line extended and edge of free throw line to three point line in the corner, while the forwards are guarding two zones from the center line of the lane to out.

In attacking the various zone defenses there are two stresses an offense can create -
1. Players at the border between multiple zones - in just about every zone, the free throw line is the border of multiple different zones and whoever a defense uses to guard a player when they receive a pass there, leaves their zone empty of a defender.
2. Overloading a zone - for example having a player at the edge of a zone closest to the basket and another at the three point line - a single player cannot guard both players at the same time and one should get an open shot.

The disadvantage in zone defense is that it is very difficult to cover the three point arc completely so someone like KML is often referred to as a 'zone buster'. The advantage is that it tends to make dribble drives more difficult as the beating the outside defender just gets you into a new zone with a new defender waiting.

 

[CocoHusky]

The 'zone' in zone defense is indicating that you are assigning each defender to a specific area of the court (or field) so the differences are in how you are splitting up the total area to be covered and how far a defender will need to move and where they will pass off their responsibility to a neighboring teammate.

In a 2-3 zone, the two guards each are responsible for half the court from around the foul line out, and the three forwards are patrolling from the free throw line in - sideline to edge of lane, lane, and edge of lane to sideline.

In a 3-2 zone, the three outer players are typically guarding three point line in the corner to edge of the free throw line, center free throw line extended and edge of free throw line to three point line in the corner, while the forwards are guarding two zones from the center line of the lane to out.

In attacking the various zone defenses there are two stresses an offense can create -
1. Players at the border between multiple zones - in just about every zone, the free throw line is the border of multiple different zones and whoever a defense uses to guard a player when they receive a pass there, leaves their zone empty of a defender.
2. Overloading a zone - for example having a player at the edge of a zone closest to the basket and another at the three point line - a single player cannot guard both players at the same time and one should get an open shot.

The disadvantage in zone defense is that it is very difficult to cover the three point arc completely so someone like KML is often referred to as a 'zone buster'. The advantage is that it tends to make dribble drives more difficult as the beating the outside defender just gets you into a new zone with a new defender waiting.

We should really collaborate much more!

 

[Kibitzer]

I would like to add a comment. The posts by Coco and Miami are straight out of a coaching clinic. They are that darned good.

Now I suggest that you get out a big piece of paper and draw the lines of half of a basketball court (basket, paint area, circle around FT line).

Next, place five coins on your "defensive half court" in a pattern as described by Coco (i.e., 2-3, 3-2, 1-3-1, 1-2-2 for starters).

Now you can play coach of the offensive team and identify gaps or "holes" in the zone. You will quickly see that the 2-3 is more vulnerable to 3- point shooters (only 2 defenders covering lots of perimeter space), but you will likely have a tougher time snagging offensive rebounds (3 defenders on the back line with one centered close by the basket). The 1-3-1 obviously makes it tough to get shots by the FT line, but the perimeter is not well guarded and the corners are wide open, at least initially.

And so on. You, as the offensive coach, will urge your players to move to open spots and remind them that ball movement must be faster than defenders' foot movement.

I'll make my case for UConn's 1-2-2 zone separately.

I hope you don't have the feeling akin to drinking water from a fire hose.

Good luck -- once you get "in the zone!"

 

[UcMiami]

Just as a follow on - if you watch Uconn playing offense against a zone, you see a procession of players receiving passes right at the free throw line - usually a forward. The ball goes in to that spot and either gets passed back out to a repositioned wing on the three point line or to a player cutting into the basket area.
The other frequent point of attack is about ten feet from the basket on the base line - another typical border between two zones with the pass then going back out to the arc or into the center of the lane depending on how the defense reacts and where the opening in another zone appears.

 

[Boreifs]

So then isn't 3-2 zone almost the same as man-to-man because generally there are 3 guards (guards, wings combo, whatever you want to call them) out front on offense anyway? Or is the difference that in the zone, you don't stay with one player?

