To teach your players the basics of defence we use a mixture of demonstration, mirroring and drills! As coach you're going to need to get involved this week - no standing on the sidelines!
So why should you coach the basics of defence? Well the sooner your players learn the defensive slide and the importance of cutting off the opposition's attacker the sooner your players will be able to keep opposition's score down, with their new and improved tighter defence - making it easier for your team to go on and win the game!
Inject this session with energy and your players will feed off your enthusiasm as they move around the court - keeping low, knees bent and arms outstretched, ready to make the interception!
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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