Coach ,

University of Ohio head coach Jeff Boals is a basketball defense whiz. Yet, he is deceptively simple when it comes to defensive strategy. 

He relies on a series of effective team defense drills that build unity on the defensive end, rather than rely on individual athleticism and talent. 

This allows Boals to sustain defensive excellence year in and year our, regardless of the players he has rostered.

Boals discussed these techniques at length through his ‘Drills To Improve Team Defense’ clinic, which he has kindly offered to share with you all. Here are those three drills, along with how you can implement them into your own team. 

1. 1 vs 1 - Zig Zag Full Court into Post Defense

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Steps: 

• The drill takes place on both sides of the court, with guards starting on one end and bigs on the other.
• The guards will bring the ball up their half of the court.
• Once the guard gets to half court, they look to pass to their big, who is on the post.
• When the big receives the pass, they play 1 vs 1 their defender in the post.
• After making the pass, the offensive guard then sprints to the other side of the court
• Once the 1 vs 1 post play ends, the defending big receives the rebound and makes an outlet pass to the next player waiting in line. 
• The drill starts again with the guard who was on offense acting as the defender. 

Boals explains that the goal in this drill is for the defending guard to make it as difficult as possible for the big to receive a pass.

1. 2 vs 2 - Wing/Corner

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Steps: 

• Two players on offense, two on defense, and a coach available to inbound the ball. 
• After the inbound, the two offensive players will pass the ball back and forth while the two defenders work to take away the straight-line drive toward the basket
• Once each pass is made, the defender on that player who receives the ball should be making a closeout, as if the offensive player is preparing to shoot. 

With the three-way threat of pass, drive, or shoot, the two defenders will need to be constantly communicating in order to play effective defense and not allow for an open shot.

1. 3 vs 3 - Baseline Closeouts

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Steps: 

• Drill starts with three offensive players out on the perimeter, with three defenders standing along the baseline.
• The three defenders will pass to each other in succession, and when they release the ball they’ll then sprint out to the offensive player they’re assigned to guard.
• Upon receiving the last pass, the final baseline defender then passes to the closest offensive player, and sprints to the other side of the court to be a help-side defender. 
• Once the far-side offensive player receives the ball, they’ll make a shot-fake then the play goes live.
• From this point, the drill becomes a half-court 3 vs 3 game, with a focus on the three defenders executing closeouts
• As soon as the defensive rebound is secured, the three players switch on offensive and defense, with the offensive players rushing to the baseline and starting the pass process once again.

If these three team defensive drills work for a mastermind like Boals, it will surely work for you and your team’s defense, too.  

Never get outcoached,

-Coaches Clinic Community of Coaches helping Coaches

P.S. Thank you Coach Boals for sharing some great drills to take into next season. You can see the full clinic here.