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Forcing the Dribble in Basketball

Reasons for causing ball holders to dribble the ball in a particular direction:

Compare these two images. A player holding the ball while leisurely watching for open teammates, considering whether to shoot, and reading the defender’s position while contemplating a possible dribble to a scoring position or improved passing lane. A player frantically dribbling with a weak hand at full speed toward defensive helpers in a desperate attempt to escape defensive pressure. If you are defending which image would you prefer? We attempt to cause the latter for the following reasons:

1. Causing ball holders to dribble the ball in a particular direction is accomplished by having a defender crowd the ball holder sufficiently both to cause the ball holder to begin dribbling in the desired direction and to cause the ball holder to continue dribbling in the desired direction.

2. A player passively holding the ball presents the three threats of passing, shooting, and dribbling to improve passing lanes and shooting position. Causing the player to dribble in a particular direction removes most of the listed threats.

3. Most shooters practice catching and shooting rather than shooting off of the dribble.

4. Most players who practice shooting off of the dribble practice at speeds slower than the speed at which they must dribble to escape a crowding defender whose purpose is to cause the offensive player to dribble.

5. With sufficient pressure, the ball holder’s concentration will be on escaping defensive pressure rather than on looking for the team offense’s options and cutters.

6. By causing the dribbler to dribble in a particular direction the dribbler can be forced into undesirable passing lanes, undesirable shooting positions, and defensive help.

7. Defensive players are better able to accomplish a task when they have responsibility for a single permissive task (causing or permitting the ball holder to dribble in a particular direction) than when they have uncertainty about their task in the particular situation (prevent the shot, prevent a pass to a particular opponent, or prevent a dribble in a particular direction).

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