PRESSURE THE BALL. NO MIDDLE. Influence the drive toward the sideline and baseline, but do not allow an outside blow-by.
SUPPORT EARLY. The Man meets the drive outside the paint.
Protect the paint, contest threes, and force contested mid-range.
STANCE. HANDS UP. MULTIPLE EFFORTS.
On the ball
Close out with a high hand and a no-middle stance.
Keep the middle closed while containing the outside drive.
On a screen, contact switch. The new ball defender pressures immediately; the other defender denies/fronts the screener.
Contest shots with a high hand. Do not foul.
One pass away: Deny
ON THE LINE, UP THE LINE. One hand in the passing lane, about two steps away from your player.
Switch off-ball screens and actions. Jump into the passing lane and stay in denial.
Post up like you are on offense to deny post entries.
Stunt or gap swipe to disrupt a drive, then recover. Do not leave strong-side denial to become the drive stopper.
Bump cutters and attempted post-ups. Send offensive players behind you. Do not get face cut.
Two passes away: The Man and The Nail
THE MAN: low weak-side support. Deny the low post and cover the weak-side corner skip.
THE NAIL: high weak-side support. Deny the high post and cover the weak-side wing skip.
Announce the jobs. Read your area with a zone mindset.
Nail Action: Stop the drive
The Man: meet the outside or baseline drive early, outside the paint. Stop it or take the charge.
The Nail: drop to low support. Deny the dump-off and the pass through to the opposite corner.
The Fill: the next closest defender to high support fills The Nail’s position. Call NAIL. Deny the high-post entry and pass through to the opposite wing.
Beaten defender: recover into the driving line and bump The Man back, or scramble to an unguarded player as the team gets back even.
NO STRONG-SIDE DRIVE HELP. The Man comes from the weak side. Strong-side defenders may stunt or gap swipe.
Use the switch
Contact switch on ball screens and off-ball screens.
Make contact with the screener as you switch. Pressure the ball and deny the screener immediately.
Point and talk so teammates know the exchange.
Make the pickup count
Yell DEAD when the ball handler picks up the dribble.
The other four defenders go full denial.
If the ball is passed back out, scramble back to your assignments.
Finish and communicate
SAY WHAT YOU SEE. SAY WHAT YOU’RE DOING.
When the ball moves, move toward it.
Hunt a block-out on every rotation and shot. Make legal contact without fouling.
REBOUNDING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF DEFENSE. BOXING OUT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF REBOUNDING.
Get back to the paint in transition.
Details still to define
The transition note sends 1, 2, and 3 back and 4 and 5 to the glass, but also sends the shooter to the glass. Confirm the priority when a get-back player shoots.
Triple switching and ICE are listed as future teaching, not installed default coverage.
Use the documented Nail Action here. Do not substitute the conflicting Red rotation from later summaries.