Press Break play
2-2-1 Press Break: Four Across, Middle Flash, Diagonal
- Court
- Full court
- Length
- 10 steps
About this play
The four-across break against the 2-2-1 three-quarter press. Why four across: the 2-2-1 doesn't pressure the inbounder, so 5 takes the ball out of the net, runs the baseline, and inbounds before the press sets; nobody is deep because the inbounder is the safety. The ball goes up a sideline to a receiver who breaks long and v-cuts back, the ball-side guard flashes to the middle behind the front line as the trap forms, and the pass out of the trap goes middle, then diagonal to the opposite sideline runner past half court for a two-on-one. The read: the ball-side middle defender steps up to trap, and the moment he leaves half court the middle flash and the diagonal are open. Counter shown: the scouted 2-2-1 jumps the middle flash with its weak-side front defender; the flasher clears up the sideline and the other guard fills the middle he left, because one defender can't guard two cutters in the same lane. Rules: pass before the trap closes, never dribble into it, keep a man behind the ball, and attack to score, not just to cross half court. This break comes from Coach's Clipboard's four-across breaker against the 2-2-1 and Brian Giorgis's clinic on beating it from a 1-4 set; give them a look if you want the rest of the entries.
