Zone defense
Zone defense or ball-space defense is called a defense in basketball in which the players defend a space and not a direct opponent.
There are different forms and mixed forms. For example “Box + 1”, in which four players play a zone defense and one player exerts pressure on the opponent leading the ball.
Classic zone defense, however, involves all five players. The two guards defend the front area around the triple line and the two wingers, small forward and power forward , defend the area at the back of the zone ; the center stands on the free-throw line and makes the zone "sealed". This line-up now shifts with the ball and is always directed towards the person carrying the ball. The side facing away from the ball is therefore also called Weakside , as it is usually less secured. A variant of this classic zone defense is the 1-3-1 zone defense invented by Clair Bee . Here, too, the center player is at the level of the free-throw line, but the ball-leading guard of the opposing team is defended in front of the zone by a larger forward, not by the two guards. Another defender is set up on either side of the center to the left and right, the fifth player defends the area directly under the basket.
Zone defense is generally regarded as a stopgap solution, as it can also stop athletic players relatively easily. However, this cannot be considered to be true, since an effective zone game is just as demanding as good man coverage.
Zone defense has recently been used more frequently in the extremely hand-to-hand NBA , which was banned there until the beginning of the 2001/2002 season. Example of this right now are the Dallas Mavericks, who use them effectively.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Short biography of the Basketball Hall of Fame ( Memento from August 31, 2009 in the Internet Archive )