Youth Man-to-Man play
Youth Man: Box Out
- Court
- Half court
- Length
- 9 steps
About this play
A defensive possession is not over until the defense has the ball, and this play runs a whole one to the end: the ball swings both ways, the offense gets the contested wing shot the defense chose to concede, and then every defender does the thing that decides whether that was a good trade: yells shot, finds his man, turns and makes contact with his backside before the ball comes down, and then goes to get it. Why the box-out is taught as part of the possession and not as a drill: a defense that forces five passes and a contested shot and then gives up the rebound has done all that work for nothing; the second shot is usually a layup. What the box-out concedes: nothing; it is the one part of defense with no trade in it. Where the advantage lies: a contested shot that the defense rebounds is the best outcome a possession can have, and the long miss off a contested three goes to whoever has a body on somebody. Common youth mistakes: watching the flight of the ball, jumping for the ball without contact, going to the ball instead of the man, and the perimeter defenders standing still because the shot was not theirs. The box-out teaching comes from the Jr. NBA's Wall Box Out Drill and Coach's Clipboard's rebounding fundamentals; look them up if you want drills that fit a short practice.
