the 2-2-1 full court zone press

Rohan Mathew

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In This Article, We Are Going To Discuss The 2-2-1 Full-Court Zone Press In Basketball.

Basketball is one of the most played sports in the United States, but many people don’t seem to know the technicalities. That’s to say, because people often don’t know about the 2-2-1, which happens to be the game-changer for basketball players. Well, Basketball training known as  the feeling of time and trailing outrun. In this case, 2-2-1 is one of the most used and the most aggressive defenses yet out there.

The defense is usually used to pressurize the opponent team to make impulsive moves. The 2-2-1 is an apt choice for teams that want to develop the tempo at both sides of the basketball court. For the opponent teams with positive point guards, this is an effective choice because it prompts them to lose the balls (and yes, the time losing too!)

Playing The 2-2-1 – The Ultimate Guide

For every basketball team that needs to play the 2-2-1, this is the ultimate guide. In this section, we have outlined the essential steps that one needs to takes, such as;

  1. Position two defenders around the near baseline and they need to be at least five feet apart from each other
  2. Then, position two defenders inside the half-court; the weak side inching defender should be in middle and strong-side defender should be around the sideline
  3. Finally, the final defender needs to be at the center because he can act as the resistance for four previously-mentioned defenders
  4. Coming forward to the ball, the front-line players need to be forced to sidelines, and the weak side defender will move to the return pass
  5. Then, the player with the ball is highly to turn over the ball, and you can trap and cover the middle floor
  6. This notion will make the player choose a bad strategy, promising the perfect 2-2-1 strategy and be empowered to cover huge distances on the basketball floor

Playing The 2-2-1 – The Advantages

We have already mentioned how you can create and play a 2-2-1 fullcourt zone press strategy; you need to be aware of the benefits of playing this strategy, such as;

Tempo Disruption

There are high chances that opponents will start playing at an uncomfortable pace, proving positive experience for the team. This is because their notion of bringing the ball to the court will become slower, but on the other hand, the panic will lead to rushed and tough shots.

Shot Clock

When you start enforcing the offenses into ball deliberation and take away the long presses while thinking about ball reversals and smart passes, it will become highly time-consuming, and they will actually make the violation for the backcourt.

Turnovers

It is pretty evident that the 2-2-1 is famous for trapping needs, the players can actually trap in the right way, the ball turnover will be directed to the opponent team.

Hard Playability

In this strategy, there might be individual defense development. In this case, you need to trust the team members because they will work as a unit. In the same notion, people will start playing hard because they know they need to implement the press correctly. In the same vein, playing a hard notion has been seen in teams and players.

Fatigue

Playing the 2-2-1 press can be physically and mentally exhausting. In addition, it can be frustrating for the opponent team. In the same vein, the opponent team will not have time to relax, which really throws the ball in your court.

Playing The 2-2-1 Press – The Rules To Live By

Playing the press is a dream of every basketball team, but they have to be mindful of some rules. In the section below, we have outlined the rules;

Middle Is Out

The moment the basketball makes it to the middle of the basketball floor, implementing the 2-2-1 press will become difficult.

Trap Is No-Go

The steals are designed from the trap, which tends to force the players to throw the lob pass to the teammate who is picking off. So, you must never let foul on the trap. In this case, the defenders must move the feet into the right position, rather than slapping the balls with foul because it leads to foul.