What is a 1-3-1 Half-Court Trapping Zone Defense?
A 1-3-1 half court trap zone defense is a defense set up in a 1-3-1 formation that is looking to trap the offense all over the floor. The setup is one player above the top of the key. One player around the foul line. One player is in front of the basket. And a player on each wing, foul line extended. This creates the 1-3-1 formation.
From this formation, the defense is looking to get the ball in between two defenders, preferably in one of the four corners of the half-court so the two closest defenders can converge on the offensive player and trap them. If the offense is able to get the ball out of the trap, then the defense is going to sprint back and converge again on the ball looking for another trap. The defense continues to try and trap the ball until they get a turnover or the offense shoots the ball.
The 1-3-1 trap is a very aggressive defense. The defense is looking to put a bunch of pressure on the offense. This pressure can lead to quick shots or turnovers by the offense. This is a good defense to fall back into for a team that is constantly pressing their opponent. It keeps the pressure of the press in a half-court setting.
It is also a good defense to use if a team is behind and needs to create turnovers to get themselves caught back up to their opponent. The 1-3-1 half court trap is going to speed the game up meaning both teams are going to be taking more possessions during the game.
What is a “I”-3 Defense?
The “I’-3 defense is a combination defense similar to the Box-1 or Triangle-2. The I-3 defense has 3 defenders guarding man-to-man while the other 2 defenders are guarding in a vertical zone formation. The 3 man defenders are each guarding a particular offensive player while the 2 zone defenders are in a stack formation to guard the other 2 offensive players and be in a better position to help the 3 man defenders.
The 2 zone defenders are stacked with 1 defender at the free throw line and the other at the front of the rim. They are there to help with the man defenders if and when necessary. They are also in a zone formation to guard the 2 offensive players not being guarded man.
In using the I-3 defense, the defense has decided to essentially leave 2 offensive players open thinking they are not going to score many points anyway. This gives those 2 zone defenders a better chance to help or double team the other 3 offensive players. By having more focus on those 3 offensive players, the I-3 defense is trying to reduce the 3 main offensive players scoring to give the defense a better chance to win the game.
Best Team Personnel for 1-3-1 Trapping Defense
The best personnel for a 1-3-1 trap is having length. The longer the point and two wings are, the harder it is for the offense to pass the ball. Plus, those 3 players are going to be in the most traps, so having them also do the trapping will add to the number of deflections and steals a defense is able to get. A mobile post player is a great option for the top of the 1-3-1. The additional length of a post player guarding usually smaller guards can lead to bad decisions by those guards.
The flip side of this is having a lot of speed. In a trapping 1-3-1, every player is having to cover a lot of floor with the exception of the middle man. The players having the ability to cover a lot of floor quickly reduces the time the offense has to think about what they need to be doing. This reduced time leads to more effective traps because the offense does not have enough time to think about what they should be doing.
The 1-3-1 trap is a great defense to drop back into when a defense is pressing. And I am going to assume that a defense has some speed in order to extend up the floor on defense. Offenses usually do not go right from the press break straight into their offense. They need just a little bit of time to set up their offense out of the press break. If the defense can transition from the press straight into a 1-3-1 trap, then those seconds the offense is using to set up is the time needed for the defense to drop and get into that first half-court trap. If a defense can get that trap, then the offense is going to be playing quickly for the rest of the possession and possibly game.
The last personnel and this is the absolute must have to run a 1-3-1 trap is a bottom player who is very fast. This spot is usually reserved for my fastest player(s). The bottom player in a 1-3-1 must cover corner to corner on two passes. Not every player has the speed to make that run without giving up an open shot. Without this player the 1-3-1 is not going to be effective.
The dream team for the 1-3-1 is the fastest player on the court playing the bottom spot. The tallest player playing the point. The two wings are tall and long and can move well. The middle man has size to take up space on the inside as well as rebound well from the middle spot. However, most teams are not going to have that.
A 1-3-1 trap should have a fast player on the bottom. Usually, the center is going to be in the middle. The 4-man playing the point up top if they can move well enough. And the two wings are going to be the 2 other guards.
Best Team Personnel for “I”-3 Defense
The best team personnel for the I-3 defense is to have 3 really good man-to-man defensive players. These 3 defenders will be matched up to guard the 3 best offensive players.
The other 2 defenders can be anybody. These two are going to stay close to the free throw line and rim. These 2 defenders are there to help the 3 man defenders. And if the offense passes the ball to the 2 non guarded offensive players, then the 2 zone defenders will closeout to them when they are close. Or they will shift so those 2 non guarded offensive players cannot just shoot a layup.
While the 2 zone players can be anybody, the taller these 2 players are the better. The height gives them the ability to contest more shots and rebound better in their zone formation. The height of the 2 zone players would be a plus but it is not required.
When to Use the 1-3-1 Trapping Zone Defense?
The 1-3-1 trap is used mainly in three cases.
