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 Front Court Play |
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THE FRAMEWORK AND TEACHING STEPS
The Front-Court Set
The front court is the area between the baseline and both sidelines, extending several feet beyond the head of the key area. A team's basket, the one a team is shooting at, is in its front court.
Naming the positions.
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Teaching Step 1. Identify the front court and explain the front-court set. Have four players occupy the trail and lead positions. In turn, ask each boy or girl to name which position he/she is occupying, and which position each teammate is occupying.
Teaching Step 2. Explain ball side and off side. Hand a ball to a player in a trail position. Name the positions. Then, have the player with the ball name all of the positions. Give the ball to the player in the other trail position. Have him/her name the positions. Do the same with the players in the two lead positions.
Then, have the teams go to a basket. Have them pass the ball from position to position. Each time a player receives a pass, he/she names all the positions. Make sure all the players on each team practise this exercise, and that each player gets to occupy all four positions.
Sequencing
Assigning priority applies not only to tasks, but also to positions. When one player has the ball, three do not. Assigning priority to only one position avoids the very real possibility of all three players calling to receive a pass at the same time. What happens next depends, to a large extent, on what the player who has priority does. Teammates key on that player.
In Bee Ball, the location of the ball determines which position has priority. When the ball is in the ball-side trail (1) position, the offside lead (4) has priority. When the ball is in the ball-side lead (3) position, the ball-side trail (1) has priority.
Teaching Step 3. Have players occupy positions in the front court set. Have them pass the ball from position to position. Each time a player receives a pass, he/she names all the positions and the identifies the one which has priority. Make sure all players have a chance to practise, and that they get to play all of the positions.
Making Front-Court Entries
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Teaching Step 4. Have the teams practise making front-court dribble entries. Make sure they practise making entries in each half of the court. As they execute an entry, make sure they maintain set symmetry, that is, keep the shape of the front-court set. The leads should never be more than 15 to 20 feet ahead of the ball.
A Play Option Inventory
Players without the ball can walk their opponent, cut, exit, pop, seal their opponent, stunt with a teammate, exchange positions with a teammate, and free cut.
cutting. Cuts which occur when a player sprints to the money are called penetrating cuts. Cuts from offside positions should end in the offside half of the money. Cuts from the ball-side trail (1) position should end in the ball-side half of the money.
popping. After initiating a penetrating cut, a player can choose to return quickly to occupy the position he/she vacated.
walking your opponent. This play option is the initiation phase of a penetrating cut or pop. To execute this option, a player walks toward the hoop at a 45 degree angle from a line which runs to the hoop directly from the position he/she is occupying. The walk consists of three or four steps away from the player with the ball. At the moment the player completes the walk, he/she executes a penetrating cut or a pop.
This walking creates a new cutting lane. If the defender does not adjust his/her defensive position, the player who executed the walk has an open cutting lane to the money. If the defender adjusts, the walker pops.
sealing. As a cutter who is closely guarded approaches themoney, she/he use her/his body to keep the passing lane open. In a ball cut, the cutter approaches the money between the defender and the player with the ball. In a basket cut, the defender is between the cutter and the player with the ball.
exiting. Ideally, a player executing a penetrating cut should receive the pass as he/she enters the money. Consequently, if the pass is not on its way as the cutter begins to enter the money, she/he should stop and exit.
A player who executes a penetrating cut from the offside lead (4) position will exit to re-occupy that position.
A player who executes a penetrating cut from the off-side trail (2) position will exit to occupy the off-side lead (4) position.
A player who executes a penetrating cut from the ball-side trail (1) will exit to occupy the ball-side lead (3) position.
exchanging positions. A player who exits the money cues an exchange. A player who executes a penetrating cut from the offside trail (2) position and who exits from the money to occupy the off-side lead (4) position cues the player in that position to sprint to occupy the now vacant offside trail (2) position.
A player who executes a penetrating cut from the ball-side trail (1) position and who exits from the money to occupy the ball-side lead (3) position cues the player in that position to dribble the ball to occupy the now vacant ball-side trail (1) position.
stunting. A player who has priority to execute a penetrating cut can cue a stunt, that is, transfer priority to a teammate. There are several ways to cue a stunt, such as popping, moving directly toward a player, or calling out.
A player who is in the off-side lead (4) position can transfer priority to the player in the ball-side trail (2) position by popping or, if that fails, by saying, for example, "Mary, cut".
