Chapter 12 - Defensive Rebounding

The development of basketball, like that of most sports, has followed the line of least resistance. It is natural to develop the easy part first, then move to the more difficult. Basketball offense has received the major share of attention since the inception of the game. In recent years defense has also come into the limelight. The basketball fan is becoming aware of the contribution made by the defensive player. Sports writers are beginning to give outstanding defense the tribute it deserves.

There are three major parts to the game of basketball. Two of them have been developed to a very high degree of efficiency. The third part is a whole new frontier for exploring. It is the rebound game. Rebounding is paid a lot of lip service at various levels of play. Professional teams are especially aware of its value. Most high school and college teams keep rebound charts to determine the number of rebounds each individual gets. Still, we have not touched the vast potential of the rebound game.

If you will study films closely you will see two or three men go to the backboards. In rare cases, four men will make an effort. Even if these two, three or four men make a supreme physical effort, the rebound game at this level is similar to that of a defensive team that employs two or three men while the others take a rest. In years past, a player was considered a re-bounder, a shooter, or a defensive player. We have eliminated part of this fallacious approach. The player who stands on defense straight-legged or loafs is frowned upon. Even the fans will get on his back. Yet, even now, in our modern game of basketball, we see players standing and looking, not once or twice during the game, but virtually every time the ball goes to the backboards. If these men were so indolent on offense or defense, they would be removed immediately. Why should they be allowed to remain in the game if they don't contribute to every play, offensive, defensive, and rebounding? I can see no more reason for a player standing, watching and looking on defense than for this very same thing to take place when the ball goes on the backboards. Actually, to loaf on rebound plays should bring the greater censure.

Defense and offense require speed, coordination, and other skills that rebounding does not require. Any basketball player can rebound if he has enough energy and intelligence to put on his uniform and get on the floor. He can at least block his man away from the goal and thereby fulfill his responsibility. He doesn't expect his teammates to do his job for him on offense or defense. He shouldn't expect them to carry out his duties when the ball goes on the backboards.

There was a time when offensive players were simply expected to throw the ball to a certain player and stand and watch while that one man did the entire offensive job. There was a time when certain players were not expected to rebound; they were expected simply to stand and admire while one or two "natural born" jumpers and re-bounders  went in and did their work for them. There is no place in the game for an individual who can't carry his load in all three phases of the game—offense, defense, and rebounding.

Any basketball player can become a good re-bounder . A good defensive player already has a running start toward rebounding excellence. He already has courage, otherwise he wouldn't be a good defensive player. He is already accustomed to bending the legs and has developed a wide base which is excellent for rebounding. Otherwise, he wouldn't be a good defensive player. A good defensive player, no matter what his stature, should be able to carry out his rebounding duties very efficiently. Any good defensive player who isn't a good re-bounder  simply hasn't been given the guidance, instruction, and encouragement necessary.

The first main, obvious reason for rebounding is to eliminate the opponent's second shot. If you could play a perfect rebounding game and not give your opponent a single second attempt, you could win very easily even if they were successful on as much as 60 per cent of their shots. We are assuming that your team does its job on offense and defense. Do some quick arithmetic and figure a few percentages for yourself. If your opponents are shooting 40 per cent, and shooting seconds every time they come down the floor, what percentage of the time are they scoring and what is their real percentage? If they get the second attempt every other time they come down the floor, what is their real scoring percentage? In the first case, they are scoring 80 per cent of the time; in the second case, they are scoring 60 per cent of the time and when they get no second shots, they are scoring 40 per cent of the time. This type of figuring might explain that particular evening you lost when your team shot over 50 per cent. There are other possible factors, of course, but the number of times the second shot is gained is the most important one.

When you look at percentages in this light, actual shooting skill doesn't seem as important. Nearly all good basketball teams are going to shoot 40-50 per cent—the precise figure to be determined by the efficiency of your defense. Yet, with a simple, uncomplicated rebounding effort, your teammates can double their scoring percentages by getting the rebound and the second shot.
When viewed in this light, how can we rationalize the proportion of practice time expended on the three phases of basketball—offense, defense, and rebounding?

The proportion probably runs something like this: 70 per cent offense, 25 per cent defense, and 5 per cent rebounding. We are putting the greatest emphasis where the kids spend most of their free play hours. We are putting the least emphasis on ball possession or rebounding; yet, we speak blithely of ball possession and the blatant dangers of giving up the ball to an opponent through a violation, etc. What is the difference between double dribbling or handing the ball to an opponent and ignoring a free ball lying on the floor that could be easily possessed? Every time a basketball player fails to play basketball when the ball goes on the backboards, that is what he is doing.

Each time a basketball team goes into the offensive end of the floor, each team member has a job. Each time a basketball team goes on the defensive end of the floor, each player has a task. Each time a ball goes on the backboards, each player has a task.

