Helena Frye
Defending the post is a crucial aspect of basketball, requiring players to get up close and personal with their opponents. There are three basic post areas to defend: low, medium, and high. When denying the post, the defender must play before the post receives the ball, aiming to prevent the offensive post from ever touching it. This involves agility and quickness, pressuring passers, and working as a team. One defensive tactic involves extending the arm closest to the ball into the passing lane, creating an arm bar with the other arm, and stepping into the passing lane with the closest foot.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of post areas | 3 (Low, Medium, High) |
| Who should defend the post? | All players, regardless of size, must be prepared to defend post-ups |
| When to defend the post | Before the post receives the ball |
| How to defend the post | Agility and quickness over strength; pressure passers; team effort |
| How to deny the entry pass to the post | Extend the arm closest to the ball into the passing lane, thumb down, and create an arm bar with the other arm |
| How to make the entry pass more difficult | Step into the passing lane with the foot closest to the ball |
| How to deny a pass from the corner | Step through the passing lane, then turn 180 degrees |
| How to defend a player with a size advantage in the low post | "Front" the post by standing in front of them to prevent bounce or chest passes |
| How to defend the ball at the point | Assume the "home" position |
| How to practice denying the post | Start out slow, then gradually increase the speed |
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What You'll Learn
Deny passing lanes by pressuring passers
When defending the post in basketball, it is crucial to pressure passers to prevent them from making successful passes to the post player. Here are some strategies to deny passing lanes by pressuring passers:
- Aggressive pass denial: Defenders should assume an aggressive stance, positioning themselves on the ball side and keeping their back foot about 12 inches behind the opponent's foot. This denies the opponent an easy passing lane and forces them to adjust their setup.
- Extend the arm: When the ball is at the point or being passed to the wing, the defender should extend their outside arm into the passing lane, thumb down, to block or intercept the pass. This is especially effective when combined with stepping into the passing lane with the foot closest to the ball.
- Fronting the post: When defending against a player with a size advantage in the low post, a defender can "front" the post by standing directly in front of them. This technique requires good balance and footwork, as the defender cannot see the post player. It forces the offense to attempt more difficult lob passes, and the defender should be ready to "sandwich" the low-post player with the help of a weak-side defender if a lob pass is attempted.
- Force adjustments: Defenders should aim to beat the offensive post player to their preferred spot on the court, forcing them to adjust and set up from a less advantageous position. This strategy is about agility and quickness rather than strength.
- Double-teaming: While not specific to pressuring passers, double-teaming the low post in combination with good spacing can make it harder for the offense to pass into the post. Spacing allows for hi-lo passing between post players and makes it more challenging for defenders to deny passing lanes.
By implementing these strategies, defenders can effectively deny passing lanes by pressuring passers and disrupting the offense's flow.
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Use an arm bar to deny entry passes
Defending the post area in basketball is crucial, and all players, regardless of size, must be prepared to defend post-ups. Post defense is a team effort, and defenders must provide strong support to their teammates.
Using an arm bar is a key defensive tactic to keep offensive players at bay. It involves extending an arm towards the opponent to disrupt their shooting and ball-handling abilities. Arm bars are particularly useful in preventing turnovers by creating a shield between the ball handler and defenders.
When using an arm bar, it is important to follow the rules to avoid fouls. The arm bar should not be used to impede the progress of the offensive player through excessive contact. The arms may be extended in front of the torso, with elbows bent, but should not go beyond the position of the feet. This ensures that the defender does not cause contact with the offensive player.
To deny entry passes with an arm bar, defenders can position themselves within the 6-foot closely guarded area. They can extend one arm into the passing lane to block the pass, while keeping the other arm down in the dribbling area to protect the ball. This technique requires agility and quickness to react to the opponent's movements and effectively deny the pass.
Additionally, defenders can use the arm bar to create space on screens. As the offensive player moves over the screen, the defender can use the arm bar to create room for themselves to get over the screen and maintain defensive positioning. This technique helps prevent the offensive player from receiving the pass.
