Andrew Pace
Walling up is a defensive basketball technique used to prevent an opponent from scoring. It involves positioning your body directly in front of the offensive player and raising both hands straight up in the air to make the opponent shoot over you. Walling up is most effective when it occurs in the paint (lane) and is practised daily by many basketball teams. It is a highly effective strategy, with some coaches claiming it saves them 3 to 5% points of defence and 3 to 5 fouls per game.
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What You'll Learn
Keep your body straight up, hands high
Keeping your body straight up, with your hands high, is a key part of walling up on basketball defense. Walling up is a technique used to force an opposing player to score over you, rather than around you. It is particularly effective in the post (or paint) when an opponent is trying to score.
To do this, you need to keep your body straight up, without bringing your hands or arms down. Your hands should be up high, challenging the shot without fouling. This technique is about making the offensive player shoot over you, so you want to make yourself as tall as possible, with arms raised.
It is important to note that you should be in an athletic stance when defending, allowing you to be quick and explosive. However, when guarding in the post, and the offensive player is trying to finish over you, this is when you want to stand straight up and wall them up.
This technique is also useful on the perimeter, where you can take away the vision of the offensive player. Here, you do not put your body on the offensive player, but you still keep your hands up high.
By keeping your body straight up, with your hands high, you are also in a good position to box out the shooter and rebound. This is an important part of defensive play, as it prevents easy offensive rebounds.
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Don't foul
When it comes to playing basketball defense without fouling, there are several techniques and strategies to keep in mind. Firstly, it's important to emphasize proper defensive positioning, technique, and footwork. This means keeping your feet planted on the floor, using your arms and chest for balance, and moving your body and feet to defend instead of swiping at the ball with your hands.
A common tendency when defending is to reach in with your hands, which often leads to a foul being called. To avoid this, focus on keeping your hands up and out of the way, and use your feet to move laterally, staying between your opponent and the basket. This is known as playing defense with your feet, and it's a crucial skill to master. As Coach Bo Ryan advises, "Don't leave your feet, don't reach in with your hands."
When defending, it's also important to be patient and not to swipe or swat at the ball. This can put you out of position and increase the likelihood of a foul being called. Instead, wait for the offensive player to present the ball, which means putting it between themselves and you. This gives you a better chance to defend without fouling.
Additionally, when playing defense, you want to make your opponent feel crowded and force them to make mistakes. You can do this by keeping your arms wide and using your feet to stay in front of them without making contact. This technique is especially useful for taller defenders.
Finally, when playing defense, it's important to avoid holding fouls, which occur when players use their hands, arms, or body to grab or restrict an opponent's movement. To avoid this, focus on maintaining good footwork and body control, moving your feet quickly, and staying balanced while in your defensive position.
By following these strategies and techniques, you can improve your defensive skills while minimizing the number of fouls you commit.
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Force players to score over you
When it comes to basketball, defence is just as important as offence, if not more so. Walling up is a key defensive technique that can be used to great effect. It is particularly useful when an opponent is trying to score in the paint (lane).
The basic idea behind walling up is to force players to score over the top of you, rather than around you. This is achieved by keeping your body "straight up" and putting both hands straight up in the air. You don't even need to jump. By walling up, you are making the shot more difficult for your opponent. Even the very best players in the game don't make a high percentage of contested shots.
To teach this technique, give the ball to an offensive player with their back to the basket on the right side of the rim. The offensive player should then take one dribble towards the middle of the floor, turn, and shoot a jump shot over the walled-up defender. The defender must keep their body up against the offensive player and keep both hands high.
It's important to note that when you are walling up, you should not leave your feet. You are simply trying to make the offensive player's job as difficult as possible by blocking their vision and forcing them to shoot over you. Walling up also provides great box-out positioning and helps to prevent easy offensive rebounds.
By mastering the art of walling up, you can significantly improve your defensive game and help your team concede fewer points.
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Improve your athletic stance
To improve your athletic stance, there are several things to keep in mind. Firstly, your feet should be positioned slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with your toes pointing straight ahead. This positioning helps to establish a stable base, which is crucial for maintaining balance and being ready to react quickly.
Next, bend your knees and keep your back straight, with your head up and eyes forward. This posture ensures you are alert and prepared to move in any direction. It is important to distribute your weight across the balls of your feet, keeping them engaged while still maintaining contact with the ground through your heels.
Additionally, when in an athletic stance, keep your arms extended away from your body. This arm positioning is important for both on-ball and off-ball defence, as it enables you to mirror the movements of the basketball and potentially deflect or contest shots. Practise keeping your arms extended by performing defensive slides, a fundamental skill that helps you stay in control and close out defensive plays.
Remember, the athletic stance is not just for defence; it can also be used by offensive players to protect the ball from defenders. In this case, the offensive player would turn their body slightly, keeping the ball on the side opposite the defender while maintaining the same stance fundamentals. By using the athletic stance effectively, both offensive and defensive players can increase their reactivity and success on the court.
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Close out under control
Closing out under control is a vital aspect of basketball defense. It involves sprinting towards the ball-handler in a low stance as soon as the pass is made, while the ball is still in the air. The defender should keep their baseline foot back, forcing the ball-handler towards the baseline. As they approach, they should snap their shoulders and head back to control their speed.
The inside hand (closest to the midline) should be kept high to contest the outside shot and the high pass to the post. The outside hand (baseline side) should be kept low to "dig" at the ball or deflect a bounce pass into the low post. The goal is to contest the shot while being able to stop the first step of the dribble-drive.
To practice closing out under control, a drill can be performed where players line up inside cones in a defensive/athletic stance. They must then take each cone, one at a time, across the lane line using a defensive slide. This drill helps players work on their ability to close out under control, perform a defensive slide, and finish the play by going for the rebound.
Another drill involves setting up three or four lines of players along the baseline and above the free-throw line. Each player along the baseline passes out to a perimeter player, who then closes out on the ball, yelling "Ball! Ball! Ball!". The receivers then pass back and make a close-out. This drill helps players work on their passing and receiving techniques while also practicing their close-out technique.
Closing out with urgency is also important. This involves having "squeaky" or "choppy" feet when closing out, and knowing who you are closing out to. It is important to close out on every pass the offense makes in a half-court setting. Additionally, when guarding in the post, defenders should keep their hands high to block the shot and make the offensive player finish over them.
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Frequently asked questions
Walling up is a technique used to force the opposing player to score over you, rather than around you. This makes it more difficult for the opposing player to make a successful shot.
When walling up, you should put your body on the offensive player and put both hands straight up in the air. It is important to keep your body straight up without bringing your hands/arms down.
A good drill for practicing walling up involves giving the ball to an offensive player with their back to the basket. The offensive player should take one dribble to the middle of the floor, turn around, and shoot a jump shot over the defender, who will wall up.
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