Defenses to Use in Basketball Tournaments
Running the right defense can make all the difference when your team is playing in a basketball tournament. Of course, running the same defensive formation throughout the game won’t work. You need to keep the offense on their toes and run different defenses to throw them off and disrupt their playcalling. Today in the Rocky Mount Event Center blog, we’ll go over some defenses you can use in your next basketball tournament.
Man-to-Man
This is the easiest defense to teach and probably one of the more common formations you’ll see in basketball tournaments. Each defender is assigned to an offensive player. They need to stick with their assignment and put pressure on them when they have the ball.
They should also help their teammates when they lose their assignment. This defense is great because it puts pressure on the ball and is easy to teach. If someone misses their assignment, however, their opponents have a chance to score.
Zone
Zone defense is another useful defense to use in your next basketball tournament. Each defensive player is responsible for a certain zone of the floor. They guard the offensive players who enter their zone. You’re also supposed to move with the ball. There are a variety of zone defenses, but the most common is the 2-3 zone.
Combination
Combination defense is exactly as the name suggests. It’s a combination of man-to-man and zone defense. This defense is mostly used against teams that have an obvious star offensive player. You’re able to isolate them on defense and try to put more pressure on them by using a combination defense.
Press
Finally, you have press defenses. These defenses are usually used to throw the offense off their rhythm. By immediately pressing the ball in a full-court press or meeting them right when they pass the half-court line, you put a lot of pressure on them.
This can cause them to make mistakes and turn the ball over. Of course, you’re also leaving a lot of holes in your own defense, so you don’t want to use this defense often throughout the basketball tournament.
Choose Rocky Mount Event Center for Your Basketball Tournament
If you’re looking for a place to hold your next basketball tournament, Rocky Mount Event Center is the perfect place to do it. We open our doors in Fall 2018, so contact us about having your basketball tournament here to reserve your spot. A member of our staff will be happy to help you.
