Basketball is one of the most competitive sports, enjoyed by many and played by many, people of all ages. Basketball is a game that is highly skilled and requires a skill set that is very vast. Running, jumping, shooting, passing, dribbling, and defending are just several of the skills required to play the game of basketball.
Coaching is important, especially at the youth levels, and it is important that at a young age, coaches develop all of the kids to learn and achieve these skills properly and effectively.
One of the big challenges for youth coaches especially is adjusting to the opponents game plan. As a youth coach, you really never know what the opposing team will run against you, whether it’s a man to man defense or a zone defense.
As kids develop and move on to high school and possibly to the next level of basketball, it is a little more certain of what the opposing team will do, considering there is a lot more scouting at these levels. Film is available and game plans are put together to prepare high school basketball players, college basketball players, and NBA basketball players.
At the youth levels, practice may happen 2-3 times a week, requiring quick turnaround when preparing for the next game. Learning what to look for, and how to defeat the possible defenses that a team may throw at you is crucial for success.
Along with being prepared schematically, it is important to also develop our youth in a fundamental sense as well. This really is the most important part of coaching, especially at the younger levels, regardless of the sport.
In basketball, there are basically two different styles of defense, zone defense and man to man defense. Being prepared is important, and proving your players with the tools to be successful should be the main priority.
What is Man to Man Defense in Basketball?
Man to man defense is a defense where each player is assigned to an opposing player and must cover that player on the court closely. There are many different styles of man to man defense, considering factors such as help side and trapping.
Man to man defense is the most popular form of defense in basketball, and the basketball purists will tell you that it is the only form of defense to teach through the high school level. There are reasons that the basketball geniuses will say this, and most of their points are valid to some degree.
There are pros and cons to playing man to man defense, and below you will find a comprehensive review of the advantages and disadvantages of playing man to man defense. These include:
- Pros of a man to man defense
- Cons of a man to man defense
- Different forms of man to man defense
- Drills to become better at man to man defense
Pros of Man to Man Defense
- True defense can be learned at a young age when coaching kids to play man to man defense. Man to man is the best way for kids to learn defense when starting out because the idea is to not let your man score points. It is a simple concept in general.
- Man to man defense uses a player’s athleticism. If you have a team that is athletic and can move very well, man to man may be the best option. Man to man allows your athletes to be aggressive and create turnovers.
- Help side defense is the key. Help side defense if taught correctly is a huge advantage for your defense. Help side allows players to be aggressive, but also know that their teammate is behind them ready to help.
- Toughness is a factor that can be an advantage with man to man defense. If you have tough kids, man to man allows them to be aggressive and physical with the man they are guarding.
- Rebounding is much easier. Rebounding requires blocking out, where the defender almost shields off the opposing player. In man to man defense, each player is responsible for the man they are covering, blocking them out, and then pulling a rebound.
- Allows for the opposing team’s best player to be stopped. This may be the biggest advantage of man to man defense. If the opposing team has a great player, you would take your best defender and he would stay on him and in his face all game long. Man to man allows this to happen and there are less opportunities for mismatches.
- Accountability can be used. This allows players to take responsibility for covering the opposing player. When that player scores, the defender is held accountable, forcing players to play hard and agressive, making it a goal to stop the player you are covering.
- Man to man defense allows a player’s competitive drive to come out Being aggressive, and taking the challenge of stopping the player you are covering is motivating for most players. The players that are most competitive can have that aggressive mindset and play with a competitive nature.
- Young players have a better understanding of man to man defense when they start learning the game of basketball.
- It is much easier to switch from man to zone if players understand man to man defensive principles. Switching from learning zone defense to man to man is much more difficult.
Cons of Man to Man Defense
- If a team is less athletic, matching up against the opposing team may be difficult to do. Depending on the size of your team, there may be some more mismatches involved.
- The concepts of man to man can be difficult at an early age because help-side is important. Young players typically have a tendency to follow their man around the court, losing track of the ball completely.
- If the opposing team does not shoot the ball that well, but does attack the basket, man to man may not be the best option.
- Aggressive play may lead to more foul trouble for some players. There is a fine line between being aggressive, but then being in foul trouble because of it.
