Sound defensive strategists think in terms of changing defenses during the course of a game to confuse the opponents and put more demands on their readiness to attack a variety of defenses rather than just one.  The premise here is to move into various defenses from a 2-3 zone setup often increasing the element of surprise for the opposition.  I will attempt to include the keys that can be used to indicate when to change the defenses whenever possible.

The zone of choice here is the 2-3 as the base defense.  It provides excellent rebounding position, particularly on shots from the wings and the top.  Coaches can teach the appropriate slides according to their philosophy and personnel.  The variety of defenses developed from the 2-3 is the key but it is essential for the 2-3 zone to be executed well on its own.

All opponents provide different challenges defensively as a result of size, skill level, experience and ability to adjust.  The basic zone will expand to include the following defenses;
· 1-3-1, ˝ court trap defense
· triangle and 2
· man – man, ˝ court
· 2-3 trap at half court

It would be my defensive goal to use all variations in a game to create the most confusion.  Key elements include the frequency of each defense, the best times to change defenses and the signals to be used to communicate the changes.  All defenses will start as a 2-3 to give that appearance.  There are risk factors for each defense but the amount of teaching time in practice will diminish the risks greatly.

There is a positive psychological factor involved for the defenders.  From my experience, this type of approach keeps the defenders alert; alert to signals, roles and changes which may prevent staleness and “going through the motions” often seen in teams that play one basic defense.  Additionally, the variety of positions played and assignments are “fun” for the defenders.  It’s imperative that the players realize that the defenses must be equally efficient and that they take intense pride in each.

Let’s take a careful look at each defense.  I’ll include ideas based on my experience but would encourage coaches to make adjustments according to their own philosophies.

1-3-1 Trap
Positioning of the players on the court may vary but I prefer the top player in our 1-3-1 to play midway between the half court line and the top of the circle.  The basic rules are;
· Trap only in the corners and deny all passing lanes from the corner once the ball is caught
· The top and the wings should position themselves between the ball and the next receiver with hands high so that passes must be thrown over them, the increase in the arc of the pass allows all players an extra second to quickly move to their new positions.
· Any offensive high post player must be fronted, we cannot allow a pass to that area.
· The nearest wing to the corner and the bottom men will trap in the corner aggressively, try to deflect a pass out of the trap and do not allow the baseline drive.
· With the ball in the corner our players position themselves to deny any pass to the high post, low post and nearest wing receiver.
Coaching philosophy always prevails!  Coaches should use a 1-3-1 they are most comfortable with.

Triangle and 2
A “junk” defense to stop two very good players, this defense is confusing many times as it is rarely used.  It is to be used for part of a game only.  Coaches will figure out how to attack it if it is played for too long a period of time.  Defenders would start in 2-3 alignment and move into triangle defense after the first pass.

Man-Man
As the ball approaches the half court line, the defenders would quickly and under control move to a man-man defensive position the coach feels most comfortable with, i.e. ball pressure, denial of passing lanes, sagging.

2-3 Trap
Coach Dean Smith at UNC used this trapping defense sparingly but effectively during his successful tenure.  As the ball approaches the half court line the top two defenders attack the opposing point guard in a trapping fashion.  The back three defenders move forward in their three areas to any receiver there.  It is an all out attempt to trap and steal the first pass.  The ideal time to use this defense is when the opponents are in-bounding the ball on the sideline long or end line after a violation or timeout.

Keys to changing defenses are choices for coaches to make.  Possibilities include; after a timeout (I would always make a change here), after made/missed field goals, after made/missed free throws, end-line/sideline inbound by opponents (2-3 trap is perfect timing as defenders have time to setup and communicate), and to start the game (triangle and 2 often throws opponents off).  The method of communicating the changes to the players is very important.  Hand signals, cues yelled, hand held color cards by coaches are often used.  A consistent pattern can be used so that each of the defenses is cued by the game situation, i.e. made field goal/free throw = 2-3 to the 1-3-1, missed field goal/free throw 2-3, long inbound = 2-3 trap, start game in triangle and two, inbound near half court = 2-3 into man to man.

Notice that the defenders start in a 2-3 and move up court to defend in three different ways.  This causes surprise, confusion and adjustment for the opponents.  Coaches can predetermine the keys to the changes.

An interesting by-product of this defense scheme is that the players get to practice against this variety of defenses every day and offensively learn to make good, quick decisions and sound fundamental plays they might not otherwise experience.
The biggest challenge I’ve experienced is for the head coach to be willing to take the risks involved with multiple defenses.  Some prefer to stay locked into one or two basic defenses during the season.  Strange as it may sound, defenders can be confused occasionally and still cause aggravation for the opponents.  Their success will be determined on the practice floor as always.  I’m convinced that this methodology will be successful, if only because I would not want to coach against it.

Good Luck Coaches!