Nothing rattles a team faster than a press it isn’t ready for. This page collects every press break, press and pressure defense post on Hoop Coach in one place: press breaks for zone and man pressure, how to handle traps and double teams, drills to practice against pressure, and the presses you can run yourself. Each play has a diagram and an animation you can watch step by step, and the clinic posts include video.
How to Break a Press: 7 Principles
- Inbound fast. Get into your breaker before the press is set. After a made basket, the inbounder can run the baseline to find a better passing angle.
- Get the ball to the middle. A catch in the middle of the floor splits the press and lets you attack both sides. Most of the press breaks below are built to get it there.
- Pass more than you dribble. The ball moves faster through the air. Dribbling into the corners near the sideline and half court is how teams get trapped.
- Meet every pass. Come back to the ball instead of waiting for it, or the defense will step in front and steal it.
- If you get trapped, pivot and stay calm. Keep the ball high, pivot away from the defenders and look for the open teammate. The trap means someone is open.
- Keep the inbounder in the play. After the throw-in, the inbounder becomes a safety valve for a pass back and a ball reversal.
- Attack to score. Don’t just get it past half court and pull it out. If the press is beaten, the numbers are on your side, so go to the rim.
Zone Press Breaks
- 1-3-1 Zone Press Break: beat a 2-2-1 press by hitting the corner, then always looking to the middle
- 2-2-1 Press Break: “Twenty One” 4 Across Set: four players across the free throw line extended, a catch in the middle and a layup on the run
- Zone Press Break Quick Hitter: a big in the middle who can see over traps and hit guards on the move
Man to Man Press Breaks
- Man to Man Screening Press Breaker: uses screens to free your ball handler against a quicker pressing team
- Man Press Break for Full Denial Defenses: bigs flash to the middle and hit a guard running the other side
- Sideout Play to Get the Ball In Against Pressure
- Pressure Defense Relief Quick Hitter: a half court backdoor play for an overplaying man defense
Handling Traps and Double Teams
- A Plan for Handling Double Teams: the backcourt double teams your players will see and how to beat them
- Handling the Box Double, Man Double and Run and Jump
- Attacking Front Court Double Teams
- Pivoting: The “Stepchild” Fundamental: how to pivot out of trouble after a used dribble
- Trouble with Pressure D? Radicalize Your Sets and Spacing: when you can’t get into your offense against man pressure
- Beating Pressure Defenses with Sean Miller: video tips on creating space for your guards
Drills for Playing Against Pressure
- Trapping and Pressure Passing Drill: Keith Dambrot’s drill for trapping and passing out of traps
- Circle Pressure Passing Drill: a competitive keep away drill for passing under pressure
- 1 on 1 Toughness Drill: playing through the bumps that come with man pressure
Presses to Run
Full Court Presses
- 1-2-2 Soft Full Court Zone Press: contains first and traps second, a change-of-pace press
- Diamond Press That Uses the Deep Player to Trap: a 1-2-1-1 for teams without a traditional center
- Full Court 1-2-1-1 Pressure Defense and Breakdown Drills: Keith Dambrot breaks down his diamond press
- Fran McCaffery 1-2-2 Three-Quarter Court Press
Half Court Traps
- Wild: 3-2 Half Court Press: the basic slides of a 3-2 half court trap
- 1-3-1 Trapping Defense: Half Court: a good change-up out of a timeout
- Half Court Trapping Defense: starts in a 1-2-2 and adjusts to the offense’s set
- Trapping 2-3 Zone for Dead Balls: “Waco,” a call to jump the ball at half court
Pressure Defense Clinics and Drills
- Fundamentals of a Pressing Defense: a 30 minute clinic with Deslea Wrathall
- Scramble Pressure Defense Drill: with Richard Pitino
- Pressure Defense Clinic with Bo Kimble
Draw Your Own Press Breaks
Want to adjust one of these for your team? Every play above was drawn in the Hoop Coach Playbook. Draw and animate your own press breaks for free and share them with your players. For more set plays, see our out of bounds plays and zone offense plays.