Coaching Youth Basketball - Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17 Man To Man Defensive Spacing
Here are some simple rules concerning m-2-m defense.

1. If the player you are guarding is faster than you, then play about 2 to 3 arm lengths away from your player. This way even if they have the first step on you, you can stay with them better.

2. If the player you are guarding is slower than you, then you can stay just an arm's length away, meaning you can guard them closer.

3. The closer to the basket your player is, the closer you should guard them.

4. When the ball is on the strong side, play closer to your player. Remember, strong side is the side where the ball is.

5. When the ball is on the weak side,(the side where the ball is not,) play 3 arm lengths from your player. This way you can watch your player and the ball at the same time.

6. If you get screened and your player gets away from you, yell switch. This way your team mates will know to try to cover your player. If this happens, you need to look for the player your team mate was covering, and now you cover that player.

7. Never end up playing defense directly under the basket, this is the most useless place on the floor. If you find yourself in this position and opposing players have you trapped there, use your butt and start slowing pushing their players out and away from the basket.

These are just a few of the more simple rules, but remember that simple is good. Now here's a drill to help teach spacing. You position the offense in a 2-1-2 zone position. Now assign a defensive player to every offensive player. You take the ball and walk around the court and explain how the defense should set up and move depending upon where the ball is.

When you have the ball on the right hand side of the court, the defenders on the right side should be playing closer and tighter defense. The players on the left side should be 3 arm lengths away from their player. They should be watching their player and the ball at the same time.

When the ball is on the left side, the players on the left side should be playing a closer and tighter defense. The players on the right side should be about 3 arm lengths away, so they can watch their player and the ball at the same time. You need to be constantly moving to see if your players are making the necessary adjustments. Now you switch and the offense becomes defense and the defense becomes offense.

After everyone seems to be comfortable with this, let the offense pass the ball around. The defense is not allowed to steal the ball, and the offense is not allowed to shoot. After a while, switch offense and defense again. If they have paid attention and tried real hard, reward them, let them scrimmage. They have to use m-2-m defense and are not allowed to shoot from more than 8 feet away from the basket. Don't worry about your offense, just watch to see how they do on defense. Make sure that when they move right or left, they are sliding and not crossing their feet. When they move backwards, make sure they run backwards.

It's probably time for a little re-assurance. Many of you coaches will be screaming at me about offense. I haven't gone into triple threat positions, or plays, or very much at all about offense, thus I am frustrating you. Believe me, you're ok. Life is still good. You can't put the second story onto a house until you have laid your foundation, and m-2-m defensive principles are your foundation. Even if you plan to play a zone, you still have to teach the basics of m-2-m to make a good zone work.

For those of you who are frustrated, you can spend some time now in your first year and be done with it. What's the alternative? I've seen teams spend a part of 4 years having to re-teach m-2-m because they didn't spend enough time the first year. Me personally, I'm the laziest individual in the world. I would rather do something right the first time, even if it takes longer, than to have to re-do it. Remember my original situation about the coaches in a room trying to decide on what defense? If you have 5 good coaches they will all agree that you have to know the basics of m-2-m for any zone to be effective. The more time you spend on m-2-m, the more solid a foundation you are giving the kids.