Players line up on two sides, with one player stood in the middle. The ball starts on the side where there are most players lined up.
The first player passes to the middle player and runs to the left to receive the return pass.
Players then perform a quick one-two pass before passing the ball to the player on the opposite side.
The drill then starts again, with the player who made the initial pass remaining in the middle.
Each player should make some sort of movement before receiving the ball - it's not often in a real game that players simply stand still and wait for the ball to come to them!
The ball screen produces almost half of all professional offensive possessions, yet most teams still teach it as a memorised play. The modern approach trains the read - giving players a framework to decide based on what the defence does, not what the coach called.
The closeout is the most repeated defensive action in modern basketball. With fouls per game climbing in the 2025-26 season, coaches must teach defenders to contest the three without surrendering the drive or putting shooters on the line.
The 2-3 zone defence remains one of the most effective defensive systems in basketball when coached and executed properly. This guide covers the fundamentals of running a 2-3 zone, including player roles, rotations, and when to deploy it for maximum impact.
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