Set Play vs. 2-3 Zone Defense (quick hitter)

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This is a set play we run against a 2-3 zone defense. You really need a strong ball handler at the 1 position who can maintain the dribble while reading the defense. Until I came across this play, I never really felt confident implementing a set play against a zone defense.
Typically, when playing against a team running a zone defense, I like to employ an offensive strategy like Overload or the Triangle. These continuous offensive plays allows for various looks at scoring opportunities based on what the defense is allowing.
With this set play, we are intentionally trying to break down certain vulnerable areas in the zone defense and force the defense to have to communicate; usually something most teams aren't great at doing.
The 2-3 zone defense is an alternative to man-to-man or match-up defensive strategy used in basketball. It is referred to as the 2-3 because of its formation on the court, which consists of two players at the front of the defense and three players closer to the basket.
The 2-3 zone is usually one of the first zone defenses coaches and players learn and deploy. That’s probably because of it’s intuitive nature and ease of learning. The two players on the top of the zone are typically the two guards; the shooting and point guards. They guard the area of the zone on the perimeter and three-point arc.
The forwards (3 and 4 players) guard the sides of the zone and the center (5 player) guards the lane and center of the zone. When your opponent moves the basketball around the court, the entire zone shifts to cover their designated areas in the zone. As the ball moves throughout the court, the defense shifts simultaneously in the direction of the ball.
Communication is probably the most important thing to remember when playing a 2-3 zone (or any zone defense). Every player needs to talk to each other on the court . Typically, the center acts as a defensive director in the 2-3 zone because they care able to see more of the court. They are always shouting who should be where, what the offense is doing, and acts as the eyes behind the heads of their fellow teammates.
Even though the 2-3 zone is a “zone” defense, every player on the court should always be aware of the where the offensive players are on the court. It’s critical that the defense move to guard an open player than stay within the normal constraints of the 2-3 zone with offensive players that are closer to the basket taking a high priority.
The strength of the 2-3 zone originates at the basket and radiates outward. It’s typically deployed against an opponent who is stronger/bigger inside and are poor perimeter shooters. A general goal of the 2-3 zone is to force the offense to take perimeter shots and prevent entry into the paint by pass or drives.
The 2-3 zone is a very effective defense when teams communicate and rotate properly. It’s generally true that the further away from the basket, the lower the chances of scoring. The 2-3 zone protects the key and is great at preventing penetration into the lane. Because of that, it’s forces perimeter shooting as an offense's most accessible option, thus lowering your opponents overall field goal shooting percentage.
There are some times when using the 2-3 zone would leave your team vulnerable. With the perimeter, especially the 33-point arc, wide open, teams that are great at 3-point shots and mid-range shots can easily dismantle the 2-3 zone. Teams don’t remain in a 2-3 zone for very long when their opponents start knocking down long range shots with ease and consistency. If you’re committed to staying in a zone, your might want to switch to a 3-2 zone against a good perimeter shooting team.
The 2-3 zone requires good communication, teamwork and trust. Every player must know exactly where to be at all times, where their teammates should be, and where their opponents are at all times. Zone defense is more complex than just chasing one player around the court and staying between them and the basket. If you practice all aspects of this zone and defend as one single unit on the court, your team will be formidable with this zone defense.
I hope you enjoyed this video and try it out with your team. Please subscribe to my channel and leave me a comment or question below.
If you have recorded video of your team executing this play or any of the plays you've learned from my channel and would like for me to do a KZbin video review of your team executing the play, please email me at
[e-mail]
Blessings to you!

[@ryoharris3238]

Who else is here from losing a game from a 2-3 zone

[@finisher3x]

I'll definitely show this to my team this week. I love the fact that the PG is passing to his weak hand first, then going back to his strong hand with the 5 setting the pick.

[@heyou429]

Ball went in every time, can't wait to try this one with my squad!

[@CoachRuss]

hahaha, funny how that works eh?

[@vipervon1035]

me too

[@Kobeinthe4th24]

Right ahah

[@marcusandbum]

We ran this play about once a quarter at a tournament last week vs man and 2-3 defenses. We nearly always had an opportunity for a pull jumper when the defense didn't handle the screen well or a pass to the corner because the defender would come help. Thanks for the idea!

