The two-1-2 press isn’t a standard alternative for many basketball coaches.
Whereas it undoubtedly has some similarities to the 1-2-2 press and the 2-2-1 press, the 2-1-2 has simply sufficient variations to make most coaches draw back from it.
Nonetheless, it may be argued that the variations of the 2-1-2 press truly MORE efficient.
As a result of the 2-1-2 press is about as much as decrease the most important weak point of most zone presses and likewise to power groups to beat it in a means most gamers are informed to keep away from.
Beneath you can find an in depth breakdown of the 2-1-2 press, together with its guidelines, its setup, and find out how to run it successfully.
Objectives of the 2-1-2 Press:
The two-1-2 press primarily has 2 objectives:
1. Maintain the ball out of the center
Most coaches train their groups to break a zone press by getting the ball to the center of the ground. From right here, they’re able to collapse the press and usually create a bonus scenario after it’s handed out.
With most zone presses, after a reversal or two, the defenders are late to cowl the center and there’s a massive gap for the offense to relocate to and obtain a cross.
However for the reason that 2-1-2 press places a defender within the center from the beginning, the center is roofed from the start and the rotations are shorter to maintain it that means all through the complete possession.
2. Pressure the offense to dribble up the sideline
The opposite factor most coaches train their groups is to keep away from dribbling the ball up the sideline due to how simple it’s to get trapped there.
However as a result of the 2-1-2 press takes away any cross to the center from the very starting, groups are pressured to lookup the sideline to get the ball throughout half court docket.
And as soon as groups do begin dribbling up the sideline to advance the ball, this press permits defenders to get traps set both within the frontcourt or backcourt from quite a lot of completely different gamers.
2-1-2 Press Guidelines
a. No center passes
Once more, the design of this press is to maintain the ball from the center of the ground.
With the 2nd line of the press establishing protecting the center at first, there must be no actual alternatives for the offense to discover a gap within the center to use.
b. Don’t get beat sideline
With the center taken away, the offense goes to be pressured to aim to interrupt the press by dribbling it up the sideline.
This will create an enormous benefit for the protection if they’re able to minimize off the dribble and get a authorized lure set.
So no matter participant is rotating over to get the ball stopped and provoke the lure should get their exterior foot out of bounds and stop the ball from being dribbled previous them up the sideline.
c. No layups
With two bigs in the back of the press always, there isn’t a motive that the offense ought to have the ability to get to the rim for a layup.
Even when the offense is ready to dribble its means by the press, there ought to nonetheless be a publish ready within the lane to contest any try the offense takes.
d. No fouling
Tight protection and trapping could make defenders susceptible to getting fouls referred to as.
It’s crucial that the urgent gamers always present their fingers to the officers to stop any low-cost hand-check calls from being whistled within the full court docket.
As well as, as soon as the lure is about, the gamers should preserve their fingers excessive and preserve themselves from swatting or slapping on the ball. Most steals from a lure are made by the gamers not concerned within the lure after a deflection, in order that must be the aim of the lure.
2-1-2 Press Setup, Roles, & Duties
Center Line:
Discovering the proper middle-line participant will be the most vital component to the 2-1-2 press.
X3 must be your most agile participant and in a position to transfer effectively backward and forward and anticipate the place the following cross is headed. A participant with size at this place is an additional advantage.
X3 ought to start someplace across the entrance of the half-court circle within the backcourt.
The preliminary accountability of X3 is to maintain the ball from being handed to the middle of the ground, so X3 should discover and deny any offensive participant close to the center.
Then, because the ball is handed in, this participant must soar towards the ball to be ready to set a lure whereas additionally maintaining the ball out of the center.
As soon as the offense begins advancing the ball up the sideline with the dribble, that’s when X3 runs over to chop off the sideline, get the ball stopped, and be the preliminary trapper.
It will be significant for this participant to ensure to not depart the center too quickly or it should create a big hole for the offense to throw the ball to the center of the ground.
Additionally, this participant should take a great angle far sufficient forward of the dribbler so there’s sufficient time to get to the sideline and get set to cease the ball legally with out committing a foul.
