Kristian Ferrell
Youth basketball players and coaches can employ several strategies to beat a press and increase their chances of winning. One of the most effective ways to break a press is by passing the ball quickly and accurately up the court, rather than dribbling, to get it past the midcourt line within the allotted time. This tactic can create a 2-on-1 situation and open up passing options for an easy lay-up. Coaches can also instruct players to dribble with their heads up to avoid traps and move the ball to the middle of the court, making it harder for defenders to trap and easier to pass to either side. Additionally, players should learn to stay calm under pressure, quickly forget mistakes, and focus on the next play to avoid turnovers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Passing | Passing is faster than dribbling and is the best way to beat a press. |
| Dribbling | Dribbling should be used sparingly, but players should be able to dribble with both hands and their head up to avoid traps. |
| Philosophy | Coaches should teach their players to attack the press where it is weak. |
| Practice | Youth basketball teams can practice press breaks by adding an extra defender, making facing fewer defenders in a game seem easier. |
| Calmness | Players should stay calm and not dwell on mistakes to avoid further errors. |
| Confidence | Players should be confident that they can beat the press. |
| Communication | Receivers should meet the pass and get open, looking for open spots in the defense. |
| Positioning | Players should avoid the sidelines and aim to get the ball to the middle of the floor to avoid traps. |
| Speed | Quick, sharp passing and movement can beat the press before it has a chance to set up. |
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What You'll Learn
Teach players to pass, not dribble
Passing is a crucial skill to teach youth basketball players when it comes to beating a press. While dribbling is important, and some players can certainly dribble through a press, passing is often a more effective way to beat the defence.
Passing gets the ball up the court faster than dribbling, and it's important to demonstrate this to players. A simple drill to show this involves having players line up to pass a ball, while another player with a ball dribbles alongside them. The drill illustrates that the ball moves faster when passed, and players can see this clearly.
It's also important to teach players to avoid the corners and get the ball to the middle of the court when trying to break a press. This is because the defence often wants to steer the offence into a trap in the corners. When the ball is in the middle of the court, there are more passing options, and it is easier for the ball handler to dribble past defenders.
While youth basketball teams don't necessarily need a dominant dribbler, it is still important for players to learn how to dribble with their head up, using their entire arm, and with either hand. This decreases the chance of them moving into a trap and helps them to read the defence.
To summarise, teaching youth basketball players to pass, rather than dribble, is key to beating a press. Passing gets the ball up the court faster and helps to avoid traps. However, dribbling is still an important skill to develop, as it can be used effectively in certain situations, especially when combined with passing options.
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Focus on fundamentals
To beat a press in youth basketball, it's important to focus on the fundamentals. Here are some key points to consider:
Passing is often the best way to beat a press, as it gets the ball up the court faster than dribbling. Coaches should emphasise the importance of quick, accurate passing to their players. It's crucial to look for open teammates and make sharp passes to avoid giving the defence a chance to set up their press. Passing up the floor and cutting through defences are key to breaking the press.
While dribbling skills are important, they are not the primary way to beat a press. Players should be taught to dribble with their head up, enabling them to read the defence and avoid traps. Dribbling is especially useful when combined with passing, as a player can dribble through the middle and then pass to either side, creating more options.
It's important to get the ball inbounds quickly, before the defence can set up their press. The inbounder should get the ball out of the net swiftly and pass to a teammate who can then decide whether to dribble or pass. Coaches should instruct players to avoid inbound passing under the basket, as the backboard may restrict passing lanes.
Players should learn to stay calm under pressure. The press aims to force mistakes and turnovers, so players must maintain composure and focus on the next play. Coaches should also remain calm and provide reassurance during time-outs to help settle their players down.
By focusing on these fundamentals, youth basketball players will be better equipped to beat a press and increase their chances of winning.
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Avoid traps
Avoiding traps is a crucial aspect of beating the press in youth basketball. Here are some strategies to keep in mind:
Firstly, it's important to recognize that passing is often more effective than dribbling in breaking the press. Quick, accurate passing can help get the ball up the court faster and create scoring opportunities. Teach players to look for open teammates and make sharp passes to keep the defense guessing.
When passing, it is essential to avoid the sidelines as they can restrict passing lanes and make it easier for the defense to trap the player. Instead, focus on getting the ball to the middle of the court, which opens up more passing options and makes it harder for the defense to trap.
Ball handlers should also be adept at dribbling and be able to dribble with their head up. This allows them to read the defense and avoid traps by going in the opposite direction or splitting the defense. However, the ultimate goal should be to pass the ball away from the trap to the other end of the court.
Additionally, players should be taught to recognize traps and avoid dribbling into them. A simple strategy is to refrain from dribbling up the sideline and instead bring the ball up the middle of the floor, which provides more options to go left or right and avoid traps.
Finally, it's crucial to stay calm under pressure. The press aims to force turnovers and rattle players, so maintaining composure and focusing on the next play is essential. An upset or angry coach will not help in this situation, so coaches must also remain calm and provide reassurance to their players.
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Stay calm
It's important to stay calm when faced with a press in youth basketball. The press tries to upset you and force you to make mistakes and commit turnovers. If you remain calm and confident, you can avoid these errors and focus on beating the press.
A key aspect of staying calm is not dwelling on mistakes. If you make a mistake, forget it, and focus on the next play. Don't let a mistake snowball into more turnovers. This applies to coaches as well—an upset or angry coach will only rattle players further. During time-outs, coaches should be calm, reassuring, and refocused on the game.
Another way to stay calm is to understand the press's objective. The press defence tries to force turnovers and get easy baskets by pressuring, trapping, and harassing the offence. Knowing this, you can focus on keeping your composure and making smart decisions.
Additionally, it's important to remember that passing, not dribbling, usually beats the press. So, stay calm, look for open teammates, and make quick, accurate passes to move the ball up the court faster.
Finally, practice makes perfect. The more you and your team practice press breaks, the more comfortable and confident you'll become in handling the press. This will help you stay calm during games, knowing that you have the skills and strategies to beat the press.
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Get the ball inbounds quickly
Getting the ball inbounds quickly is crucial to beating a press in youth basketball. The inbounder should retrieve the ball from the net swiftly, making sure not to position themselves under the basket, as this may restrict passing lanes. The inbounder should then look for open teammates and make a quick pass before the defence can set up their press.
The inbounder has several passing options. They can pass to a player on the sideline, who can then either dribble or pass up the sideline. Alternatively, the inbounder can pass to a player in the middle, who has the option to pass to either side of the court. This strategy is often more effective than a sideline press break as it opens up more passing options and makes it more difficult for the defence to trap.
It is important for players to be constantly moving and looking for open spots in the defence to receive a pass. They should anticipate where the pass will go before they receive the ball and meet the pass, turning and squaring up in the triple-threat position, which gives them the option to pass or dribble.
If the defence has already set up their press, the team should run their press breaker. In this case, it is still important to be quick and attack the press, but players should focus on passing rather than dribbling.
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Frequently asked questions
Passing the ball quickly up the court is the best way to beat a press. Getting the ball inbounds before the defence can set up is key.
The Basic Pull-Back drill is great for younger players, while the Pull-Back Crossover drill is more suitable for advanced, older players.
The inbounder should get the ball out of the net quickly and pass to a teammate who can decide whether to dribble or pass. Avoid passing under the basket as the backboard may restrict the passing lane.
Coaches should emphasise the importance of hustling to get the ball inbounds quickly and practice press breaks by adding an extra defender to make facing fewer defenders in a game seem easier.
Guards must be ready to receive the ball and look up the court to push it forward with a pass as soon as possible.
