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 Offensive Sets |
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OFFENSIVE SETS
OFFENSIVE PRINCIPLES OF PLAY
Before beginning the process of designing offensive sets, it is appropriate to examine those principles of play which were referred to earlier in this section, but not explained. Like the other purposes of play, such as flow, these principles serve a specifications for set design.
There are four major offensive principles of play, playing against opponents , sequencing, cues, and triangles.
Playing Against Opponents
If, during every moment of play, teammates are going to integrate and co-ordinate their efforts to exploit opportunities to gain advantages in play, they need to know the location on the court of not only their teammates, but also their opponents. Knowing where their teammates are makes it easier for them to focus on their opponents.
The related principles of symmetry, no mans land, and running a way from the ball help players know where their teammates are at all times.
Symmetry. Symmetry defines the spatial relationship among the five positions, that is, where the positions are located on the court and the distances from each other. Consequently, as play unfolds, players can predicate not only where teammates are at the moment, but where they are likely to be during the next moment. In other words, on the basis of what is happening now, players can predict what is likely to happen next.
No mans land. This phrase refers to the spaces which separate positions in an offensive set. While a player is moving from one position to another, he/she is in no mans land. Consequently, a player who is dribbling should not stop and end the dribble in no mans land. Doing so violates the set symmetry principle.
A player without the ball who is moving from one position to another should not receive a pass in no mans land. Knowing this, a player, while in no mans land, can focus on the defence. When players do not know when or where they will receive a pass, they are likely to watch the player with the ball constantly. Watching the player with the ball makes it more difficult for them to focus on the defence.
Running away from the ball. Players who are ahead of the teammate who has the ball must not run away from him/her. When they do, the passing lanes lengthen. The longer the passing lanes; the easier it is for defenders to deny passes to opponents at the end of those lanes. For example, when two players sprint down the side lanes toward their basket immediately after a teammate gets a defensive rebound, one defensive player should be able to deny both passing lanes; thus, freeing the other defender to move toward the ball to play help defence.
Sequencing
Sequencing is the process of making play on offence orderly. This process involves assigning priority to positions and assigning priority to play option selection. For example, a player who gets a defensive rebound knows not only to try to pass before dribbling (play option sequencing), but also to which teammate to try to pass first (sequencing position priority). Knowing that he/she has priority, the player gets ready to receive the outlet pass, as the rebounder gets ready to execute it.
At practice or during a games, the sequencing of position priority and play options selection can be changed, by the coach or the players.
Assigning priority to positions. Passing is a very important part of effective team play. Consequently, while playing against her/his opponent, the player with the ball should be ready to pass to a teammate. Whenever a player has the ball, four teammates do not. By assigning priority to one position, the players in the other three positions do not have to watch the ball. They are free to key on the player in the position which has priority and to read the defence. Also, the player with the ball knows to key on the player in the position which has priority. What the player with the ball and the player who has priority do determines what happens next.
Assigning priority to play option selection. By assigning priority to play option selection, players know the order in which the play option assigned to each position are sequenced. For example, because the ball can be advanced up the court much quicker with a pass than with a dribble, a player should always try to pass, before dribbling; and, when trying to pass, she/he knows to which position to pass first, second, third, and fourth.
unsequenced play options - If players are to exploit opportunities to score, then they must be free to execute unsequenced play options. For example, a player who is occupying a position which does not have priority is suddenly wide open. He/she should then cut immediately to the basket and call for the ball. Such a cut is called a free cut. Although players should be free to be creative, imaginative, and spontaneous in their, they are not free to be inept or irresponsible by calling for the ball all the time or trying to score each time they get the ball.
Cues
Cues are external signals which help players know what to do next. There are team, opponent, and event related cues.
Team related cues. Players use these cues to signal each other. For example, a player who raises an arm and points toward the teams basket, signals the player with the ball to pass it toward the hoop so that he/she will catch it as he/she arrives at the basket. Hopefully, in the air, so that he/she can dunk.
Opponent related cues. The particular actions or characteristics of an opposing player can serve as cues. For example, a player being guarded by a much shorter defender should cue the team to use the framework so that the taller teammate plays in the low post position.
Event related cues. Certain external events signal players to act in a certain way. For example, the ball changing possession cues phase transition, from offence to defence and from defence to offence. The location of the ball during that event cues players to occupy positions in a particular offensive set. As a result, the moment players anticipate that a teammate is getting a defensive rebound, they should move quickly to occupy positions in the back court set. If phase transition were to take place in their front court, they should occupy positions in their front court set.
Triangles
An essential component of effective team play is triangle passing. A pass that advances the ball from a player who is in the middle lane or a side lane to a teammate in the middle lane is a penetrating pass. When the opponent guarding the intended receiver blocks the penetrating passing lane, he/she leaves open a flanking passing lane. To take advantage of this opening, the player with the ball should pass the ball to a teammate who is in a position to relay the ball to the intended receiver.
The penetrating passing lane forms one side of the triangle. The lanes from the player with the ball to the player in the relay position and from that player to the teammate in the middle lane form the other two sides of the triangle.
Depending on circumstances, the triangle can be big, that is, cover a relatively large area of the court grid or small, that is, cover a relatively small area of the court grid.
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OFFENSIVE SETS
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