Q: I would like to hear if anyone has adapted the 4 OUT 1 IN against a 2-3 zone. Our personnel usually requires a 4 OUT set, but I don’t like the two guard set against a two guard zone.

Has anybody used the 5 OUT spots with the 4 OUT set to get a guard at the top of the zone? What other ideas do you have against a 2-3 when you can’t go 5 OUT or 3 OUT without losing one of your better players?

A: Adjust your 4 OUT formation into the following positions: Point, two wings, one corner.

When the post is on the side with an empty corner, the floor has a certain balance to it: two players on each side of the floor. With this situation, there’s always a chance for a Pin Screen and Skip Pass on either side of the floor.

When the post is on the side with the wing and corner filled, the floor is overloaded - not a bad thing against zones.

For the sake of passing, cutting, and posting (against any zone), I add 6 new spots that cutters can fill: the two FT line elbow spots, the two mid-post spots, and the two short corners. The rule against zones is that cutters can fill these spots and then change spots with the next pass. (They can move to another interior spot or back out to a spot on the perimeter).

As your players pass and cut, they can fill any of these empty spots. This will constantly shift the formation from overloaded to balanced. Again, this kind of action is tough on zone defenses.