A player in the ball-side trail (1) position can transfer priority to the teammate in the off-side trail (2) position by moving directly toward that position.
free cut. A player who does not have priority to cut, but who is suddenly unguarded should immediately cut to the money and call for the ball. Because only one player should be executing a penetrating cut, a player should execute a free cut only if the player who has priority has not yet cut.
The player with the ball has a number of passing play options; penetrating, relay, reverse, backdoor, and skip. Dribbling is restricted to executing an exchange from the ball-side lead (3) position to the ball-side trail (1) position or an entry from the mid-court to the front court.
penetrating pass. A pass from a player in a ball-side position to a player entering the money is a penetrating pass. The passer should time the pass so that the cutter catches the ball as he/she enters the money. An overhead pass is sequenced first. An athletic player can catch a well-executed overhead pass in the air and lay the ball in off the back board or dunk it before returning to the court. Unable to execute an overhead pass, a player should execute a bounce pass.
Because there is normally a defensive player between the passer and the money, a player should never use a chest pass to execute a penetrating pass. Players should use a chest pass only when executing a reverse or relay pass.
relay pass. When a player in the off-side lead (4) position executes a basket cut, the defender is directly between the passer and the receiver. However, a quick pass to the ball-side lead (3) allows that player to relay the ball to the cutter, before the defender can adjust his/her position to block the passing lane. A relay pass cues the cutter to end his/her cut in the ball-side half of the money.
reverse pass. A pass from the ball-side trail (1) to the off-side trail (2) position is called a reverse pass. It cues a flip flop. A pass from a player in the ball-side lead (3) position to the ball-side trail (1) position is also a reverse pass.
back-door pass. Initiating a relay or a reverse pass, but not executing it, cues the receiver to execute a penetrating cut. This occurs when, as the player with the ball initiates one of these passes, a defender moves into the passing lane.
skip pass. Normally, a player will pass to a teammate who is occupying an adjacent position, for example, from trail (1) to trail (2) or from ball-side trail (1) to a player entering the money. There are times, however, when it is effective to pass to a player in a position which is separated by one or more positions, for example, from the ball-side trail (1) to a player in the off-side lead (4). Because this pass skips the off-side trail (2) position, it is called a skip pass.
Sequencing Play Options
In the front-court level of play, the player with the ball should always initiate a penetrating pass first. Not executing it, he/she then checks off a relay and a reverse pass. Initiating a relay or a reverse pass, but not executing it, cues the player calling for the ball to execute a penetrating cut.
The player without the ball who has priority should always initiate a penetrating cut by walking the opponent. At the moment that player completes the walk, she/he either executes a penetrating cut or pops.
The players in the other two positions should key on the player with the ball and the player who has priority. Reading what their teammates and the opponents guarding them are doing will provide them with information about what is likely to happen next.
Teaching Front-Court Play
Play on offence. When the players know how to execute a dribble entry into the front-court set and know which position has priority, they are ready to learn not only the tasks assigned to each position, but how to execute them, such as making decisions and executing play options.
To avoid overwhelming them with information, continue to introduce the tasks they must perform in stages. Here are some suggestions.
Teaching Step 5. Explain how to execute a penetrating pass from the (1) position to a player executing a penetrating cut from the (4) position. Then, have two players demonstrate by having one execute a dribble entry into the (1) position as the other moves to occupy the (4) position. As the dribbler enters the (1) position, he/she stops advancing, ends the dribble, and gets ready to pass. As she/he is getting ready to pass, the player in the (4) position cuts to the money, receiving the pass as he/she enters it and shoots, ideally a lay-up. Have teams practise doing this, first from one side, then from the other.
Teaching Step 6. Explain that, if the ball is not on its way as the player executing a penetrating cut in Step 5 approaches the money, he/she must exit. Explain that his/her exiting transfers priority to the player in the (2) position. Consequently, he/she executes a penetrating cut, receives a pass, and shoots, ideally a lay-up. The cutter should receive the pass as she/he enters the money. Have three players demonstrate in both halves of the front-court. Have teams practise.
Teaching Step 7. Explain that, if the ball is not on its way as the cutter in Step 6 approaches the money, the cutter will exit, cueing an exchange of positions. The player exiting moves to occupy the (4) position, as the player who was occupying that position moves to occupy the now vacant (2) position. As this exchange is taking place, the player with the ball (1) can execute a relay pass to the player in the (3) position. After executing the relay, the passer, who now has priority, executes a penetrating cut, receives the pass, stops, and shoots, ideally a lay-up. Have four players demonstrate. Have teams practise.
