What is Man Defense?
Man-to-Man or just Man Defense is when every player on defense is guarding a player on offense. Each player has an offensive player they are responsible for guarding and defending.
Man defense can be aggressive in trying to get out into passing lanes and make it hard for the offense to pass the ball. It can also be passive where each defender is playing off their man and standing in driving lanes. It is very versatile in how it can be played. It is the most used defense at the college and professional levels.
Man defense has 3 different concepts to learn to effectively run a man defense. These are
- On the Ball
- Denial-One Pass Away
- Help Side
Each player must learn all three positions for man defense to work.
What is a 1-3-1 Half-Court Trap 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 spring 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.
Best Team Personnel for Man Defense
I am a bit of a stubborn coach. My players know that we are going to play man to man defense most of the time. I do not think there is a certain personnel a team needs to have in order to play man-to-man defense. As long as the defense can match up and guard the offense then a team can run man-to-man defense.
For me, this means sometimes my center was guarding the other team’s point guard. The point guard was not going to score so it did not matter how well the center could guard the point guard. I will be creative in my matchups to give our defense the best possible chance of defending the offense.
In a perfect world, the defensive players will be the same height or taller than the offensive players. The defensive players will have a speed and quickness advantage over the offense. And the one trait that can separate a good defensive player from a great player is quick hands. A defender with quick hands will get steals or deflections at a much higher rate than a defender with slow hands.
The last two things a good man-to-man defense will have is good positioning which can be taught and good instincts which cannot be taught. Good positioning is the players being in the right spots at the right time. Good positioning can be drilled in practice, so the players know exactly where to be at all times on defense.
Good instincts are when a player knows where and when to take an extra step so they can get a deflection or steal. This cannot be taught. Players will either have good instincts or they won’t. And if they don’t then they will never get them. Good instincts are just something each player naturally has.
Best Team Personnel of 1-3-1 Trap
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 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.
When to use Man Defense
Man-to-man Defense can be used at any and all times. I have gone an entire season coaching having used nothing but man-to-man except for 1 possession. That 1 possession of zone ended with the opponent making a 3-pointer. That was the end of zone defense for that season. Man defense can be passive or aggressive. It can help guard against dribble drives by being passive. It can try and make passing for the offense hard by being aggressive in the passing lanes. Defenses can decide how they want to guard ball screens. So, there are no situations where man defense is unable to be used.
However, it is more about when not to use man-to-man defense rather than knowing when to use it. If the five defenders are unable to guard the 5 offensive players, then man defense might not be the best defense to use. Knowing when to change is really about determining if each defender can guard their matchup one on one. If the defense cannot guard the offense one-on-one, then the defense will constantly be rotating to help. If the defense is rotating to help, then the offense can attack and pass and get wide open shots on offense. When this happens, the defense needs to change matchups or switch to a zone defense.
When to use 1-3-1 Trap
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 thing 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, 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.
Advantages of Man Defense over 1-3-1 Trap
- Less Risk
There is less risk involved in running a man-to-man defense rather than a 1-3-1 trap. The 1-3-1 trap can cause turnovers and easy runouts but if the traps are not disrupting the offense, then the offense is going to get easy shots because of the trapping. Once the ball is passed out of the trap, the offense has a 4 on 3 advantage afterwards.
A man defense has far less risk because the offense should not have a serious advantage on the defense at any time. The defense can still be aggressive trying to disrupt the offense but not commit 2 players to one offensive player. There are times when a team needs to be risky but there are far more times where there is no need for a bunch of risky play. A man defense can change from passive to aggressive and increase their risky play, but a 1-3-1 trap is never going to become passive and less risky.
2) Can Change Tempo in a Game
The ability of a team to change the tempo of a game gives them a significant advantage in winning the game. The ability to speed the game up and slow the game down can cause issues for the opponent. Man defense can be passive and slow the game down. Or it can be aggressive and speed the game up. The defense can adjust each possession to help dictate the tempo of the game in a pace the defense wants to play.
The 1-3-1 trap is an ultra-aggressive defense that can only be played at a very high tempo. This is fine until there is a situation in a game when the high tempo is not needed. In a scenario where the defense is up by two possessions or less, 6 points or fewer, the defense might not want to be super aggressive and possibly give up an easy basket. In a 1-3-1 trap defense this is not possible. The defense is going to play fast no matter the situation.
The ability to control tempo is one of those chess matches between teams and coaches that most people do not realize is happening. The ability to make a team play outside of their preferred tempo can cause many issues for that opponent. The ability to change tempos can also give a team the ability to confuse the opponent. In that confusion or tempo adjustment some teams are bad about having turnovers before adjusting. This type of chess match is not available with the 1-3-1 trap.
3) Should not Give Up Open Shots
A man-to-man defense when done correctly should not be giving open shots to the offense. Every defender should be close to their man so there is no real separation giving the offense open shots.
