Press Break play
1-3-1 Press Break: Swing and Flash
- Court
- Full court
- Length
- 10 steps
About this play
The 2-1-2 break against the 1-3-1 three-quarter press. Why two guards up: the 1-3-1 has one chaser, and one chaser can only take one side, so the ball is swung from guard to guard until the zone has to move; a pass beats a chaser's sprint every time. 4 waits at half court and flashes to the middle of the backcourt behind the middle defender's shoulder once the chaser is chasing; 3 is wide ahead; 5 steps in after the throw as the trailer. The read: the chaser is a step late on the swing, so the flash to the middle is the first option, and if the middle defender jumps the flash the weak-side guard runs the sideline for the skip over the trap. Counter shown: the scouted 1-3-1 traps the swing on the sideline and jumps the flash; the ball skips over the trap to the sideline runner, who speed-dribbles past half court before the wing can recover, and the numbers finish it. Rules: catch facing up court, forwards dribble only to attack, and the guard who catches on the sideline advances immediately so the defense can't catch up from behind. I learned this break from JC Basketball Hoops' five breaks against the 1-3-1 and Maple Basketball's film on beating it; they will take you deeper on the swing timing.
