We set in a 2-2-1 formation (diagram 1) and we run this defense after a made or missed free throw.  The aim is to change the pace of the game, forcing opponents to make mistakes, and allowing us to steal the ball.  I tell my players not to gamble too much, but most importantly, to keep their assigned positions.

Specific rules

First line of defense
· Both guards must maintain proper spacing, staying about 3 meters (10 feet) away from each other.
· They do not allow a pass to be made in the middle of the court.
· They must force players to make a pass below the extension of the free-throw line.
· Once the pass is made, they must force the player with the ball to dribble.
· They must force the ball handler to dribble along the sideline.
· As long as the ball is in front of a defender, he must stay with the offensive player.
· Once the ball has crossed the half-court line, the defender must push the ball towards the corner.
· If the ball is passed over the heads of the defenders, they must sprint back toward the basket.

Second line of defense
· Defenders must stay one step below the mid-court line.
· The defender away from the ball must stop any opponent who cuts in the middle of the court.
· Defenders must trap when the dribbler crosses the half court
· The defender opposite to the trap must slide back to cover the high post.
· Defenders must rotate to open spots on the baseline.
· When the ball goes over their heads, they must sprint back to open spot at the baseline.

General rules

· All defenders must communicate with each other.
· Let the first pass be made, but not in the middle of the court.
· Force the first receiver to dribble along the sideline.
· Do not let any opponent make a flash cut in the middle of the court.
· Leave the position only when the ball is passed over your head.
· Whenever this happens, sprint back.
· Move when the ball is in the air, not after an opponent has received the ball.
· On a long pass to the corner, go out and aggressively cover the ball handler.

Defensive adjustments

Ball inbounded on one side of the court
· X1 forces 1 to dribble, as soon as this player has received the ball.
· X2 protects the middle of the court, and he will take over as soon as an offensive man crosses in the middle of the court.
· X3 must avoid any flash cut of 3 in the middle.
· X4 protects the middle of the court.
· X5 moves in one or the other direction based on the movements of the ball (diagram 2).

Flash cut in the middle from the backcourt
· X4 denies the flash cut of 3, until X2 covers him. Then, X3 goes back on his position. X2 will deny any pass in the middle to 3 (diagram 3).

Skip pass
· On a skip pass from one to the other side of the court, X1 and X2 must move together while the ball is in the hair.
· X4 moves up for trapping.
· X3 protects the middle of the court near the three-point line.
· X5 takes position in the 3-second lane.
· X1 runs in the middle of the court, near the jump ball circle (diagram 4).

The dribbler crosses the mid court
· X2 and X4 trap.
· X3 protects the lane setting himself at the free-throw line.
· X1 denies the pass to 3 ready also to cover a skip pass to 1.
· X5 is responsible for guarding 5 if he cuts to the ball side (diagram 5).

Pass to the corner rotations
· X5 must goes out aggressively on 5.
· X3 slides down on the ball side and toward the baseline, and covers all the cuts to the post area.
· In the meantime, X2 and X1 protect the elbow and free-throw line (diagram6).

Drills to build this defense

Frontline responsibility drill – first part
This drill is run to teach the first line of defenders how to move when the ball is inbounded. Four offensive players play versus two defenders.  The two defenders, X1 and X2, must let the inbounder make the inbound pass, but not in the middle of the court, then force the receiver to dribble. The defender of the ball handler, X1, must stay with him as long as the ball is in front of him, and, when the ball is passed back to the offensive player who made the inbound pass, he must get back to his original position (diagram 7).

The offensive players pass the ball.  After a couple of skip passes, they try to hit a teammate in the middle of the court. The two defenders, X1 and X2, must try to touch or deflect the pass (diagram 8).

Frontline responsibility drill – second part
Now, X1, forces the receiver to dribble along the sideline without trying to steal the ball. X1 must bring the ball handler to the trap that is run on the mid-court, while the other defensive guard, X2, must be half a step below the line of the ball. As soon as the ball is passed, he must fly with the ball and protect the middle of the court. The drill is run until the mid-court line. To simulate the other defender who traps, a chair is set at both corners of the mid-court line and near the sideline (diagram 9).

Once the ball handler has reached the mid-court and is trapped, he makes a skip pass to the teammate on the opposite side: X2 must fly with the ball and cover the receiver (diagram 10).

Second line responsibility drill – first part
We now put on the court six offensive players versus four defenders.

The second line defender on the ball side, X3, traps with X1. Both defenders have their hands up and “mirror” the ball. X2 protects the middle from any flash cut (diagram 11).

Second line responsibility drill – second part
On the skip pass to the other side of the court, all the defenders must fly with the ball (diagram12). On a pass to the corner, X3 must to deflect the ball (diagram 13).

  

Last line responsibility drill
This drill requires four offensive players versus three defenders, plus a coach. The coach inbounds the ball to 1, and he immediately dribbles the ball over the mid-court line as the second line of defense creates the trap. The opposite defender, X4, protects the middle of the court, while the last line defender, X5, moves to the ball side with a foot inside the three-second lane. When the ball is passed to the other side of the court with a skip pass, the two defenders of the second line must fly with the ball. X5 runs on the ball side, with one foot in the three-second lane (diagram 14 & 15).

  

Note: All five players must move simultaneously when the ball is in the air

Rotation of the second and the last line drill
When the ball goes in the corner, the last line defender, X5, closes out, keeping a good and aggressive position. X4 goes back and covers the middle of the three-second lane. X3 runs out of the trap and goes to the open spot opposite to the ball side. Then they play, following the zone defense rules (diagram16).

On a skip pass to the opposite corner (diagram 17), all players rotate while the ball is in the air. X5 closes out in the corner, X4 goes back and covers the middle of the three-second lane, and X3 runs to the open spot opposite to the ball.

Low post cut drill
If the low post player opposite to the ball cuts along the baseline from block to block, the defender on the middle in the lane, X4 covers the flash cut and fronts him. However, if the low post player moves up to the high post position, X3 will cover his flash cut, and then he will exchange with X4. The same happens if a forward makes a flash cut to the ball. As usual, we do not let any ball go to the middle (diagram 18).

Five-on-five drill
Finally, we put together all the previous drills. We play five-on-five after we shoot a free-throw, and we run this defense on a made or missed free-throw (diagram 19,20,21). If the ball goes in the middle, we might trap, depending on the offensive players involved and the situation (diagram 22).