If the ball will get thrown over X3’s head up the sideline, a second lure can get set within the frontcourt between X3 and one of many posts.
Entrance Line:
The entrance line must be the remaining two guards.
X1 and X2 must be fast gamers who’re good at guarding the ball. Quickness and energy are added advantages for these positions.
These 2 must be located across the elbows because the press begins.
Because the ball is inbounded, whichever participant is guarding it ought to present sufficient ball stress to maintain the offense uncomfortable and likewise steer the dribbler towards the sideline. Letting the ball go center will make it tough to get a lure set.
Because the ball does get dribbled up the sideline, the participant on the ball should proceed to information and steer the ball towards the sideline to X3 to get the lure set. Then because the ball will get stopped, this participant should full the lure with out fouling.
The participant not guarding the ball ought to drop towards the center of the ground and be prepared to exchange X3 as quickly as that participant leaves to lure. This participant should make sure that to not drop too far too quick as they want to have the ability to come up and stress the ball if it will get reversed.
Again Line:
The again line ought to include your two tallest gamers.
X4 and X5 must be lengthy and hopefully fast sufficient to have the ability to get from the sideline to the lane relying on the situation of the ball. Having shot-blocking capacity is an additional advantage to those positions.
The again line ought to start within the frontcourt, someplace across the 3-point line.
Because the ball is inbounded, the ball-side deep participant ought to transfer towards the sideline and presumably even up the ground. This participant is trying to take away any sideline cross and power the offense to beat the press with the dribble.
The weak-side deep participant ought to get close to the free throw line and be looking out for any deep cross to try to get a quick break rating. Because the ball will get superior up the ground, the weak-side defender ought to proceed to drop to stop any simple scores in opposition to the press.
If a cross is made up the sideline, these deep gamers may be concerned in a lure with X3.
The way to Run the 2-1-2 Press
Inbounding & Advancing:
The protection has the selection whether or not to have X1 and X2 deny or not. The extra essential half is that these two information whoever catches the ball up the sideline.
Sometimes, X1 and X2 would play behind and inside any offensive gamers in order that it’s simpler to push them towards the sideline to make their preliminary catch.
On the catch, X1 places stress on the ball to make the offense uncomfortable and likewise encourages them to dribble up the sideline.
Once more, they need to make sure that to affect the offense to assault up the aspect of the ground.
The purpose guard shouldn’t be allowed to survey the court docket and as an alternative be made to really feel that dribbling up the sideline is the one choice.
As X1 pushes the ball up the sideline, X2 drops again a bit towards the center of the ground.
X2 is principally enjoying between the middle circle and any reversal cross.
They need to be shut sufficient to the reversal cross that they’ll apply fast stress and never let the offense dribble up by the center of the ground.
On the similar time, X3 inches out barely away from the middle of the ground to arrange to remove any sideline cross. The extra athletic this participant is, the farther away they’ll place themselves to make the cross look open earlier than working over for a steal.
Behind the press, X4 will transfer up and out towards the sideline to remove any deep passes up the sideline.
That leaves X5 left to rotate again to close the lane to be the participant accountable for contesting any photographs taken on the rim.
Ball Reversal:
A ball reversal is certainly not the top of the world on this press because it means the offense is continuous to make use of their 10-second depend with out actually advancing the ball.
On the reversal cross, X2 will take the ball. Nonetheless, the trail right here is essential as they need to nonetheless be guiding the offense to dribble up the sideline. So a slower strategy that enables the offense to proceed to dribble laterally is good.
Because the ball is being reversed, X3 must be working to remain in step with the ball and maintaining the center of the ground lined.
Because the ball is reversed to the opposite aspect of the ground, the objectives ought to once more be forcing the offense to dribble it up alongside the sideline.
First Lure:
If X1 does the job and forces the offense to dribble up the sideline, it’s time for X3 to dash to the sideline to get able to lure. They have to try to get their exterior foot out of bounds to chop off any sideline drive.