- Pressure the Offense
- Speed the game up
- Create turnovers because defense is losing
The 1-3-1 can create and put a lot of pressure on an offense. If the offense does not have good guards or does not handle pressure well, then the 1-3-1 trap can exploit this weakness. This is a very aggressive defense and does not give the offense a lot of time to think about what to do. The offense must react to the trapping defense. This lack of time puts pressure on the offense aside from the trapping that can cause bad decisions.
The 1-3-1 is going to speed the game up. It is going to force the offense to play fast. If a game is moving at a slow pace, then the 1-3-1 trap can speed the game up. If an opponent wants to slow the game down and play a low scoring game, then a switch to a 1-3-1 trapping defense will force them to play faster. The faster pace will cause more possessions. The opponent will then be forced to play at a faster pace causing them to do something they do not want to do.
The 1-3-1 trap is an aggressive defense. So, it can be used when a team is behind and must get stops or turnovers to try and get back into the game. If a team does not want to press to try and catch up, then they need to do something in the half-court to make up the difference in points. But it also can create turnovers with the trapping defense giving the defense the ability to get easy layups off those turnovers.
When to Use the “I”-3 Defense?
The I-3 defense is not a defense to use very often. It is a defense that can be used on a very rare basis to cause confusion and uncertainty to the offense. I have only seen it used in a game twice. In both instances the offense struggled for a significant period of time trying to figure out what to do. Ultimately one of the unguarded offensive players was able to make a couple of open shots to give the offense a win.
In both instances the team running the I-3 defense was severely overmatched. A win by the team running the I-3 defense would have been considered a major upset. And in both cases the I-3 gave the severe underdog a chance at winning the game. I can honestly say I was shocked the score was as close as it was when the game ended. And I fully believe the reason the games were so close is because of the I-3 defense.
The I-3 defense can be used to help control and limit an opponent who has 3 main offensive players with 2 roll players. One of the games this defense was used was against a team who had 3 players averaging over 15 points a game and the other 2 were averaging under 5 points a game.
The defense focused all their attention on the 3 main offensive players and gambled the other 2 players averaging less than 5 would still not score even though they were not being guarded. It worked and the game was one to two possession leads through the whole game. It stayed this way until late in the 4th quarter when one of the players scoring less than 5 points a game made a couple of shots in multiple consecutive possessions to stretch the lead out to 10 where it stayed for the last couple of minutes of the game.
This is a defense to be used as a last resort. An underdog team who has very little to no shot of winning the game if they played straight up. The I-3 defense can confuse an offense and keep help in great positions no matter what the offense is doing.
Advantages of 1-3-1 Trapping Zone Defense Over “I”-3 Defense
1) Aggressive Style of Defense
A 1-3-1 Trapping Zone Defense is a very aggressive defense. It is designed to force the offense to play fast and make quick decisions. Any wrong decision and it could lead to turnovers. The defense can put a lot pressure on the offense with a constant system of trapping. And if the offense passes the ball into a couple of bad areas, then the defense is even better.
The “I”-3 Defense is a passive defense. It is going to react to the offense rather than try and dictate what the offense can do. The offense can do things against the “I”-3 without worrying about potential turnovers.
The 1-3-1 trap is a relentless, aggressive defense. As long as the offense has the ball, the defense is going to be chasing and trapping. This can lead to breakdowns and easy layups at times, but it can also lead to turnovers and easy runouts as well.
The style of defense of the 1-3-1 does not change so a lot of mental and physical pressure is put on the offense to adjust. And it is always easier to reduce aggressiveness rather than increase it. By starting out really aggressive, it is easier to pull it back if a lead is trying to be sustained late in a ballgame.
2) Can Be Used More Often
One of the biggest flaws of any combination defense is the inability to use it at all times. One of the greatest perks of the 1-3-1 defense is the ability to transform it into multiple defenses. The 1-3-1 trapping defense can be combined with the 1-3-1 press and the 1-3-1 no trapping defense to create an entire 1-3-1 defensive system.
The 1-3-1 press, 1-3-1 trap and 1-3-1 no trapping defenses give the 1-3-1 setup the ability to be used at all times in any scenarios. If a team is down late, then they can use the press. If a team is up late, then the no trapping version can be used to become more conservative.
This ability to change can cause problems for the offense because the defense is constantly changing the expectations of the offense. If an offense is expecting a trap and it does not happen, then the offense might not know what to do.
The “I”-3 is dependent on the opponent on when it can be used. The 1-3-1 can be used against any and all opponents. So, any practice time used learning the 1-3-1 will not be wasted. Being able to maximize practice time is very beneficial to a team. The “I”-3 does the exact opposite because it can only be used against select opponents.
3) Can Extend if Necessary
The 1-3-1 Trapping Defense can be kept close to the basket and trap only in the corners. Or it can be extended out towards half-court to try and trap no matter where the ball is at. When adding the 1-3-1 press to the 1-3-1 trap gives the defense to extend all the way up the floor. This versatility gives the 1-3-1 defense a lot of flexibility.
