About This Play/Drill

This is 1-3-1 continuity zone offense used against a 2-3 zone defense.  

Against a zone defense offenses can become stagnant with a lack of player and ball movement.  

This rotation continuity allows an offense to keep flowing and have players cutting and move the ball side to side.  

As the ball is moved side to side players should look to drive gaps and score or make plays for teammates.  

Against an even front zone defense it's good to have an odd front zone offense and against an odd front zone defense it's good to have an even front zone offense.

Against a zone defense it's important to "leave an area, replace an area" and reverse the ball (Hubie Brown).

Cutting from behind the defense is also hard for a zone defense to guard.  

The 1-3-1 zone offense continuity rotation allows the offense to execute these key principles.

Skip passes and screening the inside and outside of the zone are also effective.  

Dribble penetration vs. the zone defense is key to breaking the defense down.  Driving gaps and making 2 defenders play 1 offensive player creates scoring opportunities for the offense.  

Pass fakes are another key to use against a zone defense.  The pass fake can freeze or shift the zone.  

Two other important keys to beating zone defenses are to fast break and beat the zone before it's set and offensive rebound because defenders are guarding a man in their zone and are not always guarding the same man.  An offensive player can be in one zone when a shot is taken but as the ball is in flight can move to a different zone, making blocking out more challenging for a defender.  If a zone is overloaded on the weakside and a shot is taken from the strong side there is an offensive advantage on the weakside rebound.  Also against a zone it's easier for perimeter players to rebound because their could be more offensive players on the perimeter and zone defenders near the basket don't have a man in their zone when a shot goes up.  

Using quick hitters in addition to a continity is a great strategy vs. zones.  Quick hitters allow the offense to know who will be shooting the ball and from what spot.  Coach Izzo from Michigan St. has some great quick hitters out of the 1-3-1 alignment that work well with the 1-3-1 zone continuity "Rotation."