First understand pressure man-to-man defense. I used to say that there is probably no reason to use the pack line defense if you have excellent, quick athletes who are good defenders. Just use standard pressure man-to-man defense. On the other hand, the pack line defense will help less talented teams compete with better teams, and will also help prevent point guard dribble-penetration.
Since many teams nowadays use the dribble-drive to attack, it makes good sense to use the packline defense no matter what your team's skill level is. The packline will help clog those seams and stop the dribble-drive. The packline is a gap defense, that still puts pressure on the ball. The packline defense also puts your players in better position for defensive rebounding, and may result in less fouling.
The "pack line"
The pack line man-to-man defense is a "sagging" man-to-man defense. The idea is to clog the inside, protect the paint, and prevent dribble-penetration. Instead of defenders (whose man is one pass away) playing on the line in denial, they sag back inside the imaginary "pack line". The pack line is an imaginary line two feet inside the 3-point arc (see diagram A). The four defenders off the ball are positioned inside that line.
One defender pressures the ball, while the other four defenders are inside the pack line, hedging in the gaps. This allows the pass on the perimeter, but closes down the gaps and prevents dribble-penetration. The prime goal, as in any defense, is to stop the ball.
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