Teaching Man to Man Defense

To develop athleticism, you have to play 1v1 on-ball defense. There is nobody to trap or bail you out, except for help defense. So you have to move faster, work harder and smarter, and react quicker to keep the ball in front of you or out of the middle of the court. 

Players develop  better basketball IQ playing man to man defense.  While playing man to man a defender is transitioning to different spots on the floor and learning to defend screens, cutters, post players, ball handlers, shooters, etc.

I plan to teach Man to Man along with the Shell Drill for help defense.

Things to teach:

Move on the pass, NOT the catch. By simply by moving on the pass, you get an extra second to get to your position. In fact, many times your can actually get to their position at the same time the ball arrives!

Keep you knees bent in an athletic stance, even when you are two passes away on help side defense.

Know who you will be guarding ahead of time.

An easy way to improve mental quickness and anticipation is to study your opponent. Smart players will sit on the bench and watch  the moves of the player they will be guarding.

When defending the player away from the ball:
1. Stay between your man and the ball. See your man and the ball at ALL times!
2. Deny all penetrating passes.
   
3. Be close enough to stop the player you are guarding if the ball is passed to him.
   
4. Be close enough to help! You should be close enough to the player with the ball to prevent him from getting into the danger zone if he dribbles by the defender that is guarding him.
   
5. Always stop the ball if it is in front of you!


When One Pass Away:

1. Be Close Enough to Help - When a player is one pass away, the defensive player should be off the player he is guarding and both "Up the Line" and "On the Line."

2. Up the Line - The line we are referring to is the imaginary line between the player with the ball and the player that the defender is guarding. The defender should be a 1/3 to 1/2 the distance up that imaginary line. This distance allows the defender to be close enough to help on dribble penetration. It also allows him to be close enough to stop the player he's defending if the ball is passed to him. If the ball handler gets by the defender and you cannot get there in time to help, you are probably not far enough "Up the Line."


3. On the Line - This refers to when the defender should have his feet or hands in the path of that imaginary line. This positioning may vary depending on whether you allow or deny the perimeter pass. If you allow the perimeter pass, you may take a step back so you can stop penetration. If you deny it, you'll definitely want to have a foot and hand on the imaginary line to force more turnovers.


4. Be Close Enough to Stop the Player You Are Guarding - You want to be close enough to help, but you also need to be close enough to stop the player you're guarding if the ball is passed to him. If you cannot get to your player in time to stop him, you are probably too far "Up the Line."


5. Be Ready to Move - Just like any other position on the court, you must have your knees bent and ready to move quickly!

6. See Man and the Ball - You should be able to see the man you are guarding and the player with the ball at all times. This way you can see if your man moves. You can also react to help on dribble penetration if the ball handler penetrates. Never turn your back on the ball.

Head Position
Something that is crucial while seeing your man and the ball is head position.

When you're one pass away, you always need to see your man and the ball at all times, so head position is really important. Your head should essentially be looking straight between the ball and your player so that you never have to turn it.

If you have to turn your head to see the ball, or if you have to turn your head to see the player you're guarding, you're in the wrong position. It's very important to see both the man and the ball without turning your head.

A big mistake that most players make is that they're constantly looking back and forth. If you have to look towards the ball for a split second, your man can cut behind you and beat you for a lay-up to the basket. If you take your eye off the ball to look at the player you're guarding, the offensive player might dribble-penetrate by the defender and you'll be too late to help or rotate.