The “I”-3 Defense is going to stay close to the basket and guard only areas where the offense can score. How much of the court does a defense want to defend? The 1-3-1 can pressure a lot of the court while the “I”-3 defense wants to reduce the covered area as much as possible. When a defense is behind and needs the ball then it must do something on defense to get the ball back. This is going to make the defense have to extend. The 1-3-1 defense can do it while the “I”-3 cannot.
Advantages of “I”-3 Defense over the 1-3-1 Trapping Zone Defense
1) More Focus on Best Offensive Players
The “I”-3 Defense is going to be guarding the best 3 offensive players in a man-to-man defense while the other 2 defenders are playing in a stack zone formation. This gives the defense the ability to trap the 3 best offensive players using the man defender and 1 of the zone defenders.
By trapping the best players, the 2 offensive players not being guarded man-to-man will be left alone and open. So, the defense is focusing all of their attention on 3 offensive players and leaving the other 2 players completely free to move and do what they want.
The hope with the “I”-3 Defense is to slow down or stop the 3 best players from scoring. If the 3 best players are not scoring, then somebody else on the offense must try to score. And those players are going to be the 4th or 5th option for the offense. If the two worst offensive players are the players shooting the majority of the shots, then the defense has a good chance at preventing the offense from scoring a bunch of points.
The 1-3-1 trapping defense does not adjust to the individual players on the offense. This means the best player can move into spots where they are more likely to get favorable options to score.
The “I”-3 Defense is trying to dictate who gets to shoot the offensive shots. The 1-3-1 trap expects the pressure of the trapping to prevent the offense from getting the best shots. This means the best offensive player might be shooting the majority of the shots but from unfavorable positions.
2) Can Cause Confusion
The “I”-3 Defense is rarely used or seen. This can cause problems for opponents because most coaches do not recognize what the defense is doing. If the coach does not recognize the defense, then the offense may not be running sets to correctly attack the defense.
The “I”-3 also has half the defense playing man while half play zone. So, does the offense run a man offense or a zone offense? Does the two worst players shoot more shots because they are open and unguarded? Does the offense have a play to attack the open spots on the floor of the defense?
The unfamiliarity of the “I”-3 Defense gives it the ability to cause major confusion for the offense. If the offense is unsure on how to attack the defense, then how long does it take them to figure out a way to attack and be successful? If there is enough confusion, then the offense may take too long to figure out what to do. If enough time passes without a good solution, then the defense may be able to shorten the game and give them a chance to pull off an upset.
The “I”-3 Defense is attacking the mental aspect of the game as much as the physical. The offense needs to recognize the defense and then figure out how to attack it. And since the “I”-3 is not used very often, the offense will be doing all of this during the course of the game. Quick adjusts are necessary but not all teams have the ability to execute them.
3) Forces Non-Offensive Players to Contribute
The key to beating the “I”-3 Defense is getting the 2 players not being guarded man to make shots and score points. Since they are not being guarded man, they will be able to go where they want to on the floor. They will always be open so they will have as many catch and shoot opportunities as they want. If one of these two players are able to make shots, then the “I”-3 will start to look more like a man-to-man defense because the defense will have to start guarding the player making shots. This changes the defense from the “I”-3 to a straight man.
That is if the two non-guarded players shoot and make shots. If they do not shoot the ball or do not make their shots, then the defense can continue to not guard them. And since they are the 4th and 5th scoring options, they may not be used to shooting the ball and trying to score points. The “I”-3 defense is forcing the offense to use their weaknesses to beat the defense.
The two non-guarded players must be involved for the offense to work against the “I”-3 defense. The other 3 guarded players will likely be double teamed and trapped the majority of the time. This puts all of the pressure on the 2 non-guarded players. They will need to be heavily involved in the offense.
Which is Better? The 1-3-1 Trapping Zone or the “I”-3 Defense
The 1-3-1 trapping defense is better. It is plain and simple. This was an easy choice. The “I”-3 Defense is a very selective defense that is rarely used because it is rarely able to be used. And the “I”-3 defense is usually the “Hail Mary” longshot defense to try and close a major disadvantage by the defensive team. The defensive team is not able to beat the offensive team without doing something completely out of the box. That is where the “I”-3 defense can be useful.
The 1-3-1 trapping defense is a better use of practice time. It is able to be used in any game against any opponent. It can be a primary or secondary defense. It can be extended up into a press. There is a major reason why the 1-3-1 defense is seen every year being used as a defense. When ran correctly it can be a hard defense to play against.
As a coach, sometimes over thinking is the biggest problem to success. The “I”-3 defense is the over-thinking coach’s defense. The 1-3-1 trap is the simple easy choice against the “I”-3. Let us keep things simple here.