- Fatigue can be an issue with man to man defense. Players tend to get more tired playing man to man than they do a zone defense, which is the other option when coaching defensive basketball.
- Quick offensive players sometimes get matched up on players that are not as quick, therefore making a mismatch for the defensive team. It is difficult to match up entirely because of speed and size.
What are the Different Forms of Man to Man Defense?
When it comes to man to man defense, there are not a lot of options like there are if you are running a zone defense. Man to man is pretty typical and standard and the fundamentals are quite similar for most teams and programs.
There are some variations that coaches use in their man to man principles. Most of these are minor differences in how to play the technique.
Off the Ball Help side Defense
This is the area that some coaches differ. When a defender is covering a player who does not have the ball, this is called off the ball. There are a few different techniques that are coaches in this area of defense.
In basketball, the term “midline” refers to the imaginary line that is drawn from the middle of the rim at one side of the court to the middle of the rim on the other side of the court. This line is used for defenders to align when the player they are covering is on the opposite side of the court and does not have the ball.
Why is the Midline Important?
The midline is important because the defender that is off the ball is taught to have a foot on the midline. The idea of this is so that each player can see both his or her man and also be able to see the ball. Seeing both the ball and your man is an important concept to man to man defense.
The midline provides younger players with a tool to use to understand where to be on the court. It also teaches them to cover their man, but that the ball is most important and that they need to help when the ball is being taken to the basket.
Here is a good explanation of the midline and help side defense:
On-ball Screens
This is a man to man concept that many coaches play differently, but is an important factor when running man to man defense. This concept comes into play when the offense is trying to set a screen for the ball handler.
There are a few ways to handle this situation and all three are valid methods. One method is called hedge and recover and the second technique is to trap the ball handler.
1 – Hedge and Recover
This method is an older style of defending an on-ball screen, but is still a very effective way to defend. The idea is that the person covering the screener is responsible to stop the ball handler and return the ball handler back towards the defender that was covering him or her.
This concept takes a lot of practice and coaching, requiring a great deal of attention to both the on-ball defender and the defender that is hedging the screen. This is one man to man defensive concept that is very difficult for younger basketball players.
Here is a great video of hedging on-ball screens:
2 – Switch the Screen
Another option is to switch the on-ball screen. This is a great idea if you have a team that is more athletic than the opposing team. This method is a good option if your big en are athletic and can cover smaller, quicker players.
The issue with switching on-ball screens is that sometimes a mismatch happens. When the switch occurs there are many times that a post player gets matched up against a guard and has a difficult time staying with the guard because of his or her quickness. Offensively, teams will try to create mismatches in this fashion, knowing that a team will switch, provides them an opportunity to get a mismatch and take advantage of it.
Double the Ball
Another option in man to man against on-ball screens is to double team the ball. The defender that is covering the screener as well as the defender covering the ball handler will trap the ball handler. This is a pretty good choice for defenses that do not want to think too much. This makes it easy for young players to coach it in this manner.
The drawback with double the ball on an on-ball screen is that it leaves other players on offense open. The key is to rotate after the double team, which can be a tough skill to teach. There will be some setbacks when coaching this technique as sometimes the offense will get a simple shot or layup because of not rotating properly.
How Can I get Better at Man to Man Defense
One key to getting better at man to man defense is to develop foot speed. Footwork is the key to defense and becoming more of a force on defense. Agility and athleticism are the factors that impact man to man defense the most, especially if you are covering the ball.
Strength is also key to success to defense, as sometimes stronger offensive players can dominate a man to man defense. The weight room is a great place to start, to develop lower body strength, especially.
Here is a great drill to improve man to man defensive skills:
Take Action…
Develop as a player by practicing your defensive skills. Many times when young players practice basketball, they end up only working on offense. Defense is a huge part of the game and your skills should be developed.
Watch basketball on a regular basis to get an idea of how to play man to man defense, especially on-ball screens, as discussed above.
Your love for the game is essential. If you love something, then you will dedicate yourself to getting better and improving. Continue to push yourself and develop skills, never settling for being average.