Warm-upFreeze the cones6 min
- Two cones at the top of the key. Dribble hard into the gap between them, then kick to either wing for a shot. Passer replaces the shooter, shooter rebounds and goes to the line.
- Shots at game speed from the start.
- Theme link: the dribble at the gap is the first way to make a zone move.
Block 1Freeze dribble against the top two8 min
- Adds: two live defenders at the top whose only job is to stop the ball getting into the middle.
- 3v2: dribbler at the top, both wings. The dribbler attacks the gap under control (not full speed, so the kick doesn't get deflected). Kick to the wing whose defender pinched in; the wing shoots or drives the recovery.
- Rotate after each possession.
- Progress when: the kick goes on the dribble that pulls both defenders in, not the one after.
- Regress if: kicks keep getting deflected. The dribbler stops one step short of the gap.
- Cues (questions): "Which defender came to you?" "Did you pass before or after they got their hands up?"
Block 2Dribble over, pass back8 min
- Adds: a back-line defender, so the zone has to slide as a unit.
- 3v3: dribbler at the right slot, both wings, the top two and the right-side back-line defender. Dribble about three metres across; the zone slides with you. Quick pivot, pass back to the wing you just left. They shoot over a late closeout or drive a flying one.
- Then mirror it: start at the left slot.
- Progress when: the pass back is on its way before X2 has stopped sliding.
- Regress if: the dribble is too slow to move anyone. Dribbler must get to the far slot in two dribbles.
- Cues (questions): "When did X2 stop sliding?" "Who was the furthest from the ball when you passed?"
Block 3Slot pass, passer cuts first10 min
- Adds: the inside pass. The ball goes to the slot (on the baseline, about one dribble from the rim), and the zone collapses to it.
- 3v2 on one side: wing, slot and high post against the forward (out on the wing) and the middle defender. Wing passes to the slot and cuts straight to the rim; the passer always cuts first. The middle defender has to choose: take the slot, or the cutter. The high post slides down into whatever space is left.
- Slot reads: pass to the cutter, dump to the high post sliding in, or one dribble under the defender for a finish.
- Progress when: the slot makes the read without waiting, and the high post arrives as the middle defender commits.
- Regress if: the cutter is always jammed. The forward has to stay on the wing for one count after the pass.
- Cues (questions): "Who did the middle defender take?" "Where was the space when the cutter went through?"
Water2 min
Block 4Full 2-3: inside first10 min
- Adds: all five zone defenders.
- 5v5 at one hoop. Attack from a 1-3-1: top, two wings, high post, and a slot on the baseline. The high post moves to the ball side, looking for the seam; the slot runs the baseline to the ball side.
- Rule: the ball has to touch the slot or the high post before any shot. On a high-post catch, the passer cuts first and the slot slides in behind them.
- Four possessions, then the teams swap.
- Progress when: the inside catch comes within two passes, not after a long swing round the outside.
- Regress if: entries keep getting stolen. Defence plays the first possession at walking pace.
- Cues (questions): "Who moved when the high post caught it?" "Where was the space behind them?"
FinisherMake them move13 min
- 5v5 live, the defence in a 2-3. Four possessions each, then swap. Keep the score across rounds.
- Scoring:
- 2 pts (3 for a three): a make within two passes of a freeze dribble, a dribble over and pass back, or a touch inside.
- 1 pt: any other make.
- Turnover: four perimeter passes in a row with no dribble at a gap and no inside touch.
- Defence, 1 pt: a stop.
- Progress when: most possessions score 2 or nothing; the 1-point shots are disappearing.
- Regress if: the offence stands still. Coach calls "freeze!" to restart a stuck possession with a dribble at a gap.
Huddle3 min
- One question: "Which of our three ways of moving the zone did they struggle with most, and why that one?"
Coach notes
- Decision errors vs execution errors:
- Swinging the ball without a dribble or an inside pass is a decision error. The zone hasn't moved, so there's no space yet. Ask "who moved?"
- A deflected kick-out is execution. Usually the dribble was too fast and too deep. Under control is enough; they're coming in anyway.
- Common failure: cutters who wander away from the ball. The space is near the ball, so stay close enough for a short pass.
- Common failure: the slot standing under the rim or high on the block. From the slot you should see every defender in front of you.
- Age line: the site holds zone defence back at under-12. Attacking one is fine at U16, as long as your own team is learning man-to-man.
Sources
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| Coach Nick — How to Attack a 2-3 Zone Defense | Warm-up, Block 1, Block 2, Block 3, Block 4 |
| junior.basketball (original) | Block 3 constraint, finisher scoring |
Unofficial resource. Drills are adapted from recorded coaching clinics and credited to the coaches named in Sources above; anything marked junior.basketball (original) was written for this plan. Not affiliated with or endorsed by those coaches or the organisations that ran the clinics. Full credit to every presenter.