Hoops

Does anyone really understand "no zone" concept

A 14 boys junior team out west were blatantly playing a 2-3 zone a few weeks back, didn't stop the other team but umpires ignored it as well.
But even if the other team had complained the supervisor normally just watches and does nothing anyway. Most I've ever seen done is go to coach at a break, ask if they were playing zone, got told no, then trotted off and still did nothing.

"but drawing players away from the basket because they have to run behind the line of the ball away from play ? (enforced by ref)"

Any ref enforcing this doesn't know anything about basketball, let alone zones

A quick skim of the guidelines provided above seems to make it clear that:
1. 'Zone busting' is not a referee issue.
2. The 'no zone' principle comes into play only in the 'end third' - effectively inside the three-point line.

This combined with the concerns raised in the opening post suggests the starting point might need to be to find out whether or not the guidelines are being followed in full in the comp in question.

If they are it would seem the refs need to focus on the rules of the game and that a pressing defence of any type outside the three point line is fine as long as it converts to man-to-man in/around the key.

A quick skim of the guidelines provided above makes it quite clear that:
1.w sa

When it was first brought in u/14s club championships it was

1) basically no zone in the 1/4 court,
2) any "trapping" zone set up above the top of the key circle ( there was one then) are allowable.

Its good to bear in mind that a really well drilled switching man-to-man like those preached about and provided by bobby knight in his early college career ( first 20 years) will work like a zone in the 1/4 court.

Originally once the defense was set at 5-on-5 in the half court, any double team before the player received the ball in the key way below the foul line was called a zone.


the difficulty was that BA was really poor at communicating the actual interpretations to all the states and regions, and many little fiefdoms made their own interpretations , this was well before the internet was common , and was decades before U-Tube.

It seems it has not really improved. I well remember the occasional 'what !?" during the rules sessions with officials before the u14 club championships.

I would like to think its better now, but its clear the its not well taught in the coaches clinic etc.

It was brought in the first 1-2 year after the ACT won the u/14 girls clubs using a 2-1-2 , 1/4 court zone for 100% of every defensive play face during the entire tournament hosted in Canberra. Can't remember the exact year.

And good call about full court traps, technically they are a zone but are they called for it.

Any defence played in the half court which does not incorporate normal man to man defensive principles shall be considered to be a zone. For this purpose, trapping defences which rotate back to man to man defensive principles are acceptable.

It is important to remember that the “no zone” rule applies only in the half court and zone presses and trapping defences are allowed, if they fall back to man to man principles in the quarter court.

The rule is only concerned with playing man to man principles in the quarter court (effectively the three point line). Teams can play any defence they want in the full court.

Only way it works if coaches follow it instead of plonking their big kid in key and saying he's split line. Most refs and supervisors are too scared to make the call.
And good call about full court traps, technically they are a zone but are they called for it.

Yes u can split line as long as they move closer when the opposite player has the ball. If no movement/reaction when ball is moved then its a zone.

Pdf good reading as offense has to prove zone first before any calls.

Defensive three seconds has all the ability to ruin defense without any of the ability to make players accountable defensively and teach good defensive fundamentals.

Here is the BA document on zones (PDF).

Trash the no zone rule. Add defensive 3 seconds.

In light of the cancellation of the Barossa Valley carnival, West Adelaide is happy to accept nominations for the Bearcats carnival up until 5pm this Thursday 7/7/11.

You can download forms from www.bearcats.net.au and register your interest via carnival@bearcats.net.au but please be quick as the draw is being done Friday.

The carnival is open to Div 2 and below (although Div 1 can enter in the next-higher age group) and is a fun, affordable carnival at only $220 for team nomination fee. Full carnival rules are on the bearcats website mentioned above.