How to Break a Press in Basketball

Spread the floor and cover all of the sections of the court. The positioning of your players is the most important part of being able to break a press.

Obviously, one of your players will have to inbound the ball. You have options with your four other players. A commonly used option is to have your two guards start at the free throw and have one set a pick for the other to get him open. One player should run off the other to get himself open. Have the player setting the pick roll to the other side of the floor as a second option.

Sometimes coaches will have all four of their players spread across the court free-throw line extended. Then they break off in different directions to get open and beat the press. Another option is to have three of your players in the back court to get the inbounds pass, or have just one player back there to start your press break.

React to what the defense does. Your positioning should change depending on how the defense sets up. There are many formations that a press can set up in, but they all boil down to either man-to-man or zone.

If it's a zone, you don't want too many players in the back court trying to get the inbounds pass. Most zone presses might allow you to inbound the ball wherever you want and will take you on from there. If this is the case, don't waste your manpower with everyone near the ball if they aren't going to pressure you. Just have one person get the ball.

If the defense sets up in a full court man press, you can have as many people in the back court as you want, or again, just one, since the defense is going to follow you wherever you go. You can have just one player get the inbounds pass or have a few back there, all trying to get open in different ways.

Inbound the ball. The inbounds pass is the beginning of your press break. It can make or break a game for you. A team's inability to inbound the ball correctly will put the team at a disadvantage each time its faced with pressure.

Initially, you need to have someone very smart taking the ball out for you. This person also should be able to handle the ball, because often it's a good move to pass the ball back to the inbounder after the initial pass.

Do not make a habit of inbounding the ball to the short corner next to where you are taking the ball out. Having the ball in this position is an invitation for the defense to trap you. Try to inbound the ball across the court to the far corner. Keep the ball away from the sideline, as it acts like a sixth defender for the pressing team. Keep the ball in the middle of the court as much as possible.

Look at the defense. Once the ball is inbounded, the person who gets the ball must determine the best place to go with it. You never want to dribble into a trap, and again, you want to stay away from the sideline.

You can look to pass the ball back to the inbounder if you've drawn a double team. Or you can pass the ball over the defense to half-court if a teammate is open, dribble past the defense if they allow you to or just hold the ball and wait for your own teammates to get open.

One of the most popular moves at this point in the press break is to have a player cut down the center of the court. If this person is open, an accurate pass can break the press easily, or this diversion will open up another teammate, who can then advance the ball.

Pass the ball; don't dribble. Dribbling should always be a last resort in the press break. It is the slowest and least effective way of advancing the ball up the court. It is also a method that invites traps and double teams from opposing defenses.

For the most part, passing is the way to go. A press can only cover so much ground. There will be open players; your team's job is to find them when they are available. Remember, almost every press will trap and double-team the ball handler, meaning that if two defenders are guarding the ball, a player is open somewhere. Passing the ball, even backward, can open up these lanes and allow you to advance the ball quickly. It will also allow the ball to travel faster than the defense, giving you the opportunity to turn your opponents' press into your fast break.