Can the players solve this problem: What happens if the player in the (1) position executes a reverse rather than a relay pass? If necessary, explain and demonstrate. Have teams practise.
Teaching Step 8. Explain that the player in the (3) position initiating, but not executing, a penetrating pass to the cutter in Step 7 cues an exchange. The player in the (3) position dribbles to occupy the now vacant (1) position, as the cutter moves to occupy the (3) position. Have a team demonstrate. Have teams practise.
What happens the moment the dribbler occupies the (1) position? Explain and demonstrate. Have teams practise.
Teaching Step 9. Now teams are ready to do the "What Happens Next Exercise". In this exercise, players with the ball initiate, but do not execute penetrating passes. Not executing penetrating passes provides an excellent opportunity for them to run the framework of the front-court level of play, that is, to combine and practise all the aspects of the framework they learned in steps 1 thru 8.
Once players are fairly comfortable doing the "What Happens Next Exercise", they are ready to learn about play on defence.
Play on defence. The defensive player guarding a player who has the ball should be directly between that player and the basket, no closer than arm's length away. Maintaining this distance will help keep players on offence from becoming overly excited.
The primary task of the player guarding the ball is to stop a penetrating pass to the money, that is, block the penetrating passing lane. Should the opposing player with the ball present it, that is, hold the ball in front of and away from the body, the defender can take the ball away, providing he/she is at arm's length at the moment the opponent presents the ball.
When the player with the ball is dribbling, the defensive player should maintain his/her position between the opponent and the basket, that is, stay directly between the dribbler and the basket, at arm's length. He/she cannot attempt to steal the ball, unless the opposing player presents it, that is, dribbles the ball with the hand nearer to the defensive player.
Players should always dribble with the hand farther from the defender. In this way, players can protect the ball by keeping their body between the ball and their opponent.
Players guarding opponents without the ball should drop to the ball, that is, move from a location directly between their opponents and the basket, to one which is closer to the ball. They should try at all times to see both the ball and the opponents.
Generally, the farther the ball is away from the offensive players without the ball, (i.e. as the passing lanes become longer), the greater the 'drop' for the players guarding them. However, in the front-court level of play, the drop cannot be more than three-arm-lengths.
Each defender must always try to stay, that is, maintain the arms length relationship, with the player he/she is guarding, for example, when that player executes a penetrating cut or an exchange.
Teaching Step 10. Have players occupy positions in the front-court set. A player in a trail position has the ball. Have four players on defence. Have the players on offence pass the ball from position to position. The player on the ball is directly between the player with the ball and the basket. The other three players drop to the ball. Have teams practise.
Now that players are familiar with the framework, they are ready to learn the rules which apply to the front-court level of play.
The Rules of Play
Facilities/Equipment. Ideally, the length of the court should be no more than 75 feet and the width no more than 45 feet.
The lines of the court are identical to those of a regular basketball court, except the free-throw lines are 13 feet from the backboard.
The lower edge of each basketball hoop should be 8 1/2 feet above the court.
The ball is a mini or biddy basketball (size #5).
Scoring. To shoot, a player must receive a penetrating pass in the money. Receiving a pass in the money results in a free shot, that is, the defence cannot guard the shooter, but must step away and allow the player to shoot. A field goal (a scored basket) is worth two points.
Free throws. There is no free-throw shooting in Bee Ball. Shooting free throws uses valuable time, which is better used playing.
Keeping score. Only team scoring should be recorded.
Deciding who is on offence. Flip a coin to decide which team is on offence. The team on offence continues to play on offence until it "strikes out". Like in baseball, a team strikes out on the third strike.
Striking out. When a team on offence gets three strikes, it goes on defence. A strike results each time a player on defence gets possession of the ball, such as intercepting a pass or getting a defensive rebound, and each time a player on offence commits a personal foul or violation. Regardless of the number of strikes a team has, teams switch from offence to defence after 10 minutes.
Bonus strikes. Each time a defensive player commits a foul or violates the rules, the team on offence earns a bonus or additional strike.
Starting play. To start play, the team that is on offence executes an entry from the mid-court. After getting a strike, earning a bonus strike, or getting an offensive rebound, the team on offence resets, that is, in the mid-court, players occupy positions in the basic set (two lead (L) and two trail (T) positions) and execute a front-court entry.
Personal fouls. Personal fouls are the same as those in the high school rules.
Held Ball. A strike on the offence.
Violations. The same as in high school basketball, except for the following.