If we sold this idea completely and if we could get each player to be as conscientious about performing the rebound game as well as he does the other two phases of the game, our teams would improve by almost a full third. We would jump way ahead of our opponents and, during the next decade, be considered a phenomenal basketball team. During the past ten years the team that played well on defense  stayed in the limelight.  The  new frontier is rebounding. Those teams that exploit this fact are going to move way ahead. The time will come when this part of the game will be accepted just as we now accept defense. The time is past for shooting specialists or defensive specialists, and the time will pass when a team has only one or two rebounding specialists. We will then have a complete game and be in a position to turn our attention back to the details of fundamentals. We will be able to give more time to the all-important development of the individual physically, socially and emotionally.

In the past, we have spent considerable time teaching rebounding position, jackknife, and other techniques of the actual rebound leap. But we have been getting the cart before the horse. We have had players who could perform the break-down drill beautifully and yet fail to rebound in game situations; the very simple reason is that we were teaching the third step and putting little emphasis on the first two. The first step in defensive rebounding is the block off; the second step is moving to the board; and the third step is the rebound leap.

For offensive rebounding, this procedure would vary slightly. Movement for the goal must be made first, position gained second, and the rebound is gained third. In both cases, if we teach the first two steps well, the third step is an easy one to take. If you will study films, you will see that most rebounding is done when it is convenient, when the ball bounces right, and when a player happens to be in position. This is tantamount to guarding your man when it is convenient, or when he happens to drive in a direction in which you don't mind moving.

The Block Off

The block off is performed to secure the wide rebound. Never let a player alibi for poor rebounding effort by saying, "the ball rebounded wide and went over my head."

This player is not performing the vital first step, the block off. If you are going to give your opponent all wide rebounds, you can skip this particular teaching step. The block off should be performed as soon as the shot is taken. This holds true whether you are guarding a shooter or a man without the ball. During man-for-man defensive play, a defensive player may not be aware that the shot is up. To let him know, and to let all five men know, some team signal should be used. It is almost a waste of effort for two or three men to block off while the others allow their men to slip by to pick off an easy rebound. The block off must be performed by all five men and it must be performed aggressively. If those defensive players who see the shot go up, yell a prearranged signal, such as "shot," "rebound," "Geronimo," "rack," etc., the weak side defensive players who might not have seen the shot will benefit. This is also good psychological warfare. Such a signal produces a momentary spark, a momentary team unity, a momentary feeling of esprit that might carry a player a little bit higher on the rebound. It also might demoralize the opponent who is faced with the fact that here is a team with all five men blocking off and fighting for the rebound. The opponent might be tempted to shoot the ball up and trot back down to the defensive end of the floor and forfeit any right they have to the ball.

The block off should be performed quickly and aggressively. Each opponent should be blocked off wherever he stands. The farther from the goal, the better. Some teams block off when the offensive re-bounder  gets halfway to the goal. Others allow the individual team members to block off wherever they wish. We believe the block off should occur immediately, no matter where the offensive man is standing (See Fig. 177).

Generally, this is going to create less confusion in the "snake pit" (goal area) when the actual jump is made.

Fig. 177

Each jumper will have a maximum amount of room in which to operate. If the block off doesn't take place on the perimeter and all ten men end up under the goal, no one has a real chance to leap in an unrestricted way.

Fig. 178

There is a rebound ring on the market that throws a wide rebound. It is shaped like a cone and looks something like this:

This ring is designed to throw the ball wide. It might be well to attach permanently a rebound ring of this sort to one of your least used practice goals. The block-off drills on such a ring are greatly enhanced since you get a wide rebound every time. You can practice the block off on such a goal working as many as 12 men at a time. Practice the block off with no attempt to rebound. Practice the block off and retreat, leaving a big rebound cup for the ball to fall in.

Fig. 179

Do not allow the players to jump. Fig. 180 illustrates how simple the actual rebound leap becomes if every man does his job. Practice the block off as a stationary drill in the manner we have discussed. Practice the block off with every man moving and not knowing when the shot will be taken.

Fig. 180

Practice the block off with big men on big men, with little men on big men, with slow men on fast men, etc. You will then indelibly impress each boy with the fact that this is one thing he can do even if he is four feet tall and guarding a man eight feet tall. The block off must be performed by everyone. A player who does not consistently perform the block off is breathing vital oxygen that should be made available to his substitute.

After the block off has been executed, the re-bounder  must go to the boards. He should release his man when the ball strikes the board or ring. He quickly determines the angle of the rebound. Then he releases his man and moves in for the rebound whether it is convenient or not. He goes to the boards even if teammates or opponents are in the way. Most boys become good re-bounders  if they take the trouble to get in contention for the rebound. They will not get in contention if they don't move on into the rebound cup area. If you will study film of basketball games, you will find very few instances of potential re-bounders  moving in unless they have a convenient, direct route to the goal.

As a ludicrous example, we have used a drill to prove to our men that they can reach the goal in time if they only try. We tried to show them impressively that they are out of contention only if they don't go to the boards. Players were lined up at mid-court. The ball was tossed on the boards. The players were asked not to let the ball strike the floor before they recovered the ball. Each man was surprised to find that he could do this. He realized fully how easy it would be to get to the boards with a good effort on his part from any of the closer, normal positions in the front court.

