What is a Man Run and Jump Press?
A Man Run and Jump Press is a press where the defense is playing man to man defense but is looking to have one defender leave their offensive player in order to trap the ball. As the closest defender not guarding the ball leaves to trap the ball, the next 3 defenders will all rotate up towards the ball to try and steal any pass coming out of the trap.
The Man Run and Jump Press has to have all 5 defenders working together and in unison. As the trap defender rushes the ball, the other 3 defenders must move together to help cover any potential passes. All 5 defenders must be focused and attentive on what is happening and who is moving. Any defender not moving together with the other 4 defenders will give openings to the offense.
Since the defense is starting out in a man to man defense, the rotations and positions of each defender are going to change on each possession. This can make it hard for teams to run because there is a chance a slower post player will be the player guarding the ball. The post player may also be in the position of deciding when to leave to trap the ball.
The Man Run and Jump Press can be aggressive and trap as soon as the ball comes into play. Or it can have certain rules on when the 2nd defender is to leave their offensive player. The rules can change giving the press the ability to change its style making it hard for offenses to get comfortable in breaking the press.
What is a 1-2-2 Press?
The 1-2-2 Press is normally a ¾ court press with the defense in a 1-2-2 setup. One player is the point who will put the initial pressure on the ball as it comes up the floor. Two players will start around the half-court line. These two players are going to be the 2nd player to trap the ball with the point. Or they are going to be covering the middle of the floor. This will depend on the location of the ball.
The last two players will start somewhere around or above the 3-point line. These two players are going to either prevent a sideline pass or be the rim protector. The back two players should not be moving up the court for any reason. The 1-2-2 Press is really about the front 3 players getting up and trapping with having the two back players as protection.
Best Team Personnel for a Man Run and Jump Press
The best team personnel for a Man Run and Jump Press is a quicker team full of guards. The initial trap is going to have a defender needing to cover a lot of court quickly so bigger, slower post players do not work well in this type of press. The players need to be quicker and faster because the defense is going to be running and rotating a lot.
Teams that are all guards can switch easily so the run and jump style gives them an advantage. The Man Run and Jump Press is going to have defenders switching on a regular basis. Teams who are all guards can keep switching without worrying about certain defenders getting stuck guarding certain offensive players. The defenders will be able to play free and quick no matter how the rotations and switches end up affecting the defense.
The other personnel great for a Man Run and Jump Press is having one defender who is a lock down on the ball defender. When a defender is able to pressure the ball well enough, the offensive player will be so focused on the defender that they will not see the 2nd defender coming in for a trap. A great on the ball defender gives the defense more of an ability to get really good traps set in the open floor.
Best Team Personnel for a 1-2-2 Press
A team with 3 tall guards are the best personnel for the 1-2-2 Press. The back two players are going to stay back and protect the rim. The front 3 guards are tasked with trying to get traps and steals. They are having to cover a lot of floor space. The taller these front 3 players are, the more likely the press is going to work.
Speed can help with the press but size is the biggest indicator of success with the 1-2-2 Press. The 1-2-2 Press uses the advantage of having taller guards to its maximum. Teams with taller guards can struggle at times getting the most benefit of having taller players.
The 1-2-2 Press is a great press to try with taller guards because the passing lanes for the offense is always over or around the taller guards. This can make it harder on opposing guards if they are smaller because of the size difference.
When to Use a Man Run and Jump Press?
The Man Run and Jump Press is best used if a defense has a lockdown on the ball defender. A good on the ball defender is going to make the offensive dribbler worried with just their defensive pressure. When other defenders are able to leave their player and go trap the ball, the offense is really going to struggle.
The Man Run and Jump Press is also a good press with a half-court man to man defensive team. This gives the defense the ability to extend and press without losing their man-to-man principals. The defense guards’ man to man but keeps one eye on the ball looking for an opening to leave and trap the ball.
The Man Run and Jump Press also gives the defense a press that makes the transition from full court press back to half court man defense as easy as possible. A zone press can struggle transitioning from zone back into man defense when the offense breaks the press. A man press like the run and jump never has the defense in a zone setup so the defense is guarding an offensive player at all times.
When to Use a 1-2-2 Press?
The 1-2-2 Press is one of the safer presses to run because it does not extend as aggressively as other presses. The 1-2-2 Press extends and traps much like other more aggressive presses but does not leave the offense any openings on the back end if they break the press. The reward of the press is still there but the amount of risk has been reduced. It is a good press to apply pressure without leaving the defense wide open for the offense to take advantage of the aggressiveness.
The 1-2-2 Press is also a great press to use when a defense has really tall guards. The 1-2-2 Press keeps three guards up front and trapping. This will maximize the size advantage of tall guards. A 1-2-2 Press with 3 tall guards makes it very difficult for the offense to dribble through or pass around the taller guards.