[@randomdudeam]

Thanks coach!, led my team to a 20 point win in semi finals :)

[@ericbarnes3619]

I appreciate this. I need stuff that's simple with my 7th graders.

[@simplyblesd]

Your diagrams and explanations are A1! Thanks for helping this brand new coach out

[@CoachRuss]

Thanks! I really appreciate it!

[@LarxSDrexS]

Very good! Impressive on recognizing all possible scenario!

[@vivinobarreda8531]

Very Nice play. Surely I will apply this Set Play vs 2-3 Zone Defense

[@markraphaelg]

simply awesome plays!it works on our team we dont have much big guy but this plays works well when it comes to offense cheers russel

[@Nik000tiN]

Thank, coach! I see the way how to win on my court.

[@sultanrafly1553]

thanks coach, after watching this I no longer feel like a stupid guards

[@MrChocolaaaa]

Thanks to you we beat every team that plays zone defence in our league This is easy to train with my team and very effective Thanks alot

[@rodelpintor4217]

thank you very much . lot of knowledge how to break zone defense. very helpful

[@HerNick07]

This is exactly what my team needs. good instructional video. You are great.

[@Law2881]

Nice video, short and precise. Thank you for making this .

[@CoachRuss]

Thanks for the positive feedback! I really appreciate it.

[@joanpuerto4523]

Hai Coach. Thanks for this plays. These were the plays we used and I can proudly say that we won the 1st game until the championship with some upgrades :D This offense can lead to many possible open shots. like when the 2 guard will run to the basket and the point will pass it to the 2 guard and suddenly def comes the center goes inside and the 2 guard will pass it to the center for a score or the center will also torch pass it to the 4 to shot or 4th guy will pass it to the 3 guy then shot :D Thanks soooo much coach:D

[@CoachRuss]

Wow! That's great to hear. I'm always excited to get feed back that people are actually able to put these plays to work. Thank you so much for coming back to leave me a comment. It fuels me and keeps me going. Thanks again. Send me some video of your team running the play if you have it. [e-mail]

[@errybismonoaji6466]

That's cool, thanks for easy explanation

[@michaelhamlettsr8042]

Awesome play! I will use this this season!

[@davetong]

That's excellent and easy to understand. Thanks

[@zyellowwww]

Thank you this really helps

[@guambroker]

Great Simple play with lots of possibilities

[@CoachRuss]

Thanks for the positive feedback!

[@cherfieldm]

Thanks for sharing your expertise.

[@CoachRuss]

Thanks for your positive feedback. I'm no expert, just passionate about putting out material that my channel viewers can actually watch, learn, and execute in real life. =)

[@kevinchan1689]

great video thank you so much!

[@thirtythreeftw]

Awesome walkthrough

[@renceileto1776]

GREAT!

[@joshualee8076]

Thank you Coach Russell im going to try to use your good plays for tomorrow to saturday for the matches

[@wilmanabordo1264]

Very clear instruction ill do coaching when player are not hardheaded.

[@CoachRuss]

Thank you! Coaching can be tough even when you love it. Maybe, especially if you love it!

[@cbcookiehead]

dude my coach showed us this and it is awesome

[@FrankTritini]

Russ loved the arrack the 2-3 zone set play. I coach a 5-6 th grade JV team and designed the same basic attack. What I got from you is the pass to the weak side first to get the top to rotate. However at my level that's two extra passes which means two opportunities to turn the ball over.

[@HRMapuan]

thanks a lot Coach - you are the best!!!!

[@CoachRuss]

You’re welcome! Thanks for the comment and support.

[@cookingwithquinn8500]

thx this is awesome

[@jasperzky]

It looks great. We will try this on our game this coming sunday. Hope we can win

[@willhooke]

Very useful Thank you

[@fedlale93]

this brought my team much success :)

[@henryandkhloeschannelsquan5672]

Great play thanks bro

[@thekidSubscribe]

Learning everyday thank you

[@gesontv2892]

Thanks. Great help

[@CoachRuss]

You’re welcome. Thanks for your positive feedback!

