Youth Zone Defense play
Youth Zone: 1-3-1 Full Rotation
- Court
- Half court
- Length
- 10 steps
About this play
For ages 12 and up, after the man-to-man series. The 1-3-1 as a second zone, run through a whole possession: a chaser at the top who forces the ball to a side, two wings at free-throw line extended, a middle who fronts the post, and a baseline runner who covers corner to corner. The ball goes top, wing, corner, back out, skip, wing, corner, and the play shows every slide, including the one that makes or breaks this zone, the runner sprinting the baseline on the skip. Why teams add it: it puts a defender in every passing lane from the top, pressures the wings, and traps the corners naturally, which a 2-3 does not. What it concedes: the short corner and the weak-side block when the runner is late, and the offensive glass, because only one defender starts low. Where the advantage lies: against a team that passes slowly or has one ball handler, the 1-3-1 forces the ball to a side and traps it there; against a team that skips quickly it is a liability, which is why it is a change-up. Cue: one wing up, one wing down; no direct passes. Common youth mistakes: both wings on the same level, the runner stuck in one corner, and the chaser standing still after the first pass. Most of what I know about the 1-3-1 comes from Will Rey's session for Breakthrough Basketball and Coach's Clipboard's 1-3-1 zone basics; read them if you want every slide.
