Press Defenses play
2-2-1 Press: Sideline Trap at Half Court
- Court
- Full court
- Length
- 9 steps
About this play
The 2-2-1 three-quarter press, drawn as a whole possession. Why it works: it concedes the inbound to a corner and waits for the dribble, then traps on the sideline between the free throw line extended and half court, where the sideline and the ten-second line are the third and fourth defenders. Two front players (X1, X2) at the free throw line extended, two middle players (X3, X4) just inside half court, X5 the goalie, who stays home unless he has already read a pass and can beat the ball to it. Rules: let the inbound go, keep the ball out of the middle of the floor, trap once the handler puts it down, and if he throws it backward, let him, because every pass toward his own baseline costs him seconds on a ten-second count he cannot get back. Once the ball crosses half court, everyone off the ball runs to the paint. What it forces: a sideline dribble into a trap and a lob or a middle pass the interceptors are reading. What it gives up: the retreat pass and, if the goalie creeps, the layup over the top. Counter shown: the offense reverses the ball to the weak side; the press concedes it, resets, and traps the same way on the other sideline. Personnel: quick guards up front, long players in the middle, your best ball reader at goalie. I learned the 2-2-1 from Coach's Clipboard's 2-2-1 zone press page and HoopsKing's walkthrough of who plays each spot; read them if you want the slides for every pass.