A 3-2 most of the time is actually a 1-2-2, or matchup zone, and many coaches are able to fool the opposition into thinking the team is playing man. I got away with it for almost three quarters once before the rival coach (admittedly he must have been very dumb) finally recognized the difference and put a post player on the foul line, the traditional offensive set for attacking that particular zone. By that time, my much shorter team was so psyched at having stopped them for so long that we went into man and still beat them.

 

[Kibitzer]

Aside from the practicality of sharing the use of many names (e.g., field goal, pass, center, guard, time out, etc.),there is one touched on by Miami and that is something like "finding an opening in the seam' (between defenders). In football, pass receivers do it against a zone pass coverage and Miami presented a textbook explanation of how it works in bb.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Just to add, as noted zones have strengths and weaknesses, and they can be used pretty effectively against teams whose main attack is to have their guards try to drive around their defenders for all types of interior shots or passes, or against teams that have a dominant interior offense that the defense needs to stack some post players against, a la a Griner. But when recognized, the zones can be exploited in many ways. The best way neither to have your defense decimated by good offensive strategies or to have your offense crunched by a zone is to be flexible and have multiple options on both sides that you change up regularly during a game to keep the opponents guessing and off balance. That is part of the beauty of the UConn team, plus the fact that on one possession on offense they will try numerous feints and quick passes to discombobulate an opponent's defense.

 

[Barkin' Out]

This is great stuff. I've watched the men and women play since the Cliff Robinson NIT run (men) and the '95 sweep (ladies). With no formal hoops training (grew up in rinks of the CT river valley) my exposure to zone was Beheim's. Both Geno and and Calhoun seemed to mostly play M2M. Am I off base with this conclusion?

The postings above made me wonder, what makes a good zone team? What characteristics of players make it effective (like 'cuse a few yrs back)? I'm going with assumption that awesome coaching is a given (@ Storrs). Was this a one-off to prevent a Stanford redux? Or might we see more of this?

 

[UcMiami]

This is great stuff. I've watched the men and women play since the Cliff Robinson NIT run (men) and the '95 sweep (ladies). With no formal hoops training (grew up in rinks of the CT river valley) my exposure to zone was Beheim's. Both Geno and and Calhoun seemed to mostly play M2M. Am I off base with this conclusion?

The postings above made me wonder, what makes a good zone team? What characteristics of players make it effective (like 'cuse a few yrs back)? I'm going with assumption that awesome coaching is a given (@ Storrs). Was this a one-off to prevent a Stanford redux? Or might we see more of this?

Geno has generally hated playing zone and only used it when foul trouble made it more attractive or when a particular team was causing problems in man, or as a change up to throw a team. But ... last year he started using it more, especially when Kiah was in the game, and Uconn seemed to play it really well so I suspect we may see it more. I think it may also be a result of not having a true post player.

Speed and quickness as with any form of defense make for a good zone defender. And with zone, I think it actually takes more cohesion and intelligence to play it really well - in man, you need to know how to manage screens, but most of the time the defender is just reacting to a single offensive player and shadowing their movements. In zone you are constantly adjust as the ball moves around the court and as players enter and exit your zone, making judgements as to which area of your zone you need to be in and how to coordinate with those guarding adjacent zones. Man to man depends specifically on your skills, zone may require less skill but more coordination.

 

[Kibitzer]

Not quite. In recent years, Geno often would go into one defense after a made basket or FT and the other after an unproductive opportunity (loss of possession, turnover, etc..).

If I have time tomorrow (no Stillers game), I'll try to view some games of the past to verify my contention.

PS - When he did this, it was always a 2-3 zone and nothing like what OSU saw.