The main reason players will not go to the boards is the indirect route they must follow created by other players in the way. Because of the congestion it becomes necessary for them to change directions, stop and start, and move much as though they were running wind sprints. You should drill on going to the board just as you drill on the block off and when to release.

The first drill we have found useful involves the use of inanimate objects such as chairs. Place these chairs around the front court area at random and line your men up in three lines facing the goal but a good distance from it. Throw the ball on the boards and have your men slide through and around the chairs and reach the rebound position before the ball strikes the floor (See Fig. 181).

The next step is to use players for the re-bounders  to evade in their attempt to rebound. Put a group of men on the inside at various positions. Put another group on the outside. When the ball is tossed on the boards, let the outside group try to get to the boards. The group on the inside may move about but should not block off.   The outside men should not be allowed to go until the ball strikes the goal or boards. They should take a simulated block-off position, release and move through the congestion in time to get the ball before it hits the floor (Fig. 182).

Fig. 181

During the course of these drills you can instill the idea of ball pursuit. The men should pursue the ball even if it does not carom directly to them. They shouldn't take the attitude that all is lost if it rebounds on the other side of the goal. Every man should pursue the ball because deflections, fumbles, or improper receiving may cause the ball to go to a man who was not actually in the ideal position to get the ball.

Some players seem to know where the ball is going to carom. Actually, these players do not know. They judge where the ball will go through the use of insight. By concentrating during every practice session, they learn to judge where a ball will rebound according to the speed, angle, and conjunction of ball, board and ring. A player can develop this judgment if he is aware that it exists and works at it. He should try to guess every time he sees a ball strike the boards. Gradually his judgment will improve. He will be able to run around and retrieve rebounds from the opposite side of the floor. He will become that player who just seems to draw the ball like a magnet. He will become an outstanding re-bounder .

Fig. 182

Once a player has performed the block off, release, moved to the boards, determined the spot the ball will rebound to, he is still left the task of securing the ball. This is the easiest of all. It is the task we have spent the majority of our time practicing and in reality it requires the least amount of time. To secure a rebound when all teammates have blocked off well is like picking up apples that have fallen off the tree.
 
The leaper should jump into the ball. If he jumps straight up to retrieve the ball, an opponent may rebound over his back. If he jumps into the ball too much there is the chance that he will foul someone. He should ride into the ball about twelve to fifteen inches. Enough to insure possession and not enough to foul. The ball should be grabbed vigorously. It should be snatched with both hands. The re-bounder  should twist off the boards using a jack-knife form that insures possession. He should land in a position with legs bent and elbows wide.
 
To develop vigorous, aggressive rebound leaping, form two lines of players. One line should be in front of the goal and one line to the side. Toss the ball on the board and have the re-bounder  jump into the ball, grab vigorously, twist off and land facing the side line. The first man in the other line will jump with him and try to chop it out of his hands at the height of the jump or after he strikes the floor.

Fig. 183

Rebound charts are misleading. They tell you how many rebounds each man gained. We want the chart to tell us (1) how many times the player blocked off properly, (2) how many times he went to the boards, and (3) how many rebounds he secured. This information is sometimes very revealing. You might find that your high re-bounder  is getting virtually every rebound he goes after. You might find, however, that he only goes when it is convenient. It could mean that he would double his rebound output if he could only be encouraged to go every time. You might find that some unsung player is doing his job every time adequately and consistently.
Give rebound trophies on the basis of attempts versus the number gained. Do not give an attempt when the man does not go to the boards. This trophy should be an award for effort as well as for skill.

There are a number of rebound teaching aids on the market. Various companies put out rebound aids with a ball attached to a rope and spring that will cause the re-bounder  to grab firmly when he gets the ball. The Hickory Sporting Goods Co., of Hickory, N. C, makes a very worthwhile machine that offers a number of good drills. This machine will allow you to tip, rebound, block off, and practice going to the boards, and is adjustable to height. It causes the re-bounder  to time his jump and to grab the ball firmly. It is the best of the rebound teaching aids currently on the market. Inner rings that lessen the diameter of the actual goal are good for short rebounding.

Teaching Hints

1. Define the role that rebounding is to play. Be sure your boys know precisely the significance of this skill in your system.
2. Sell the boys on the idea that they don't have to be able to be able to leap over the back board to get the ball.

3. Teach the team members the percentages involved in eliminating the second shot.

4. The block off should become second nature and as natural as the follow-through of the arm when shooting.

5. Use a team signal to let everyone know when the shot is taken.

6. Don't always drill big boys on big boys and vice-versa.

Mix them up regardless of size.

7. Practice the block off as a static drill and also as a moving drill.

8. Practice rebounding without jumping at times. Make the block off so good that a leap is not necessary.

9. Make going to the boards a must. Make it instinctive. Make it the most important thing in life when a shot is taken.

10. Encourage the boys to "study" rebound angles constantly so they will be able to judge the angle of the rebound.

11. Use rebound teaching aids and give trophies for emphasis.

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