Offense in basketball: the basics

Shooting accuracy – a basic unit of basketball which allows to score points and to fight for desired superiority in a match. In official basketball game, lasting 48 minutes each of teams makes on average about 100 attacks per game. There are various variations of attack in basketball, however, in this article we will be focused on the basic concepts and basic classification.

There are two main tactics of offense in basketball: position and fast. Their distinction consists in the speed of carrying out attack. Prompt attack is more characteristic for NBA where game more is based on individual skill of players while carrying out long position attacks is more peculiar to the European basketball. Nevertheless, it is impossible to be categorical in this division as throughout game, both in Europe, and in the USA the set of prompt and position attacks is realized.

• Fast break implies lightning transfer of a ball to a half of the rival and immediate attack with possibility of one-two fast transfers. Teams choose such technology of attack in different cases. Most often it is connected with lag from the rival in glasses and a lack of time. Besides, individual skill of players and advantage in high-speed qualities can compel the trainer to apply tactics “beat-run”.
• Position offense, on the contrary, includes quiet transfer of a ball to a half of the rival, arrangement of players, application of combinations or individual actions. In fact, position attack is considered more competent, in a basketball way deep. Pay attention that than the level of a play of the team is higher, especially its attack is “position”. However, the coach of the team can change the scheme purposely. Throughout game the majority of attacks takes place in a position manner. It is connected with that the rival manages to return to protection and most often begins dense defense with the half, and also that physically it is quite difficult to play a match in a constant rhythm of fast attack.

Position offense in basketball in something is similar to war. each player carries out defined, however, carefully coordinated, actions. Five players of attack distribute the functions as follows:

• the first number – point guard(PG, the defender playing). This player takes a position at the top of a platform, as a rule, on the center near the middle of a glade. Its task – to bring a ball from the half upon transition out of protection, to order a certain combination, to find transfer of the partner or to shot.
• the second number – small guard (SG, the attacking defender). This position also provides game above. Functions of the second number consist in attack development, participation in combinational or the individual attacking actions of team.
• third, fourth number (small and power forwards). Forwards take positions in a platform corner, with possibility of an arrangement in the center, under a ring, at game by the dual center. The most widespread option – presence of “easy” and “heavy” forwards on a platform where more massive player helps to attack from the center and easier is accented on throws and passes.
• fifth number (center). The center, as a rule, plays under a ring, around a three-second zone. Center usually are massive and high players who at the expense of physical data can fight for selection in attack, carry out throws from under a ring, cut defenders at barriers.

This arrangement of players is the most popular and standard. Nevertheless, there is a mass of variations in positions depending on style of the players, features of protection and the purposes pursued by team. It is possible to carry the “easy” and “heavy” five on a platform to the main variations of traditional arrangement. In the first case, the team lets out instead of center and, perhaps, the “heavy” forward of more mobile players. At such approach there is an emphasis for performance of high-speed combinations, passes under a ring and distant throws. The reverse of the medal consists in game by the “heavy” five. In particular, advantage in growth, weight and the accented game under a ring at the expense of “big players” is used here. A kind of the “heavy” five – game by the dual center (the heavy forward takes a position not on the edge of a platform, and under a ring together with center).

Basketball is very “clever” sport. There is a mass of combinations and strategy of conducting game. In this article we considered attack elements in basketball. Shortly we summarize the written: attack in basketball is a fundamental element. There are two main types of attack in basketball: prompt and position. Prompt – instant transition from protection to attack, fast attack with the minimum quantity of transfers at a speed. Position attack – slower attack, however, with use of combinational elements. At position attack, players take the positions and carry out the functions assigned to themselves.