[@Mr992213]

This helped me out a lot I'm trying to understand zone defense so I can play in my league and not look lost in games

[@renzosorianoofficial1844]

it can help a lot. thankyou.

[@CoachRuss]

Great, I'm glad you weren't bored to death. haha Thanks for the comment.

[@superstarsjusticeentertain6365]

Awesome

[@cvaturi2982]

thank you for helping me and my team

[@CoachRuss]

Thank you so much for your positive feedback. It really feels good to read comments like this. You're so very welcome!

[@vipervon1035]

my team will apply this effective play..thanks a lot from phillipines

[@CoachRuss]

That’s awesome. Thanks for the comment.

[@MrRetla1]

awesome!!! :D

[@russellmano2027]

Thanks!

[@CoachRuss]

Lol

[@roberttroy2967]

Nice and simple I will try it next game

[@salty_angler1285]

Thanks, this is going to help a lot..

[@CoachRuss]

You're very welcome. Thanks for your positive feedback!

[@renzbau5077]

yor so good. im just starting to learn basketball

[@IlonggoXcolorado]

Good job

[@justdyyy5821]

this is really helpful

[@CoachRuss]

I’m glad! Thanks for the feedback.

[@lolkialos]

Thanks for the really good play coach, we were able to win 105-60 because of this :D

[@CoachRuss]

Haha, I'm not sure if it was because of these plays but I appreciate your positive comment. =)

[@daphnescriven532]

Helps a lot thx

[@CoachRuss]

You're welcome! Thanks for the positive comment.

[@CoachRuss]

Hey Sig, This play should work regardless of size if you're able to (1) set proper screens, (2) have a PG who can handle the ball with court vision and read the defense, and (3) everyone must understand the play and how to make each defensive read. Good luck and thanks for the comment.

[@tlark420]

good stuff very precise

[@FamouzRell]

thank you

[@5stringdefault]

coach russ thanks

[@ProdDaewi]

thx this really helped with my bsketball

[@CoachRuss]

Awesome! I’m glad it helps.

[@CoachRuss]

Thanks.

[@christiansilvano8579]

Im definitely going to try this out

[@CoachRuss]

Let me know how it went. Send me a link to a video clip if you have it.

[@jabez36]

so good thank you!

[@CoachRuss]

+Jabez Ledres Thanks! I hope you and your team find success with this play!

[@jabez36]

Coach Russ I just gotta convince them to run plays haha

[@jimmyrudd3649]

Good job coach I like this

[@CoachRuss]

Thanks Jimmy! I appreciate the feedback!

[@brucekregel403]

great video there

[@DJBubbleBoy]

I'm going to try and run this in my next game.

[@basketballforlife1583]

thanks coach

[@CoachRuss]

You're welcome! Thanks for you positive feedback.

[@lowkey_aswani]

Nice set play Coach

[@CoachRuss]

Thanks for the positive feedback. Stay tuned for more.

[@musicdrone7518]

Thanks for this...we become a champion now in our barangay

[@CoachRuss]

You’re welcome! Congratulations!

[@skullwilds5366]

Thanks coach

[@CoachRuss]

You’re welcome! Thanks for the positive comment!

[@CoachRuss]

Hey Domme, Thanks for the comment. Good luck with teaching this play! Let me know how it works out for you!

[@kyleb0698]

I really appreciate it. But im watching this as an individual. My team maybe can't get it cuz im the only one who'll able to understand. So ill just be downloading it and let them watch it. Thank you

[@michaelcurtis4616]

I know im 7 years late but you should do a video for the other zone defenses too. This was a good video!

[@idonteatdogs2459]

Thanks

[@CoachRuss]

Thanks for the comment! More to come so stay tuned!

[@aidasingh7120]

good coach i did it and it works we became champions

[@CoachRuss]

That's awesome! Congratulations!

[@edub90]

nice work

[@CoachRuss]

Thank you for the positive feedback! Much appreciated.

[@prasadmacha8012]

Super sir

[@CoachRuss]

Thank you!

