How to Run a 1-2-1-1 "Diamond" Zone Press

Coach Russ
Coach Russ
237,807
0
Published 2020-02-04
If you'd like to know what software I use to animate my videos click the link below
successful-leader-8439.ck.page/ad36fae049

To support my channel Thank you!
www.buymeacoffee.com/coachrussvC

Like, Share, and Subscribe are all FREE WAYS to support my work. Thank you!

#youthbasketball #basketballtraining #basketballcoach

Mail to:
Coach Russ Videos
P.O. Box 70224
Pasadena, CA 91117


This video will teach you how to run the 1-2-1-1 or "Diamond" Zone Press. This press is a great first press to teach young teams and is effective against teams who lack ball handling and/or passing strength.

The name of this particular zone press gets it's name from the way players are set up in a 1-2-1-1 formation in the back court. People refer to this press as the "diamond" press because the first four defenders in the zone press form a diamond shape on the court. Diamond is also very easy to call out or signal with your hands from the sideline.

This is typically the first and most common press that you'll run into with younger basketball teams. As such, it's likely that teams are prepared for this press as well. You can be too! Check out my video #23; How to Run a Zone Press Break.

Coaches should and do change their defensive strategies to counter your defensive tactics during a game. Many times, an opposing coach will have a strategy to beat your zone press; in that case you should call off or be able to switch to a match-up or person-to-person press instead.

Learn and keep this defensive strategy in your arsenal so you can force your opponent to change up their offensive tactics!

This zone press strategy and is great for teaching youth, club teams, junior high, high school, and recreational teams.

If you have recorded video of your team executing this play or any of the plays you've learned from my channel and would like for me to do a YouTube video review of your team executing the play, please email me at:

[email protected]
All Comments (18)
  • @nicholasavvento5793
    This really helped me understand more about what my coach tried to tell me, thank you for this video!🙏
  • @bigbeanburrito2112
    Bro you are the best YouTuber, always coming in clutch with these videos
  • @sg84010
    My left ear loved the information 🥰☺️
  • @mosivin93
    The most viable way to break this defense is to quickly return the ball to the player who has served. I would have liked to see that hypothetical case and how the defense responds
  • @InfernalSolos
    my coach sent me this video for my upcoming game against kbc because we learned how to break press with 4 across but to do a press we did a zone trap once but no one really got it and we got cooked by a top team this really helps ty!
  • @sladedub-210
    My team runs this pretty well were winning by 10 points a game while only scoring like 50 maybe 60 points
  • @joshradford1989
    This is the press we saw last week. The biggest weakness of this press is the pass back to the inbounded and the #1 guard getting behind the defense and a strong lead pass puts the offense in a two on one or three on two situation. We broke this press three plays in a row for six points. Didn’t see a press the rest of the tournament. I like the man press better.