Another time to use the 1-2-2 Press is when a team has multiple post players on the floor at the same time. The 1-2-2 Press leaves two players in the back of the press. These back two players do not have to rotate up and get involved in trapping during the press. This gives the defense the ability to press with a team who has multiple post players. Teams with slower post players can struggle to have a quality press, but with the 1-2-2 Press those teams have a viable pressing option.
Advantages of a Man Run and Jump Press Over a 1-2-2 Press
1)Disguises the Traps
The Man Run and Jump Press is a great press at disguising a trap. The defense is able to wait until the right moment when the offense is not able to see the trap coming. The defense can wait until the dribbler has their head turned away before the defender rushes up to trap.
Trapping when the offense is not ready or expecting it can lead to a lot of easy turnovers. The Man Run and Jump Press creates traps where the defense is able to catch the offense unaware. The offense does not realize they are in trouble until it is too late. By that time, the defense is able to get a steal or deflection and turn it into easy points.
Most presses do not disguise their traps. The 1-2-2 Press is trying to trap on the sideline at half court. Every player and coach knows this. The defense tries to get the offense to put the ball into this area while the offense is trying to keep the ball out of this area. There is no confusion about what both teams are trying to do.
Because of this, the 1-2-2 Press can not disguise what it is trying to do. It is forcing the ball to the sideline and looking to trap once it is there. If the offense gets trapped in a 1-2-2 Press, then it is their own fault. The offense has the advantage of knowing when and where the defense will trap.
The Man Run and Jump Press flips this advantage over to the defense because the defense can disguise when the traps are coming.
2) Able to Trap Anywhere at Anytime
The major advantage the Man Ran and Jump Press has over all other presses is the ability to press at any given moment. The 2nd defender can rush the ball at any point to initiate a trap. Defenses will try to time the rush to get maximum effectiveness but sometimes any rush can be good.
The defense can wait and rush when the ball handler has their head turned away. Or the defense can rush when the ball handler starts to dribble at them. A good point guard will need to be trapped with an element of surprise. While a bad point guard can panic when they see the trap coming.
Defenses can also designate a defender to always rush and trap. This defender can rush early or rush late in the possession. They can wait on a dribble to rush or they can rush on the catch.
All of this gives the defense complete freedom to do whatever they want to do. This puts the offense in a constant state of alertness because a trap could happen at any time. In most presses if the offense can keep the ball out of trapping zones, then they will be able to prevent traps from occurring. In a Man Run and Jump Press the defense can trap at any point and in any location.
The 1-2-2 Press can only trap on the sidelines. The position of the players prevents traps from occurring anywhere else on the court. If the 1-2-2 Press tries to press anywhere but the sidelines, then the defense will breakdown because the players are shifting to far out of position to get the trap.
Therefore, both the offense and defense know where and when a 1-2-2 Press will trap. The offense can stay out of those spots to keep from getting trapped.
3) Lets a Fast Team be a Fast Defense
Tempo is a huge factor in winning and losing at the high school level and below. A team that can play fast needs a defense that lets them play fast. The Man Run and Jump Press gives players the freedom to be athletic and fast while playing defense.
The Man Run and Jump Press is designed so the defenders can take off and rush the ball at any point in time. This lets fast players use their speed to their advantage and trap the ball quickly. Faster teams can overwhelm an opponent using their team speed.
Faster teams can keep trapping because they are able to recover quickly and not give up easy baskets even if a trap does not work. This can force a slower team to play at a speed and tempo that makes them uncomfortable. Uncomfortable players make mistakes. Constant trapping with a fast tempo leads to a bunch of turnovers by the offense.
The 1-2-2 Press is a passive press meaning the defenders are waiting for the offense to put themselves in a bad position. The passiveness of the 1-2-2 Press can hinder a faster team by restricting them from being able to get out and run. Faster players in the 1-2-2 Press become reactionary players instead of proactive players.
Faster players need to be proactive. They should be setting the tempo of the game and forcing the opponent to play at a higher speed. Slower players and high IQ players are able to play a reactionary style of play. They can read and react. Faster players are better when they are turned loose and can dictate the tempo. The Man Run and Jump Press gives them a proactive press whereas the 1-2-2 Press makes the defenders play in a reactionary style.
Advantages of a 1-2-2 Press Over a Man Run and Jump Press
1)Rotations are set. No Guess Work by Defenders
One of the biggest drawbacks of the Man Ran and Jump Press is the freedom the players have in being able to move within the press. While this can be an advantage by disguising and trapping at all times, it can also be a disadvantage because the players can become uncertain about when to rush the ball and trap. This can leave players 2nd guessing their decision making causing them to play slow.
