For ages 12 and up, after the man-to-man series. The base 2-3 and the deal it makes. Five defenders pack the paint, the guards sit at the elbows, and the zone concedes the long contested shot at the top on purpose. Why that trade favors the zone: a top-of-key three is the lowest-percentage shot a twelve-year-old takes, the long miss bounces to the guards, and a possession that ends there produces no layup, no free throws, and no foul trouble. The offense in this play swings the ball top, wing, top, wing, top, and the zone answers every pass on the flight; after five passes the only shot left is the one the zone wanted to give up. What it must never give up: the high post, the gap between the guards, and the ball-side block. Cue: guards pinch, bigs sit, move on the flight, hands up in every lane. Common youth mistakes: guards starting too wide (opens the high post), forwards starting on the blocks (too far from the wing), and sprinting at the top shooter so hard that the drive opens behind the closeout. Most of what I know about the base 2-3 for this age comes from Tyler Daniel's youth 2-3 zone video and Al Marshall's aggressive 2-3 as Coach's Clipboard wrote it up; give them a look if you want the whole system.