 

[stamfordhusky]

A note for the original poster. In most good zones, the defenders cover a huge amount of territory depending on where the ball and the offensive players are. For example, in the Syracuse men's famed 2-3 zone, you will frequently see the forwards ranging 20+ feet from the basket to defend the wings. And if, say, the left forward comes 20 feet out to defend a wing, then the center will shift dramatically to fill in the deserted space - and the other forward will end up shifting as well. In many 2-1-2's, the guard on the left side may end up more on the right side and the guard on the right side may end up close to the corner if the ball has moved to the corner in a certain way. In a 1-3-1, the guard on top will range across the entire court to try to trap and the one player down near the baseline is responsible for running from corner to corner if the ball is rotated. In a 1-2-2, there will also be dramatic movement at times. Etc. Etc. It is only a bad zone where the players don't rotate significantly depending on what the offense is doing.

 

[Kibitzer]

In recent years, Geno often would go into one defense after a made basket or FT and the other after an unproductive opportunity (loss of possession, turnover, etc..). I'll try to view some games of the past to verify my contention.

Excuse me for replying to a bit of my own post, but I just had to check this matter out and sleep well.

I watched UConn (#2 seed) play PSU (#1) in Hartford to qualify for Final Four. Huskies played 2-3 zone after every score and m2m after every nonproductive possession.

The Lady Lions were confused (13 points in 1st half). So were Dan Patrick and Ann Meyers -- it wasn't until late in the first half that Ann said something about Geno "mixing up his defenses," but no mention of the pattern.

When the 21 point lead shrank to 9, Geno went to m2m. Maria was overmatched by Mazzante so she dropped a few on MC.

Barbara Turner and Diana scored 50 or so, while Strother and Conlon drew a bagel.

Before the game, Neil Fortner and Stacy Dales picked PSU. After the game Dales was remorseful and predicted UConn to win the NC (which they did).

A final comment. This was the game in which Diana made that highlight reel no-look tip pass to Jessica Moore.

 

[FairView]

This thread is an example of why the Boneyard is such a great board. People took quite a bit of time out of their days to write some pretty in-depth explanations to help a fellow poster. They aren't posts fueled by emotions after a game or by love of UConn basketball or to dispute another post. Rather, they are heartfelt attempts to help out. That's just plain nice.

 

[Millenial23]

Thank you for the replies everyone

 

[jimazee]

Excuse me for replying to a bit of my own post, but I just had to check this matter out and sleep well.

I watched UConn (#2 seed) play PSU (#1) in Hartford to qualify for Final Four. Huskies played 2-3 zone after every score and m2m after every nonproductive possession.

The Lady Lions were confused (13 points in 1st half). So were Dan Patrick and Ann Meyers -- it wasn't until late in the first half that Ann said something about Geno "mixing up his defenses," but no mention of the pattern.

When the 21 point lead shrank to 9, Geno went to m2m. Maria was overmatched by Mazzante so she dropped a few on MC.

Barbara Turner and Diana scored 50 or so, while Strother and Conlon drew a bagel.

Before the game, Neil Fortner and Stacy Dales picked PSU. After the game Dales was remorseful and predicted UConn to win the NC (which they did).

A final comment. This was the game in which Diana made that highlight reel no-look tip pass to Jessica Moore.

Ah yes...a pass for the ages it was! ... and a memorable game.

Good "flash replay" and response to OP.

 

[meyers7]

Was gonna add in my $.02 but it seems to have been pretty well covered. Nice job peoples.

Now, about the zone offense.....

 

[BroadwayVa]

I know what zone is versus man-to-man defense, but I've recently seen mentions of a 2-3 zone versus a 3-2 zone. Can someone explain the difference between the types/formations of zone there are? (Including any other types if there are more than just those 2...) Thanks!

2---3 2 typically guards up front 3 bigs back
3- 2 3 up front 2 back
2 1 2 2 up front 1 in the lane 2 back
Diamond and 1 The one stays on the opponents most offensive threat
Box and 1
Triangle and 2 The 2 are guarding the opponents offensive threats

The last 3 some call JUNK defenses---I say--any defense that works isn't junk.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Was gonna add in my $.02 but it seems to have been pretty well covered. Nice job peoples.

Now, about the zone offense.....

Not many talk about it but some coaches actually use some form of zone to "setup" the offense. Geno typically uses a "see what the defense gives us", this only works with smart players. (Uconn type of kid).