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Press Break Diagram

One question which I receive more than any others is about a press break. I do not use a “press break” per se, but teach “Diamond Spacing” which I describe in depth in several of my books.

However, the below is the press break that we used when I was in middle school and we never had a problem with presses. It gets players to the proper (Diamond) spacing quickly, but the inbounder sprinting opposite relieves the crowding and gives P4 somewhere to pass when he receives the ball in the middle of the court and looks opposite.

More important than the exact cuts or the players’ positioning, however, is that players learn to adapt and adjust if something goes wrong or if the defense takes away the easy pass. Players need a few simple principles to guide them, and they need the ball skills (ball handling, passing) to remain patient and confident under pressure.

Presses work when they speed up the offense’s decision-making. Confident ball handler’s absorb the pressure and remain confident, which allows them to see more of the floor and make a better decision than a player lacking confidence. The best press break in the world cannot compensate for unskilled players with a lack of confidence, while a team of confident, skilled players does not need a true press break.

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