Drills for 2-3 Zone Basketball

Playing good defense in basketball is one of the most fundamental skills in the game. Teams utilize many different defenses, but the 2-3 zone is one of the most common used. The 2-3 zone defense is one that is predicated upon team movement, precision and peripheral vision. The concept of the 2-3 zone defense is designed to protect the interior, near the basket.

  1. Lateral Movement Drill

    • The lateral movement drill places the two guards at the top of the key while the two wing players and the center, anchor the low-post positions. The coach will stand near the center of the court, usually near the half court line, with a basketball in his or her hand. They will move the ball to the left and the five players on the court will slide laterally to their right. Alternatively, the coach can have another coach stand on one side of the court and pass the ball to the coach in the corner. The team will then slide laterally to their right, facing the coach with the ball in the corner. This drill helps perfect quick, lateral movement and court vision. As the coach passes the ball back to the coach at mid court, that coach can pass the ball to another coach on the right side of the court, thereby having the team slide to their left to defend the other side of the court.

    Trap Drill

    • The trap drill positions the two guards at the top of the key, while the wings and center are positioned near the low post. Three coaches are on the court, with one near the center, half court position, while the other two coaches are each positioned on the wings. As the coach at center court passes the ball to the coach on the left wing, the team moves laterally in a semi circle motion. The left wing and left guard will slide out toward the basketball to trap the ball handler. The center will slide into the left wing position as the right wing player slides into the center position. The right guard slides to a position between the center of the free throw line and the center of the three point line. Therefore, the entire left half of the court is protected as the trap takes place. This drill can be performed on both sides of the court.

    High Post Drill

    • The high post drill begins by passing the ball into an offensive player positioned at the high post. The high post is the position near the center of the free throw line. As the ball is passed into the high post, the defense reacts by the two guards closing in on the ball near the free throw line. The center slides up near the free throw line to defend the ball. Meanwhile, the two wing players slide in slightly toward the low post boundaries to provide help defense while still protecting the goal.

    Point Drill

    • The point drill places the offensive point guard at the top of the key. In order to properly defend the point, the defensive team must understand the offensive players abilities. If the point guard is a good shooter, the defensive guard should play a loose defensive position when sliding to defend the other positions on the court. This loose defensive position allows the defensive guard to always be close to the offensive point guard. This drill allows the defense to always account for the offensive point guard so that the guard does not gain a position of advantage in a hole in the zone defense. The backside wing defender should also spy on the guard to provide secondary defense help.