[@fielprado4611]

Nice one

[@CoachRuss]

Thanks!

[@cadi5403]

nice one. really easy to run, just need someone who's good with the ball and read the game

[@dani6194]

nice

[@CoachRuss]

Thanks for the comment tlark.

[@hastybikaran7536]

Thank you so much for this

[@CoachRuss]

Sorry it's been a while since my last post. I'm working on something now so stay tuned.

[@janmanueldelmundo4310]

This is easy to understand. I wish you could breakdown offensive sets of national teams.

[@CoachRuss]

Thanks for the positive feedback. Could you please give me an example of what you would like me to breakdown? Do you have a video clip or link you could send me?

[@janmanueldelmundo4310]

@@CoachRuss I'm sorry I can't send you anything, but you can watch games on KZbin. I prefer plays that are good for shooters or players that don't have strength on the inside.

[@haha-iq8pq]

TYSM

[@CoachRuss]

Thanks for the positive comment! I hope you find success with this play if you decide to put it into play with your team.

[@4901ronnie]

thanks look like it could work

[@CoachRuss]

Thanks for the comment. Please let me know how it works for you and your team.

[@mahipalsinhgohil1278]

🙏👍

[@CoachRuss]

🙏🏼🙌🙌😊

[@xwatkins42]

I love Wil be using this for our jv girls team

[@tasharrabryant3580]

Like it so on offense you don't got to run a 2-3 the same way you can also run it different ways but you got to read it good and no what to do if you want to run it good and score different ways so the defense want no you just running the same 2-3 zone on offense but you got to be a smart guard to no how to pass the ball and the other do to score basically different ways on a 2-3 zone on the offense doing the same plays but switching them up doing the same thing as a 2-3 zone

[@Qriusme]

Hi great play. BTW, what tool are you using to diagram the plays? Thanks in advance.

[@ShanLoHoops]

cool basic but effective plays, i didnt know tht 2-3 zone has tht many loop holes. most of the time my teammates just takes jumpshots when facing the zone, but this changes everything.

[@prime5718]

Coach can u draw up a play where the 1 cuts for a lay up? Thanks! Less hard dribbles

[@Stewcrew8]

Thanks coach.. worked on this in practice.. showed my guys and due to the inconsistency of practice.. they kinda have the base of it... other coach tells us the team we're playing loves to run, what do you suggest as defense.. right now we're 2-1-2 zone

[@CoachRuss]

Hi coach, I would stick with whatever defense you feel your team runs best and try and slow the game down if you can. A team that runs is used to a certain pace of the game and also a certain number of possessions on offense. Disrupting that for them can take them off their game. I hope that helps and good luck running the play!

[@Stewcrew8]

@@CoachRuss yessir, that's just what I was telling them yesterday.. well, I'll let you know how it goes.. if we win the first, we play for it all... thanks again

[@christopherbronson7304]

Great play Coach. What program did you use to draw up the play?

[@CoachRuss]

Thanks coach! You can find out here successful-leader-8439.ck.page/ad36fae049

[@jerrometobysandoval]

Thanks Coach! How can point guards train to read defenders? Other than practicing? Thanks.

[@CoachRuss]

Ahhh, that's a tough one. John Wooden once said that the essence of basketball is deception. If you unpack that statement, what is show to you as a defender is almost always a diversion from what the offense really wants to do. I pump fake to drive around you. I pass fake to get by you. I look one way and pass another way. If your players can understand that a diversion can almost always be expected, they can train to defend the less obvious and more likely options. I hope that helps.

[@FrinZHoN]

shit. set play is a really good offense for the 2-3 zone. nice XD

[@addypapa7881]

Coach russel do you have a situational play for a four against five during games. Because sometimes it happen during games that most of your players fouled out and only four players left to play. Thank you.

[@1sierradesiree]

What program was used to make this video??

[@TheBballplayer15]

good play ill b posting some basketball plays take a look at me ill b workin on some

[@yelnil]

We used this offense successfully in our minor league. The defense went crazy when we applied the different variations of this offense. Thanks!