Coaches and players constantly battle during the game to find the right rhythm and pace. Teams try to disrupt this battle by switching up their offensive and defensive strategies. Zone is a great way to change the rhythm and pace of any game, and today’s blog will feature just that.

To be prepared for a typical 2-3 zone defense, today’s playset is called “Zone Overload”. Player 1 will be at the top of the key, players 2/3 will be on each wing, and players 4/5 will be on each block. The beginning of the play should present a 1-2-2 (players in the gaps of the 2-3 defense). Player 1 and player 3 will pass the ball back and forth; this will notify the team which player will overload. After pass back, player 3 will cut to the opposite block. As player 1 reverses the ball to player 2, player 5 cuts to the same block as player 4. Now player 4 and 5 will set a screen on the zone defender in the corner. Player 3 will pop out to the corner to create an overload. This movement creates a man to man match.  Each player has several different options to create a scoring play.

Click image below to enlarge

Zone Overload should be a continuous play. Player 3 is now the designated baseline runner or overloader. Stay tuned for different options using this playset.

Brandon Chappell
Elite Hoops Basketball