X1 ought to proceed to protect and information the offensive participant proper to the ready X3 to allow them to set a lure proper alongside the sideline.
This lure can happen in both the frontcourt or the backcourt relying on how rapidly X3 is ready to get into place alongside the sideline.
However both means, it should hopefully happen as near the 10-second line as potential.
To set one of the best lure potential, X3 must be perpendicular to the sideline with the skin foot on the road to stop any area for the offense to make use of to drive.
On the similar time, X1 must be instantly on the hip of the offensive participant to stop any form of crossover to the center of the ground.
If each gamers do their jobs, the outcome must be a decent lure alongside the sideline the place the offense may have very restricted choices.
Because the lure is going on, X2 must be in the midst of the ground to remove any direct cross there. This participant have to be very conscious of any potential flashes to this space and likewise remember that the center participant may very well be in entrance or behind the 10-second line.
X4 strikes as much as instantly take away any participant up the ground close to the sideline. It is a nice alternative for a steal because the offense received’t see X4 flying in to remove that participant plenty of instances and throw a high-arcing cross.
X5 rotates again close to the lane to guard the basket. There isn’t any motive that the offense ought to ever have the ability to throw a deep cross over the pinnacle of this participant for a straightforward layup.
Second Lure:
Often, the offense goes to finish a cross up the sideline earlier than X4 can get there to choose it off. However this doesn’t imply that the press must be referred to as off.
Actually, this lure can truly be efficient as most instances the offense just isn’t anticipating it to occur there and it’ll typically be within the fingers of a participant who isn’t assured with the basketball.
If a cross is accomplished deep up the sideline, X4 should get in entrance of the ball and minimize off the sideline, very similar to X3 did within the preliminary lure.
Because the cross went over X3, this participant is accountable for following the ball and finishing the lure alongside the sideline.
It’s probably that the offense will attempt to assault the basket rapidly on this sideline cross, so X3 should instantly dash and comply with the ball as quickly as it’s handed.
X5 will proceed to remain within the lane and defend the basket, which can turn out to be far more essential now for the reason that ball is a lot nearer.
The entrance line of the press, X1 and X2, should dash again to the frontcourt and discover any potential retailers for the offense and take them away. They need to begin by wanting within the center after which working their means down towards the basket.
Benefits of the 2-1-2 Press
1. Sturdy center protection
Maintaining the ball out of the center is a vitally essential aim of any press.
With the design of the 2-1-2 press, this aim must be achieved every time the opponent makes an attempt to interrupt it.
By stopping the ball from attending to the center, groups are pressured to take extra time to advance the ball throughout half court docket, giving the press extra possibilities to work.
2. Good trapping alternatives
With the center taken away, groups are pressured to assault the press up the sideline.
This enables the protection to rotate and get nice traps set alongside the sideline, whether or not it happens within the frontcourt or the backcourt.
And with the lure occurring alongside the sideline, it offers the offense fewer passing choices and the next probability of turning the ball over.
3. Constant basket protection
Since there are 2 bigs in the back of this press, it permits 1 of them to all the time be deep and stop any potential uncontested layup from occurring.
It doesn’t matter what aspect of the ground the ball is on, there’ll all the time be 1 massive rotating to the lane to be there to make the offense should work to attain ought to they really break the press.
4. Low danger press
The setup of the 2-1-2 press ought to forestall plenty of simple seems by the offense.
Alternatively, nonetheless, it ought to permit the protection to power tempo and create some turnovers whereas implementing it.
So the risk-reward for the 2-1-2 press appears to be very favorable for the protection.
Conclusion
The two-1-2 press does an incredible job of flustering an offense by forcing them to interrupt a press by doing one thing they’ve been informed they shouldn’t:
Dribble up the sideline as an alternative of getting the ball to the center.
The two-1-2 press is a good change-up press to make use of together with one other press to maintain the offense guessing.
You probably have some athletic guards who can stress the basketball and a few posts who can cowl plenty of floor, the 2-1-2 press could also be one thing you need to check out.
