Transition and Press Offense - Attacking Presses

From the Coach's Clipboard Basketball Playbook

Question: Can your team handle full-court pressure? Or do they panic and frequently turn the ball over? All teams need a plan for attacking press defenses. Select a press offense below and get good at it.

Press Offense Essentials

Press offense is part of the larger topic "Transition Offense". See "Attacking the Full-Court Press", which discusses important principles common to attacking any press defense.

A press offense(s) is needed for countering defensive full-court, 3/4-court, or half-court presses. Without a plan, your team will become confused, frustrated, will panic, turn the ball over, and allow the opponent easy transition lay-ups. But if your players stay calm and confident, you can burn the press and get easy lay-ups of your own.

Good scouting helps. If you know what type of press your opponent uses, you can prepare for it. During the game, focus on their press set-up - are they man-to-man (or match-up), or zone? Is it full-court, 3/4 or 1/2 court? Do they deny, allow or trap the first pass? Knowing these things will allow you to make necessary adjustments.

Regardless of the type of press, remember that after the first pass or first dribble-attack, most presses are the same, and if you can attack one, you can attack any of them.

There are three catgories of presses: full-court, 3/4-court and half-court presses. Have a plan to counter each. We like the 80-60-40 press breakers as they cover all three types, but I have listed other popular press offenses as well.

Specific Press Offenses

These press-break options can be used against different types of full-court, 3/4-court, and half-court pressure.

Press Offense Examples

Tip: Teach one primary press break well, then add variations as your players gain confidence.

Secondary Breaks

Quick transition is another way of attacking a press, by pushing the ball up the court before the press can get set. Use a secondary break after a made basket or rebound. If you like the 80-60-40 press-breakers described above, then the secondary numbered break would work best, since your players run the same lanes in both the numbered break and the press offenses, making it easy to learn both.

• Secondary Numbered Break
  - five numbered options, works well with the "80" and "60" press-breaks.
  
• Secondary Break
  - this is a another secondary break that we have used, and it works well with a lot of options.
  
• Coach Sar's Secondary Break
  - Coach Ken Sartini used this break with his high-school teams in the Chicago area.
  
• 3-Up Secondary Break
  - a secondary break with a Princeton-style look.
  

In summary, be prepared for trapping, pressure defenses anywhere on the court. Spend some time developing your press offense and secondary break. This will pay dividends in fewer turnovers against pressure and you will get some easy lay-ups.

Related Pages:

• Attacking the press
• Transition offense
• Concepts for Playing Fast - Score Early and Often
• Pace and Space Offense