Girls House Basketball: Defense Using the 1-2-2 Trapping Zone

If you are coaching girls basketball at the house level, and looking for a simple, effective defense, this is a defense that works. If you are not satisfied with the traditional 2-1-2 defense, try this. The 1-2-2 is a good change from the usual defense. Get the instant edge on defense.

This is a defense that puts pressure on the ball up top. It makes it hard for the other team to get the ball into scoring position. It might not work as well in select ball or high school, because the players are better drilled at getting the ball past traps and presses. But in house ball, if you can keep the ball near center court, you have the advantage from the start.

This defense sets up as follows:



Let’s call it the "swarm" defense because the idea is to swarm the ball, like bees at a beehive. Here is the scheme:

1. The point stays with their point guard (or whoever has the ball up top) but doesn’t back up any deeper than the foul line.

2. Our point directs their point guard to one side, where our wing guard steps up and we trap.

3. The other guard and the forwards get into the passing lanes looking to steal.

4. If the ball gets into the key, the forwards trap and the guards fill the passing lanes.

5. If the ball goes to the corner the guard and forward on that side trap, and the other players fill the passing lanes.

6. Whenever the ball is on ONE SIDE of the court, our players on the OTHER SIDE move toward the ball AS FAR AS THE MIDDLE OF THE KEY and look to plug up the passing lanes.

The big idea is to keep pressure on whoever has the ball. If they make a good pass to someone open, we need to QUICKLY get to the ball. So the girls in the passing lane need to be aware of any opponent in their area, and the girls who are trapping need to be able to QUICKLY get to the ball or their spot in the zone.

The idea is to put big pressure on the ball as it crosses the half-court line...



...and double-team any opposing player in the key.



What if the ball gets to the corner? Again, we trap.



On the outside, the idea is to trap the ball; we are going to make it hard on the ball-handlers all the time. If the ball gets in the key, we are going to be all over it, making it tough for the opponent to find a teammate with a pass. This carries risk -- someone on the other team will be open. We are banking on the pressure making it too tough to find the open player.

For the coach this is an easy defense to explain and to diagram -- and to practice. And it keeps ‘em moving.

That pretty well does it: a pressure half-court defense that relies on a lot of running. It also depends on good man-to-man defense -- even though it is a zone, all defense eventually gets down to covering your opponent. Remember: the player with the ball stays balanced and constantly moves her hands and feet. We don’t have to steal the ball and block the shot; we just need to interrupt their dribble and change their shot.

What does the 1-2-2 do for you? It gets the girls working together. It gets the kids running. It helps the kids win. This pressure defense is easy to learn. But it still requires teamwork and hustle. You want to see both in your team. This matches up well against their point guard, making it hard to pass the ball inside uncontested.