Attacking a 1-3-1

I think that it is important to constantly learn new tricks and strategies for attacking different zone defenses; however, I always have trouble finding offenses that are effective against a 1-3-1 zone defense. I would love to hear anyone's ideas or schemes that have worked for them in the past!

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Permalink Reply by Coach Karl on December 18, 2009 at 12:10am
If my team is having trouble beating a 1-3-1 zone, I try to get some baseline screening trying to get the ball into the post - either via baseline drive or pass off a screen on the defender in the middle.

The other way to beat the 1-3-1, especially at higher levels, is to use an offense that quickly skips the ball. When the ball is on one wing, for example, the opposite defender typically needs to drop down towards the block to protect the weak side. Swinging the ball quickly (or skip passing) can create an overload situation on that player.

So I guess my basic rules would be:
1. If you don't have outside shooters, attack the block via the baseline.
2. Getting the ball into the high post (say the middle of the free throw line) can cause trouble because it can be confusing who should be dropping and it might put the baseline defender under the basket (and out of position)
3. Outside shots always pull teams out of a zone

Good book on the subject:
Attacking Zone Defenses by John Kresse & Richard Jablonski
Permalink Reply by Coach 2008 on December 28, 2009 at 4:49pm
I have used 2 guard up top, 5 in the middle, 3 & 4 in the corners. I have had team where we stressed looking to hit the diagonal pass after a reversal. This works real well for teams that don't rotate very good. I have a team now however where this does not work at all. I was watching Boston College play against Michigan's 1-3-1 earlier this year and Al Skinner overloaded by having PG and 3 man up top. He had 4 and 5 on the blocks, and 2 about fouline exteneded. When the PG attack the gap, the bounce pass to your 2 man will always be there. 2 looks to penetrate, bounce pass to strong side big man on the block. The 3 man up top with the PG looked to flash middle to occupy the middle man in the zone. If you just leave him out on the perimiter it will allow their middle man to sag towards your 2 post players. If I have 2 really good shooters, I do it the same way, but let the 3 man stay wide on the perimeter and my weakside big flashes, again, occupying their man in the middle.

When Belien saw Boston College breaking it that way, Michigan got out of it in about 3 possessions. (BC scored on 2 bounce passes and a open jump shot). I played highschool team that 1-3-1'd me twice already. First game they were beating us by 18 at halftime. 2nd game I installed this zone breaker and I got them out of it 1/2 through the 1st qt. I got them to play man and we beat them on their floor. It breaks down most of the rules in a 1-3-1.
Permalink Reply by Coach Budge on December 28, 2009 at 11:11pm
Simple Offense-GAP. 2 bigs on the blocks, high post player, and two guards splitting the top. Guards look for diagnol pass to big on block. Any time pass is entered to high post they immediately face and look for one of the bigs. Important guards don't get too wide, then the defensive wings slide down to blocks. Guards should stay about width of key and constantly look for diag. pass to big. It's simple, but very effective. Key is coaching up guards to make that pass and bigs to have a good target.

You can also run back sceens on the defensive wings for lobs.
Also, if you get the ball in the corner, the middle defender job is to go the stongside block and defend...set a back pick on him and flash someone to the strong side block after throwing the ball to the corner or shot corner.
Permalink Reply by Jared on January 6, 2010 at 6:49pm
Alot of people will tell you to run a standard two guards at the top one in the midldle and two wing players with the 5 and 4 rotating in..Everyone in basketball knows this. A good coach brings a "fresh funkyness" to game..You can run a regular motion passing and cutting offense against spread out zone defense like the 1-3-1..Also depending on you players keep it simple SCREEN zONES..It creates uneven match ups and wide open players..IT also takes out and weakens zone rebounding even more

Coach Jared Neff
Permalink Reply by Jacques F.Koolhaas on April 12, 2012 at 4:31pm

Hello everybody!. Against an agressive 1-3-1 press is kind of hard to play, so we need to train this offense very hard, correcting each time our players make a mistake. We really surprise them with our first sentence when we start practicing the BOX ATTACK, they can't believe what they're hearing: " WE ARE GOING TO ATTACK AND DESTROY THIS HARD 1-3-1 DEFENSE WITH JUST 4 PLAYERS, SO.....YOU (OUR Pointguard) WON'T PLAY" , and inmediately "we tell him to make the first pass and then SIT DOWN in the court. You should see their faces, thinking "our coach is going nuts!!".

Well, the principles in this BOX ATTACK are the following: 1- the four players in the holes of the 131 zone, so our figure would be a 2-2 (kind of a square).Our shooting-guard and small forward in the holes, trying to be on the free throw line extended, but always facing their colleagues (power-forward and pivot, who have to be near the base line but close to the basket, never wide open) . 2-No dribbling, just passes, trying to avoid skip ones. This will prevent to be trapped. I assure you that after 2,3 or 4 passes we'll have an easy shot, short one.

Anyone that would like to discuss this is welcome , my emal is sankoolhaas@hotmail.com . The hardest part of it is to practice it, to convince our players that it will work, so an intensive on-floor job is essential.

Permalink Reply by Shawn Good on May 15, 2012 at 6:11pm
We start in a 2-3 low set, pass to the wing, flash the
weak side wing into the high post. On the strong
side you have a hi/ low situation. We get layups all
day on the strong side.  Then you have a 1 on 1 situation
On the weak side and can skip and attack the defender 
Closing out.


Jacques F.Koolhaas said:

Hello everybody!. Against an agressive 1-3-1 press is kind of hard to play, so we need to train this offense very hard, correcting each time our players make a mistake. We really surprise them with our first sentence when we start practicing the BOX ATTACK, they can't believe what they're hearing: " WE ARE GOING TO ATTACK AND DESTROY THIS HARD 1-3-1 DEFENSE WITH JUST 4 PLAYERS, SO.....YOU (OUR Pointguard) WON'T PLAY" , and inmediately "we tell him to make the first pass and then SIT DOWN in the court. You should see their faces, thinking "our coach is going nuts!!".

Well, the principles in this BOX ATTACK are the following: 1- the four players in the holes of the 131 zone, so our figure would be a 2-2 (kind of a square).Our shooting-guard and small forward in the holes, trying to be on the free throw line extended, but always facing their colleagues (power-forward and pivot, who have to be near the base line but close to the basket, never wide open) . 2-No dribbling, just passes, trying to avoid skip ones. This will prevent to be trapped. I assure you that after 2,3 or 4 passes we'll have an easy shot, short one.

Anyone that would like to discuss this is welcome , my emal is sankoolhaas@hotmail.com . The hardest part of it is to practice it, to convince our players that it will work, so an intensive on-floor job is essential.

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