Chapter 11 - Rule Defense

The search for an all-purpose basketball offense has been consistent since the game's inception. Each coach strives to develop a "sure-fire" method that will score under all circumstances. This glittering will-o-the-wisp has probably eluded all efforts to date. Even so, the struggle, the search and the effort have brought offensive basketball to a point far nearer its potential than defensive basketball has reached.

Defensive basketball has not received one-tenth that amount of mental and physical energy. Recent years have brought a revival of defensive basketball. It is possible this phase of the game is better than it has ever been. Coach Pete Newell and other successful defensive-minded coaches have blazed the way. They have proved that "trading baskets" is not the only way to play basketball.

Rather than relying solely on the all-purpose offense, such coaches will seek both the all-purpose offense and the all-purpose defense. For some it is a regular, hard-nosed, sliding, man-for-man defense. Coach Rupp's winning figure of 85 per cent over the past thirty years would seem to enhance the merits of this defense. For others the all-purpose defense is a sinking, sagging, floating man-for-man. Coach Hank Iba pioneered the principles that virtually every basketball coach uses if he sags or floats his defensive men on the side away from the ball. Some coaches have developed various types of zones to such a high degree that they simply flex or adjust to each offensive formation rather than making an over-all change.

The ideas presented in this chapter have not been fully tested. Some of the rules have been used. Other facets, such as the rule requiring each defender to follow all cutters to the key hole, have been used. The defense as an entity has not been proved under fire. We are taking the license to present this rather unique idea with the firm conviction that it is the defense of the immediate basketball future. We are fully convinced that rule defense or some closely related approach will supplant the multiple defensive formations currently in vogue. These ideas are presented in the hope that you, the coach, can use part or all of them. They are presented in the hope that they will prove to be thought-provoking. (We take this license in view of the fact that all other ideas presented in this book are tested and sound. If you have comments or suggestions concerning this chapter, they would be gratefully received by the author.)
One possibility for an all-purpose defense is "rule defense." The idea and name for this defense were borrowed from football. Football coaches have turned unashamedly to basketball for methods of training their ends and quarterbacks, so it seems fair enough for us to take an idea from them! Football teams frequently employ a system of blocking termed rule blocking. This enables the coach to give each player a few relatively simple rules with which to block for every play. It eliminates the need of teaching the blocking assignment for each individual play. If a team executes scores of running and passing plays, the amount of memorizing for each player becomes a staggering task. Rule blocking simplifies this task.

Many of us are currently using five or six basketball defenses. It seems safe to say that the team which never zones or never uses a man-for-man is helping its opponents tremendously by allowing them to specialize and concentrate on their offensive approach. Therefore, many of us are using a number of defenses to keep the opponent from getting too set in his offense. We possibly use more than one type of zone and more than one type of man-for-man or combination of the two.

Rule defense is designed to eliminate the need for teaching more than one half-court type of defense, other than pressure types. At present, it doesn't appear that rule defense can take the place of half-court pressure type defenses. Rule defense would eliminate the need for any other type of defense. Half and full-court presses would still have to be taught in addition to this multi-purpose defensive formation.

Rule defense should take the form of zone defense one play and the form of man-for-man defense the next. Opponents should not be able to run a disciplined offense designed to attack a zone, for rule defense will become man-for-man. They should not be able to run a disciplined pattern of man-for-man attack because it will automatically become zone in its major principles. Rule defense should defend automatically with the counteracting defense best equipped to stymie the offense.

Rule defense will take the shape of the offense.

If the offense is two-out and three-in, the defense should take that shape. If the offense is a single post formation, the defense should become 2-1-2 in appearance. If the offense becomes a 2-2-1, the defense should take that form. It will flex and adjust like malleable rubber to the thrust and shape of the offensive formation.

To develop rule defense, each athlete must be skilled in the use of sound man-for-man fundamentals when opponents threaten his areas of responsibility.
The half-court areas that are to be defended must be learned explicitly. These areas are shown on the chart below.

Fig. 158

Areas are designated by letters. Players may thus be designated by numerals. Only a few rules are necessary for each man to learn. The problem will be to get each man to react quickly and effectively to the many changing conditions that may occur during the heat of a ball game. The rules are simple. The application of those rules will require many hard, sweaty practice hours.

Certain words that are used in the rules need to be well defined.

Primary area—the area a player is responsible for initially. It is his primary job to protect that area.

Secondary area—the area he moves to when his primary area is not threatened. It is secondary in importance of responsibility.

One of the chief aims of rule defense is not to waste a man. With normal zones, players are often found assiduously guarding an area that needs no defense, for no opponent is in it, or near it. With rule defense, you should always have two-on-one situations and as high as four on one when the offense distributes itself in an inefficient or extravagant manner. Here are the court areas and the initial positions of the five defensive men.

Fig. 159

Fig. 160

Fig. 161

Fig. 162

Rules for each man will be different. It would seem that rules for numbers 1 and 2 should be exactly alike. This is not possible because of the necessity to defend against one-man front offensive formations.

Rules for Defender No. 1
(1) Man in primary D area with ball: guard him man-for-man (tightness dependent upon distance from basket).

(2) Man in D area without ball: sag to ball but watch D zone man closely.

(3) No opponent in D area and ball on same floor side: take secondary position where lines f and c intersect.

(4) No opponent in D and ball opposite side of floor: take alternate position in deepest, nearest position of E area.

(5) If two men in D zone: number 1 takes the one nearest e line until he passes; then he chases the ball.

(6) Any time a single offensive man plays out front: number 1 will take him.

(7) If man number 1 is covering leaves D zone to cut for basket: guard him man-to-man until he is one full stride into A zone; return to D zone if it becomes occupied.

Rules for Defender No. 2

(1) Man in primary E zone with ball: guard him man-for-man.