In 1-3-1 trap defense, there are going to be two defenders trapping one offensive player. This leaves 3 defenders trying to guard 4 offensive players if the trap does not work. In most trapping defenses, if the offense can make at least two passes after the trap, then the offense will get an open shot. Most trapping defenses will rotate to the first pass out of the zone. If they do not rotate, then the offense could have an open shot with the first pass after the trap. If the defense rotates, then the 2nd pass will normally be to the offensive player left open, therefore giving the offensive player on this 2nd pass a wide-open shot.
A man defense is not going to put itself in a spot where an offensive player is just left open. If an offensive player is left open, then either the defender just lost them or a defender had to rotate because another defender got beat. Both of those cases are the defense not playing well. Those are fixable mistakes. Once those mistakes are fixed, then the offense does not get those open shots anymore.
Advantages of 1-3-1 Trap over Man Defense
- More Pressure and Aggression
There may not be a more aggressive half-court defense than a 1-3-1 trap. It is designed to put a bunch of pressure on the offense. The hope is the 1-3-1 trap will speed up the offense forcing them into bad decisions and turnovers. If a team wants constant pressure and chaos played at a very high pace, then the 1-3-1 trap is probably the best half-court defense to use. If the game play is to play at such a fast pace the opponent will eventually wear down, then the 1-3-1 trap is going to work.
The advantage of man defense to the 1-3-1 trap is it is less risky to play. The 1-3-1 is a high-risk, high reward defense. As a coach, the 1-3-1 should create turnovers and some easy runouts, but on the other hand the offense is going to score some easy baskets when the defense does not work like it should. The entire point of the 1-3-1 trap is to make the offense uncomfortable. If the offense is not affected by the trapping, then it is time to switch the defense.
2) Forces the Game Tempo
The 1-3-1 trap will force the game to be played at a very high pace. The defense will be chasing looking for the trap. The offense will be trying to stay ahead of the trap and passing the ball before the ball gets there. There will be no time for the offense or defense to stop. As soon as a player on either team stops, the opposing team should get some type of advantage on that possession.
The high tempo pace can be effective until it does not work because the opponent is very good, and the trapping pressure does not affect them, or the other team can play faster. If a team is based straight on the ability to play fast and make the opponent play fast, then at some point there will be a team that is better at playing at that pace and the team has nothing else to go too.
The ability to keep a game at a certain pace can affect the game greatly. Princeton and the Princeton Offense is an example of this. Princeton would slow the game down to a snail’s pace and get backdoor layups over and over again. They would get the game played slower. On the other end of the spectrum of making teams play faster that are not used to it. The NCAA gives two great examples with the two 16-seeded teams that have won in the tournament. UMBC beating Virginia and St. Peters beating Purdue. Virginia and Purdue both liked to play slower half-court games. UMBC and St. Peters were able to speed the game up and this tempo helped them to pull the upsets. Tempo can play a major factor in who wins and loses a game and 1-3-1 trap can make sure the game is played at a certain tempo.
3) Can Create Easy Runouts off Turnovers
The 1-3-1 trap is looking at creating turnovers. Turnovers should turn into quick transitions. These transitions can lead to the defense getting an easy runout layup. Runouts are game changers. If a team lets their opponent score without having to play against a defense, then it is going to be hard to win that game. I call them live ball turnovers because the play never stops. That is a focal point of any team that I coach because it is easy points for the opponent. Likewise, if you can get live ball turnovers, then it is going to help you win that game.
The 1-3-1 trap can create a bunch of live ball turnovers which lead to easy layups. It is also a morale killer when a team has a bunch of turnovers. Most high school players and younger are not the most mentally tough people. If a player or team is having a bunch of turnovers in a game, then at some point the players are going to realize this and it can lead to the team and players giving up. They quit playing as hard. Once this happens, the game is pretty much over. Not only can turnovers help but the mental hurdle turnovers can cause can also help the defensive team win the game.
Which is Better? Man Defense or 1-3-1 Trap?
As a primary defense, man defense is better. It can be used in all situations. Man defense can be used to play fast or slow. It can be used when a team is ahead or behind. It can be passive or aggressive. It is very versatile in how each coach chooses to run a man defense. The ability of a man defense to morph each game geared exactly toward each and every opponent is unlike any other defense.
The problem with a good man-to-man defense is that it takes time for the players to learn how to play a good man defense. Zones are easier and quicker to learn and execute. That is why some coaches prefer zone or turn to zone because man defense is going to struggle at times. Once players go through those struggles, they should be better defensively. That is a process that some coaches and players do not have the patience for.
The 1-3-1 trap is not overall better than a man defense. However, there are times where a switch up from a man defense to the 1-3-1 zone would be a good thing. If the tempo of the game is slower then what a team wants to play or a team is behind late and needs to create some turnovers and quick points, then a 1-3-1 trap would b preferred. There are things a 1-3-1 trapping zone can do that a man defense just cannot do as well.
Overall, the man defense is better across the board. However, the 1-3-1 trap is a nice secondary defense to keep and use in some situations. It would be a good idea for a coach and team to learn both defenses. The man defense would be a much better choice as a primary defense to use the majority of the time. And then use the 1-3-1 trap in certain situations for a great change of pace defense.
