Players set up a circle with one defender in the middle and one ball per group.
The players on the outside of the circle must pass the ball and try to keep it away from the defender.
The defender stays in the middle until they steal or deflect the ball. When that happens, the pass who threw the pass will become the next defender.
Players cannot pass to the people on either side of themselves.
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.
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