Basketball Tactics
Must-Know Basketball Tactics for Beginners
Understanding fundamental basketball tactics and the impact that they have on this team sport is the key to being a competent player. Whether you are new to the sport altogether or if you’ve been playing for a while, it is extremely important to have a solid foundation from which to build your skills and knowledge upon. We are going to briefly discuss a few of the most basic basketball tactics and expose the building blocks that all basketball strategy is built off of.
Before we jump into tactics, we’re going to discuss the players. This is for the benefit of those who haven’t had much experience playing basketball. There are five players for each team. These players are called the Point Guard, Shooting Guard, Small Forward, Power Forward, and Center. The point guard is the player who will undoubtedly do most of the ball handling. We’ve all seen the guy who runs the ball up and down the court, keeping his eyes peeled for team mates that may be “open”, or able to take the ball. This is the point guard’s role.
The shooting guard is the guy most teammates will look first to when it’s time to shoot the ball. The shooting guard is, as the name suggests, typically excellent at shooting the ball, but he may also run the ball up the court. The small forward is one of the most flexible player on the court. These guys are typically on the shorter side, but very lean and quick. The small forward will usually be the one to rack up the most points during a game but are also very good rebounders.
The power forward is often skilled in both offensive and defensive maneuvers and most in this position have skills comparable to that of a center. Power forwards are often noted for having a mid-range jump shot although some may particularly excel at long-range shots. The center is usually the tallest member on the team, although this is not always the case. This position is responsible for using their height advantage to cover the basket. The center is also the most likely player to take on jump balls.
Now that we’ve got the role of each player down, we need to understand the basketball tactics that utilizes each player’s skills to the fullest. The first tactic we are going to discuss is called Man to Man. This tactic is one that is very important to know because it is the epitome of team playing. In this tactic, one team member is assigned to follow the movements of another player and “defends” this teammate from players of the opposing team—like a guard.
The alternative to this style of defense is zone defense. Instead of a player being assigned a person to guard, they are assigned a “zone”. A zone is characterized by a specific area of the floor. When an offensive player steps into one’s zone, the man defending that zone must guard the player until he enters another’s zone.
A term you might hear thrown around a lot is “1-3-1”. This is a tactic in which one player stands out to the front to defend the three-point line. Three more players, which are most often the shooting guard, power forward, and small forward, space out from the free-throw line. The last player then positions himself to guard the basket.
Another tactic you might find handy to remember is the “1-2-2”. In this set up, one player stands out in front of the three-point line. Two more players are positioned to guard the free-throw line, and the two remaining players position themselves to guard the basket.
Of course there are many more fundamental basketball tactics that you should attempt to brush up on. The best way to do this is to spend time with a friend who has spent a great deal of time playing basketball on a formal team, such as high school or college basketball. They will be able to show you scenarios that frequently show up during games. Learn these tactics and commit them to memory, as it’s important that you recognize these tactics on the court.