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Force the opponent to adjust their setup
To force your opponent to adjust their setup, you must be agile and quick. It is important to play before the post receives the ball, not after. If the offensive post likes to set up high, force them low, and vice versa. The defender should beat the offensive post to the spot, pressuring all passers and making it difficult for them to make a good post feed.
To deny an entry pass to the post, the defender can extend their arm closest to the ball into the passing lane, thumb down, and create an arm bar with the other arm to lean against the post player. The defender can also step into the passing lane with the foot closest to the ball. This is a good tactic when the basketball is being entered from the point or wing area of the court.
When denying a pass from the corner, the defender should step through the passing lane and then turn 180 degrees to deny the pass. The defender is then in a good position to block or intercept any pass to the corner and discourage a baseline drive.
If the offensive player has a size advantage in the low post, the defender can "front" the post by standing in front of them to prevent other players from making a bounce or chest pass into the low post. This requires good balance and footwork, but it forces the offense to attempt a risky lob pass to get the ball to the post.
Good spacing also makes it harder to defend post players. Teams that double-team the low post will struggle when players are spaced apart. Good spacing allows for hi-lo passing from one post player to another when the perimeter players are spaced out on the arc.
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Deny passes from the corner with a 180-degree turn
Defending the post area in basketball is crucial, and it is not just limited to the tallest players on a team. Smaller players can be posted up, so all players must be skilled in the fundamentals of defending the post area.
A good way to deny passes from the corner is to execute a 180-degree turn. This can be practised with a drill where players run to the free-throw line extended and execute a stride stop, taking two stopping steps. On the second step, the player puts all their weight on the outside "push-off" foot, turns and explodes back in the opposite direction. They then run back to the baseline and execute another stride stop. The key to a good stride stop is staying low, pumping the arms, and driving off the push-off foot to quickly change direction.
In general, when denying passes, defenders should be agile and quick rather than relying on strength. They should pressure all passers so that they are unable to make a good post feed. The defender guarding the passer must exert the utmost pressure, and the off-ball defenders must provide strong back-side support.
To deny passes, defenders should assume an aggressive pass denial position on the ball side, keeping their back foot 12" behind the opponent's foot. If the offensive post likes to set up high, force them low, and vice versa.
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Front the post to prevent bounce or chest passes
Defending the post area in basketball is crucial, and it is not just the responsibility of the tallest players on the team. All players, regardless of size, must be prepared to defend post-ups. There are three basic post areas to defend: Low Post, Medium Post, and High Post.
Fronting the post is an effective way to prevent bounce or chest passes. This involves positioning yourself between the opponent and the basket, with your back to the basket, to deny any entry passes. Here are some key instructions for effectively fronting the post:
- Aggressive Positioning: Assume an aggressive stance by positioning your back foot 12 inches behind the opponent's foot. This denies the passing lane and forces them to adjust their setup.
- Deny the Spot: Beat the offensive post player to the spot. If they prefer setting up low, push them high, and vice versa. This disrupts their normal operating area and makes passing more challenging.
- Quickness and Agility: Defend with agility and quickness. Rather than relying solely on strength, focus on being nimble and responsive. This allows you to pressure passers effectively and limit their options for post feeds.
- Team Coordination: Post defense requires strong team coordination. The defender guarding the passer should exert maximum pressure, while off-ball defenders provide robust back-side support.
- Understanding Pass Types: Recognize the characteristics of different passes. Chest passes are direct and efficient but are easier to disrupt in crowded areas. Bounce passes are indirect and flexible, making them harder to steal, but they can be used deceptively in combination with chest passes.
- Protecting Against Passes: To counter bounce passes, use your body to shield defenders and employ creative movements. For chest passes, keep your hands ready and active to intercept or deflect the pass.
By following these instructions and maintaining a proactive and agile defensive stance, you can effectively front the post and limit the opponent's options for bounce or chest passes.
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