(2) Man in E zone without ball: play loosely between him and ball and nearer the goal.

(3) No opponent in E and ball same side: drop off to intersection of d and e.
 
(4) No opponent in E and ball opposite side of floor: take secondary position in nearest, deepest portion of D zone.

(5) Two men in E zone: take man nearest e line until or unless he passes to man nearest the side line.

(6) Any time there is an offensive one-man front and no opponent in E zone: number 2 drops off to juncture of d and g lines, takes nearest opponent.

(7) Any time a cutter leaves E zone on a cut for the goal: number 2 guards him until he is one full stride into A zone; he returns only if E zone becomes occupied.

Rules for Defender No. 3
(1) Man in primary B zone with ball: guard him.

(2) Man in B zone without ball: take position that will enable you to cover him quickly if he receives.

(3) No opponent in B zone, and none in A zone: take secondary position three feet in front of basket and help defensively with free-lance judgment play.

(4) Two men in B zone: take the one the greatest distance from goal.

(5) Any time man number 3 is guarding leaves B zone on a cut for goal: guard him until he is one full stride into A zone and return to B area only if it becomes occupied.

Rules for Defender No. 4

(1) Man in primary C zone with ball: guard him.

(2) Man in C zone without ball: take position that will enable you to guard him quickly if he receives.
 
(3) No opponent in A or C zones: take secondary position three feet in front of goal and help defensively with free-lance judgment play.

(4) Two men in C zone: take man deepest in corner.

(5) If an opponent leaves C area: number 4 takes him until he is one full stride into A zone and returns to his area only if it becomes occupied.

Rules for Defender No. 5

(1) Man in primary A zone with ball: guard him.

(2) Man in A zone without ball: play half a man in front of him.

(3) No opponent in A zone, take most dangerous unattended opponent in secondary area C or B on side nearest the ball.

(4) No opponent in A zone and ball located in D or E zone: take deepest opponent in C or B areas.

(5) Two men in A zone: take man nearest the goal.

(6) No opponent in A and none unattended in B or C: play any man nearest A but be prepared to pick up cutters entering area.
(7) When any cutter moves through A zone: pick him up and keep him until he leaves it unless number 5's man has ball. Return only if the cutter voids his scoring threat by poor position.

At first glance, the rules appear to be complex and confusing. Remember that each boy has only one set to learn for all half-court defenses except presses. We are fully convinced that five, six or seven rules are easier to learn and apply than five or six different defenses with different slides for each.

Note that three of the rules apply to all players. There are extra specific, unique situations for each man to prepare himself. They are designated as coaching pointers. There is no need for each player to learn all of these. He need only learn those rules that apply to his area. The coach must know the coaching pointers for all areas.

Here is an example of one offensive formation and how the rules for each man will combat it.

Fig. 163

The player needs to know specifically and quickly when a man is considered in his area. To help him judge, consider any man touching his area to be in it.

To cover this 1-2-2 offensive formation, each man will simply apply the rule that fits the situation. For number 1, the sixth rule concerning a one-man front would apply. For number 2, the sixth rule would also apply. Number 3 would apply rule four. The fourth rule would apply to number 4's play here. Number 5 would use rule three when the ball goes to the B or D side of the floor and pick up the man in the left corner.

Here is what the formation and the players’ actions would result in. Note that the defense has assumed a 1-2-2 formation, simply by applying the rules.

Fig. 164

If an attack is used that employs three men far out front, we will give the outside men some laxity of movement and cover all three with players 1 and 2, with primary attention given to the middle man of the three-out group. It doesn't seem necessary to cover the wide outside men, when to cover them would result in opening the middle for offensive driving.

Possibly the finest facet of this defense is its use of zone and man-for-man principles simultaneously and alternately. As a matter of fact, the opponents might well leave the game still not knowing precisely what sort of defense was used. Let's take a typical series of cuts employed by pattern type teams. The Drake Shuffle offers a fine example of a great pattern offense. Here are the basic cuts employed by the shuffle offense.

Fig. 165

Rule defense would combat this attack thus: Number 1 will defend the initial cutter until he penetrates one full stride into the A zone. There, number 5 will pick him up and keep him all the way through the A zone. Number 1 stays where he is when number 5 takes his man. Number 5 will not return to his initial position when the second cutter enters the A zone. Number 3 will have followed his man into the A zone and will protect that area. Number 2 guards the passer and keeps him while he screens for the roll-out man by applying rule number two. When the screen occurs and the roll-out man comes into his area, number 2 returns by applying the clause, "return only if your zone becomes occupied." Number 4 applies rule one (See Fig. 167 for player 2's action).

Fig. 166

Here are a number of formations and the shapes which rule defense would take to combat them. Rule defense is like a snake that regenerates destroyed tissue or like the mythical monster that grows two heads every time one is destroyed (See Figs. 171-176 on pages 207-209).

Fig. 167

Fig. 168

 Fig. 169

Fig. 170

Fig. 173

Fig. 174

Fig. 175

Fig. 176

Teaching Hints

1. Teach all man-for-man principles, especially one-on-one play.

2. Teach proper use of arms as they are employed by zone defenses.

3. Give each player a 3 x5 card with his rules printed on it.

Make sure that he knows each rule and further that he understands them.

4. Prepare each player with a workable knowledge of every player's rules.

5. Give each individual a set of reaction drills each day so that his response will be automatic and quick, so that he will be CONDITIONED to respond to every defensive situation that could possibly be covered by use of his particular set of rules.  These drills should simulate various game situations.

6. Give the TEAM reaction drills so it will be conditioned to respond as a team to game situations.

7. Sell them on the idea that you are doing something unique. Let them become good psychological agents by telling opponents after each game that you use straight zone, regular man-for-man, a combination defense, or
other misleading information.

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