Coach ,

Coach Jim Boone knows Defense.

Coach Boone is one of the Top 5 Winningest coaches, over 600 Wins, 2 Final 4’s, 6 Sweet 16’s, unprecedented 4 schools to NCAA Tourney 

Coach Boone has had a lot of success running the Pack Line Defense.

As you know, the Pack Line defense is designed to stay within a designated area - with help-side principles. It constricts the floor making it harder to score.

It has proven to be effective at all levels from elementary teams to the NBA.

Here are 3 Keys to the Pack-Line

1.) The DNA of Championships

The DNA of Championships is rooted in a coach's defensive approach. A coach needs to have a passion for teaching what they are teaching. If you are a pressure defensive coach - then have passion for it.

Coach Boone explains that his passion comes from teaching the Pack Line Defense. He explains that teaching defense is an all-out-commitment. If your players sense that you’re not all-in while teaching it, then it will be hard for them to buy in on the defense in this video (click on image for video).

The DNA of Championships

2.) Defending a Side Ball Screen within the Pack Line - Hard Show

Coach Boone explains that one of the ways they guard a side ball screen is a hard show.

A hard show is when the defender guarding the screener in the pick and roll steps out during the screen forcing the ball handler back to half-court. 

His teams execute the hard show 2 different ways depending on if the corner is filled or empty.

If the corner is filled, the guy guarding the corner player would take the roll man after the pick and roll due to being in help side. The player who was guarding the ball handler then takes that corner man.

If the corner is empty, then the player at the bottom of the help side, Bottom of the I, would take the roll man. 

This video illustrates “Hard Show” (click on image for video):

Hard Show

3.) Post Trap Keys & Teaching Points within the Pack Line Defense

The #1 goal of post defense in the Pack Line is keeping the ball out of the post. One of the main keys of keeping the ball out of the post is pressuring the passer. 

On the flight of the ball the post defender slides behind the post player. On the catch, the goal is to trap on airtime meaning want to trap when the post player catches the ball.

In Coach Boone’s defense, they are looking to trap big to big. 

As the trap is happening, Coach Boone teaches for the bigs to be toe-to-toe and have their hands active. They do not want a skip pass or a cutting pass.

The rule is to be as physical as they can be without fouling (click on image for video). 

Post Trap Keys & Teaching Points

These clips are stolen from Coach Boone’s Pack Line Certification course includes over 3 hours of teaching the Pack Line defense.

There is no better teacher of the Pack Line Defense than Coach Boone.

Thank you to Coach Jim Boone for sharing.

Never get out-coached, 

-- The Coaches Clinic Community of Coaches Helping Coaches