The 1-2-2 Press is set in its placements and rotations. The players do not have to think about what to do. They are able to just react to what is happening and play the game. The more comfortable they are in the 1-2-2 Press, the better they will be able to play.
Basketball players need to be confident in their actions and the more confidence they have, the more pressure the defense can put on the offense. The thinking and decision-making process is not there. Each defender will be able to read and react to the offense.
2) Traps in the Best Areas of the Court
The best trapping area is on the sideline right as the offense crosses the half court line. This area uses the sideline as a barrier along with the half court line as a barrier. With the two trapping defenders, the offensive player has nowhere to go.
Most presses try to utilize this trapping zone but the 1-2-2 Press puts all of its trapping focus on these two areas of the court. The point defender is working to get the ball to the sideline, so the two wings can rush and trap when the ball crosses mid court.
The setup of the 1-2-2 Press creates the natural trapping positioning for the two best trapping areas. The 1-2-2 Press leaves space open between the point defender and the wings. Most offenses will split the point defender with two guards. These two guards are placing themselves in the right spot for the defense to trap them. Now the defense just has to wait until they cross mid court.
The Man Run and Jump Press does not wait for the perfect opportunity to trap. It is going to use speed and unpredictability to pressure the offense. The Man Run and Jump Press will not be patient enough to use the best trapping areas. It is going to rush the ball quickly and continuously to maximize its pressure. What it loses in good placement, it makes it up in its aggressiveness.
3) Creates a Size Advantage at the Point
The point defender in a 1-2-2 Press is best when it is a stretch 4. This creates an immediate size advantage by having a long 4 up front pressuring the opponent’s point guard and 2 guard. This size advantage can lead to deflections and steals. A small point guard can struggle passing the ball when they have a much larger defender in the passing lane.
A larger point defender will be able to cover more passing lanes restricting the ability of the point guard to pass the ball. Every deflection can lead to a steal. Deflections can also slow the offense down even more leading to more 10-second violations. Deflections can have a mental affect on the opposing point guard as well. Continuous deflections can frustrate the offense leading to careless passes trying to prevent deflections. These careless passes are more likely to result in turnovers.
A size advantage can be a great benefit for a defense. When an offense is smaller, they will try unusual shots and passes to get around the size disadvantage. When an offense is changing their normal play, then the defense is gaining an advantage. Size can be a big factor in changing a team’s normal style of play.
A Man Run and Jump Press relies on speed and not size. Size could be an additional benefit but the focus on the Man Run and Jump Press is the speed of the players. A defense needs to be faster to be able to rush the ball.
In my experience faster teams tend to be smaller and shorter. Smaller and shorter teams do not have a size advantage but they can have a speed advantage. The Man Run and Jump Press uses the speed advantage to help a team gain an edge over their opponent. The Man Run and Jump Press is at a size disadvantage more often but uses a speed advantage to offset the size disadvantage.
Which is Better? A Man Run and Jump Press or a 1-2-2 Press
The chaos of the Man Run and Jump Press is very hard to play against when done correctly. Teams that are not used to playing at a faster tempo will also struggle due to the increased tempo style of play. Opponents can fatigue mentally and physically against a Man Run and Jump Press during a game. A tired team makes mistakes.
All of these reasons are why I put the Man Run and Jump Press as a better press than the 1-2-2 Press. A Man Run and Jump Press is a whirlwind of speed and pressure for the entire game. Eventually opposing teams will have a breakdown giving the defense runouts and layups. Even if the Run and Jump Press does not work at first, the continued pressure can wear out an opposing team throughout the game.
The two concerning things about the Man Run and Jump Press is if the defenders can handle the freedom of play and if the defenders are fast enough to create traps in the press. The freedom makes the Run and Jump Press scary to play against but it can also lead to defenders just chasing the ball for no reason. When a defense is just chasing the ball, the offense will have openings to pass through the rushes and get easy layups.
Or if the defense is not fast enough, then they will not be able to trap on their rushes. The offense will see the trap coming and pass before the trap gets there. This makes the Run and Jump Press completely useless.
The 1-2-2 Press uses positioning and set movements to be effective. Slower teams and taller teams should use the 1-2-2 Press over the Man Run and Jump Press. Teams that have players who cannot understand when and why to rush should also use the 1-2-2 Press.
The 1-2-2 Press is simple in its movements and rotations. This allows teams that might not have a high team basketball IQ to press. The 1-2-2 Press is a good press to use at younger ages when players are just learning the game of basketball. This is a good press to begin teaching players how to press in a game.
But given a team that could run either press, the Man Run and Jump Press is the press I am going to use. It is a proactive press rather than a reactive press. I want players to be fast and aggressive. The Run and Jump Press does this in spades. The 1-2-2 Press is an effective press with certain team personnel but given the choice I am choosing the Man Run and Jump Press every time.