The players will pair up with one offensive player and one defensive player.
The offensive player will dribble from cone to cone. The defensive player will keep their head in line with the ball using a defensive slide.
Once they come to the end of the cones the players will go back to the start and the offence and defence will switch over.
The ball screen produces almost half of all professional offensive possessions, yet most teams still teach it as a memorised play. The modern approach trains the read - giving players a framework to decide based on what the defence does, not what the coach called.
The closeout is the most repeated defensive action in modern basketball. With fouls per game climbing in the 2025-26 season, coaches must teach defenders to contest the three without surrendering the drive or putting shooters on the line.
The 2-3 zone defence remains one of the most effective defensive systems in basketball when coached and executed properly. This guide covers the fundamentals of running a 2-3 zone, including player roles, rotations, and when to deploy it for maximum impact.