The press break: four outlets against five defenders
Basketball · Attack · 5 of your players and 5 opponents
Pressure only works when the ball handler is alone. This press break gives the inbounder two targets for the first pass, a third in the middle of the floor and a fourth waiting deep for the easy basket.
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Where everybody starts
The inbounder takes the ball out under your own basket at the bottom of the court. The two guards start at the free-throw line extended, one on each side, wide enough that one defender cannot guard both. The middle stands at half court, in the gap the press leaves behind its front line. The long man waits in the front court near the top basket, deep enough that the safety has to choose between him and the middle.
That is the press break: five players spread over the whole floor, every one of them a pass away from the next.
How it beats the press
The first pass goes to whichever guard is open, and the inbounder steps in behind the catch as a safety valve. The press wants to trap that catch on the sideline, so the guard does not hold the ball. Before the second defender arrives the guard looks to the middle, who flashes back towards the ball to meet the pass. A catch in the middle of the floor is the end of most presses, because the middle can turn and see the whole court, and every trapper is now behind the play.
From there it is a three-on-two or a pass to the long man for a layup. If the middle is covered, the ball goes back to the inbounder and over to the other guard, and the press has to shift the width of the court to trap again.
Habits worth drawing
- Meet every pass. Draw each receiver moving towards the ball as it is thrown. A pass that waits to be caught is a pass the press steals.
- Never dribble into a corner. Animate the escape pass before the trap closes, so the guard learns to give it up early.
- Attack after you break it. Draw the long man and the middle finishing the play, so breaking the press turns into points rather than a reset.
Load the press break, put a press against it, and play the pass sequence through to see which outlet the defence leaves open.
Also known as
- press break
- press offence
- full court
- inbounds
- beat the press
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Put the Press break on a pitch
It opens with the shape already drawn. Move the players your team does differently, drag the runs, and send your squad a link that animates.
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