Coaching Basketball

Why the 1-4 High?

Why run all of your set plays, quick hitters or entry plays from a 1-4 high set? Good question.

Here are the reasons this alignment is great for all set plays:

Less is more. This one set keeps things simple for your players.

It creates excellent spacing. Offense is all about good spacing.

This alignment creates good scoring opportunities for every position.

It is easy to create plays for any type of shot necessary from this alignment.

The plays can be run to either side of the court simply by running the mirror image of the play.

It is very easy to get into from a numbered fast break system.

It denies the defense from establishing its defensive priorities, making this alignment difficult to defend from the onset.

What are defensive priorities? Regardless of the type of defense run, most traditional defensive systems want to establish the following priorities:

Be able to apply tremendous pressure on the ball and provide help to the on-the-ball defender.

Be able to provide help in any situation.

Protect the rim and low post areas.

Force the ball out of the middle to one side to establish a ball side and help side, allowing the defense to outnumber the offense 5-3 by virtue of the two help defenders.

Defend two offensive players with one defender if possible (usually a zone defense).

Establish good inside positioning for defensive rebound coverage.

Clog the lane area with help defenders to prevent lane penetration via pass, cut or dribble; low post entry passes;backdoor cuts for lay-ups.

Some of the ways the 1-4 high alignment prevents the defense from establishing its priorities include preventing the defense from being able to establish a help side defense,forcing the defense away from the lane area and rim, opening the area up for penetration of one form or another, and requiring the defense to guard each offensive player, including the ball, with only one defender, and operating the offense from the middle of the court to initiate the attack.

In addition to the advantages the 1-4 high set denies the defense, it is versatile due to the fact all of the plays can be run as mirror images. Any play depicted being run to the right hand side of the court can be run in its mirror image on the left hand side of the court.

This short book contains 30 plays to attack man-to-man defenses, zone defenses, to obtain 3-point shots, low post shots, and on-the-ball screens to create penetration opportunities.

These simple plays are an excellent way to score after a time out, a dead ball or as an entry to motion or other offenses.