Skip Prosser Full Court Pressing Defense
We believe in pressure offense, pressure defense, and especially pressure on the backboard.
We want our defense to create our offense.
We want to win games by getting “cheap” points.
We like to press for 94’. We don’t want to concede 1 floorboard. Go to the baseline the first day and say,”We’re fighting for all of it.”
(He used the example that if China invaded California, we wouldn’t retreat to St. Louis and then bring it.)
You must have all five guys playing hard. No traitors. If 4 guys are busting their butts, one guy can’t loaf. Don’t be soft, don’t be a traitor.
When you press it can complement your rebounding.
Pressing gives you what Clark Kellogg calls, “spurtability.” If you believe in it, it can be a great thing.
His press is different. It is a man press that begins in a zone alignment.
Positions
4 man- On the ball as soon as it comes out. If the referee doesn’t have to move you back you haven’t done your job.
3 man- Left elbow
2 man- right elbow
1 man- ball side at half court
5 man- help side at half court
He sends 4 guys to the offensive boards with the 1 man back
We are only in that zone press for about 1 or 2 seconds. Sprint to spots then find someone on the other team. That becomes your man. Don’t worry about mismatches.
You must practice getting there quickly and picking up quickly.
We are in full denial.
Question: How do we do that?
Answer: No face guarding, but we don’t want to be behind him either. Just don’t let your guy catch the ball.
Switch all screens.
Don’t let the ball in, you are trying to steal it. NO TRAITORS.
*Of course, the ball usually comes in bounds.
The best traps are “surprise” traps.
Positioning is key to this. Stay between your man and the ball. Don’t allow it to be passed up the court. Be on the line and up the line.
** You must practice quick up a lot. You must fight the natural tendency to get back on defense.
You must be committed, we are trying to steal the ball.
Once the ball is inbounds positioning is very important.
We don’t want them to be able to pass the ball up court. You must force them to dribble the ball up court.
Once the ball is inbounded, the 4 man retreats to the level of the ball.
Remember that we want to trap out of this press, stay between the man and the ball.
It isn’t about where you trap, it is about who you trap. We trap guys who can dribble.
Don’t trap non-ball handlers. We are trying to make your best ball handler give up the ball. You decide who to trap based on scouting. We don’t want their best ball hadler bringing the ball over half court.
Trap rules | Skip Prosser Full Court Pressing Defense
1. Don’t foul in the trap. Remember that fouling negates hustle. Foul with your lower body.
2. Don’t get split.
3. Sprint out of traps.
Be aggressive. If we get a trap we should steal the next pass. “Trap it, steal it.”
Once you commit to a trap, you should stay in it.
Practice back taps. Run behind the ball.
False hustle- Don’t go for steals you can’t get. If it’s a steal, steal it. If we don’t steal it, we still want to give you a tough trip up the floor. Going for bad steals kills us.
Remember, it isn’t where you trap, it’s who you trap. We want someone besides the point guard bringing the ball across half court.
Remember that this is a man press. If they line up in a 4 across press break, if O5 goes up for the ball, X5 goes with him and might trap with X4.
(Note: O stands for offense. For example, O5 is the center. X stands for defense. For example, X5 would be the defensive center)
Question: What if the point guard takes the ball out?
Answer: X4 stays with the point guard so you don’t have a flash and go.
When you steal it, pass it, don’t pound it. Make them pay.
To play this way, you must practice this way.
Remember that yelling is aggressive counseling.
When they try to isolate their point guard on a press break, we will drop the 4 man off the ball and put the 3 man behind him. We will keep the ball out of the point guard’s hands at all costs. This means that the 4 man, X4, will face guard the point guard.
Drill- Quick pick up from free throw alignment. Have kids circle up. Coach tosses the ball up and says, “black ball!” Black takes it out and white sets up the press.
Greyhound drill: 4 on 4 on 4 drill | Skip Prosser Full Court Pressing Defense
Three teams: Black, white, and grey.
– Black begins the drill by taking the ball out of bounds. White should set up in their press.
– There is no 5th guy on either team. The rule is that you can’t throw the ball beyond half court.
– Grey is off to the side ready to go.
Black brings the ball up against white. White presses and then back to ½ court defense.
When we have a resolution at one end (basket, turnover, whatever) black will take it back 4 on 0. White will have stepped off and grey will just stand there. When the ball goes through the net, black , which was the offensive team, will now press grey, who becomes the new offensive team. The third team, white will set up their press offense and get ready to be pressed by grey.
Click on the pdf link to download the basketball coaching clinic notes:
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