1. While holding the ball, a player can take only two steps before passing, shooting, or dribbling. As players become more comfortable playing Bee Ball, teach and enforce the footwork demands of establishing a pivot foot and pivoting, and the restrictions on what a player can do with the pivot foot, related to shooting, passing, and dribbling.
2. Not having both feet in the money when receiving a pass is a violation.
3. No man's land refers to: i) the space which separates one position from another, and ii) the space between the money and any position from which a player may correctly execute a penetrating cut. As there are no positions in no man's land, a player who ends up in no man's land after an entry, an exchange, or penetrating cut commits a violation.
4. A player should not enter the money unless the pass is on its way. Entering the money and waiting for the ball to arrive is called parking, a violation.
5. Not initiating a penetrating pass before executing a relay or a reverse pass is a violation.
6. Holding the ball for more than 5 seconds is a violation.
7. Playing closer than at arm's length while guarding the player with the ball is a violation.
8. When guarding a player without the ball, exceeding a drop to the ball of three arm lengths is a violation.
Officiating. Because the role of a referee is twofold, to enforce the rules of play and to help players learn, referees should be familiar with the rules of basketball, and with the rules that relate specifically to front-court play in Bee Ball. Consequently, when several players are having difficulty playing within the framework, the referee should stop play and help to solve the problem.
When one player is having difficulty, the referee should call for a substitute so that play can continue, as that player receives help.
LET'S PLAY
Adding Play Options
As the players become comfortable playing within the framework of the front-court level of play, introduce, in stages, the remaining play options, and incorporate them into the framework, for example, the free cut.
Teaching Step 11. Explain and demonstrate walking an opponent and popping, as they relate to the two off-side and the ball-side trail positions. Walking is the initiation phase of a penetrating cut. At the moment a player completes the walk, he/she either cuts or pops.
a) a player in the off-side lead (4) uses a pop to transfer priority to the player in the off-side trail (2) position;
b) a player in the off-side trail (2) position uses a pop to call for a reverse pass from the player in ball-side (1) trail position;
c) a player in the ball-side trail (1) position uses a pop to call for a reverse pass from the player in the ball-side lead (3) position.
Have teams practise. Ask players to answer this question. "What happens if a player pops, cueing a reverse pass, and the player with the ball initiates the pass, but does not execute it?" Explain and demonstrate the back door pass.
What happens when the player with the ball does not initiate the reverse pass? If the off-side (2) trail pops, then priority goes back to the off-side lead (4) position. If the ball-side trail pops, he/she has to execute a penetrating cut, so that the player in ball-side lead (3) position can use a dribble to advance the ball to the ball-side trail (1) position.
Teaching Step 12. Explain and demonstrate stunting. When a player in the off-side lead (4) position pops, he/she is cueing a stunt. When a player in the ball-side trail (1) position has priority, he/she can cue a stunt with the player in the off-side trail (1) position, by moving directly at him/her and, if necessary, calling out.
Teaching Step 13. Explain and demonstrate how players can stunt while executing front-court entries. First, the player with the ball can cue a stunt with the player in the off-side trail (2) position. He/she does this by dribbling the ball diagonally into the other half of the court, continuing to advance it to the trail position in the front court. The player in the other trail position reacts, by moving diagonally into the other half of the court, either in front of or behind the dribbler.
Teaching Step 14. Explain and demonstrate sealing , as it relates to basket cuts and ball cuts. Have players practise (refer to Teaching Step 5) ball cuts with dummy defense, that is, defence which co-operates. The player on defence allows the player to execute a ball cut and to seal him.
Have them pracitse basket cuts. The defense allows the cut and the seal. As soon as the ball-side trail (1) perceives the basket cut, he/she relays the ball to the player in the ball-side lead (3) position. The relay pass cues the cutter to enter the money. If the pass is not on its way as he/she reaches the centre of the money, directly in front of the basket, he/she must exit. This exit cues the player in the ball-side trail (1) position to walk his/her opponent.
Have the defence influence the cutter, that is, over play on one side or the other, sometimes allowing a basket cut and, at other times, a ball cut.
Teaching Step 15. Explain and demonstrate skip passes. Have them practise the following situation. When the offside trail (2) executes a basket cut, sealing the defender, the ball-side trail (1) executes a skip pass to the off-side lead (4), but only if that player stays in the ball-side lead (4) position, calls for the ball, and is open. Receiving the skip pass, he/she initiates a penetrating pass to the cutter in the money. Not calling for the ball or calling for it, but not receiving it, he/she will execute an exchange, moving to occupy the now vacant off-side trail (2) position.
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