We attack! Or should we focus on defense instead? The tactics of the game are very often the determining factor in the outcome of a match, namely: victory, or defeat. In this article, discover the basics of strategy, typical basketball tactics, and the drills you can incorporate into your training to get your hands on the various strategic actions.

What do basketball tactics mean?

In basketball, tactics play a very big role, because it is tactics that most often determines whether a team wins or loses the match. But what exactly do basketball tactics mean?

In basketball, the concept of tactics brings together all the attack or defense actions used by players to achieve a specific goal. We can distinguish mainly two types of tactics, namely: defensive tactics, and offensive tactics.
We can also differentiate between individual strategy and collective strategy:

  • The individual strategy includes all the offensive and defensive actions can not be attempted as a team player in particular.
  • As part of a collective strategy, it is the five players who will try together to achieve a specific goal.

By applying different tactics in a targeted manner during a basketball game, a team can reap the decisive advantages that can lead to victory.

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The basics of basketball tactics

To help you fully understand the various tactical actions in basketball, let’s first decipher the basics. Find out here what it is essential to know in terms of terrain, zone, and player positions. This basic knowledge is essential to subsequently become an expert in tactical matters.

Field

Basketball is always played on a rectangular court with a hard surface. The land itself is divided into different circles, lines and areas, each of which has its own function. The following infographic shows you the main lines and areas of the basketball court.

The area

A basketball court is divided into different zones, but when we speak of “zone” , it is in fact the perimeter located under the basket and which is bounded by the free-throw line. The zone plays an essential role in attack and defense. Players of the attacking team must not linger in the zone for more than three seconds. This restrictive zone is also called “key” (in French: “clef”), because its shape vaguely recalls that of a key, or even “racket”.

Player positions

To fully understand the tactical possibilities of basketball, it is essential to first focus on the different positions, also called player positions. You should know that there is no fixed distribution of roles in basketball, as is the case in football or volleyball. The five players on the pitch must master both attack and defense. However, each player is generally expected to occupy a specific position. Since the appearance of this sporting discipline, the positions of the players have been divided between “forwards” and “guards”.

In basketball five players are simultaneously on the court. Each team has up to seven substitutes at their disposal who can be brought into the game as many times as needed. The constellation of players at the very start of a match is called the major five (or base five). The positions usually occupied by these five players are two “guards” (leader, rear), one “center”, and two “forwards” (winger, strong winger). Of course, other constellations than this one, also known under the name of 2-1-2, are possible, for example by establishing three wingers instead of two wingers and a pivot.

The pivot

The pivot position is often occupied by the tallest and strongest player on the team. He is most often positioned with his back to the basket and moves in the area, therefore directly under the basket. Its role is to recover as many bounces as possible – that is, when a player misses a shot after the ball has bounced off the basket and before it hits the ground, and then to retry a basket. He also needs to counter attackers and protect his own racquet.

The “guards”

The positions of ” guards ” are generally occupied by smaller players, but the fastest of a basketball team. When speaking of “guards”, these are the positions of ” leader ” ( “point guard” in English) and ” back“(” Shooting guard “in English). The full-backs are mainly responsible for scoring points by taking outside shots (three-point shots). The leader is the one who decides when and how the game should continue, or rather what tactics will be applied next. For that, he must have an excellent control of the ball and a very good overview of the game. The name (“playmaker” in English) attributed to his role comes from the fact that he is the one who directs the game.

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