2-3 Match Up Defense

Our match-up zone defense is a combination of the 2-3 zone that is taught by Fred Litzenberger at the University of Oregon and the Point and Talk defense taught by Don Meyer at Northern State University.  This defensive scheme is our secondary defense but our basic principles remain the same…. communicate to your teammates, pressure the ball and help and recover.

Our 12 points of an effective Match-Up Zone Defense

1. You must use both man to man and zone defensive principles.
2. Each man has area responsibility and man responsibility.
3. Each player must use man-to-man defense, area defense, and help defense.
4. Two defensive men must constantly defend three offensive men.
5. Offensive alignment will dictate defensive alignment.
6. Defensive players adjust to both the men and the ball.  Neither has priority. Both are of equal importance.
7. Each defensive player checks the ball, a man, and “part of the other four.”
8. “Communication” is more important for the back three players than for the guards.
9. The key to the front line defense (guards) is “movement and adjustment.”
10. The key to the back line defense (center and forwards) is “communication and adjustment.”
11. To be effective in the match-up zone one man must consistently and effectively defend two—two defend three—three defend four—and four defend five.
12. Key word is still “adjust.”

Why should a team play a zone defensively?  A team should look to play a zone if their opponents can’t attack it consistently, you can’t guard the opponent man-to-man, you need to control an excellent penetrating guard, and finally, you can sandwich or front and back the post player.

The rules of our match-up are simple and go hand in hand with our other defensive schemes.

Match-Up Rules

1. Continually point to your man and talk to your teammates.
2. Guard someone: don’t have two defensive players on the same offensive player.
3. Defense takes the shape of the offense’s alignment.
4. Keep bigs in and smalls out.
5. The post player comes out in emergencies only…as when the offense has five players along the perimeter or if we have to defend an excellent perimeter shooter.
6. Help side defenders straddle the weak side lane line.  The offense will screen away and will send offensive players away so in our Match-Up, we assume all offensive players are good shooters. 
7. Guards dig into the post to help force the ball back out onto the perimeter.
8. Switch everything to keep bigs in and smalls out…however, we don’t switch the dribble.
9. Pressure every shot without fouling: change or alter the shot.
10. Only guard to the “arc”.  This allows us to protect the paint and high post area while giving help in the post.
11. Do not deny passes out to the perimeter, but do pressure the ball.
12. Block Out, Pursue, Chin the Rebound, Outlet…”BOPCRO”