PROTECT THE BASKET: Keep the offense from getting easy scoring chances at the rim.
EARN THE SHOT: Make the offense work against ball pressure and a protected paint.
ONE SHOT: Block out and rebound so the opponent does not get another attempt.
NO TRANSITION BASKETS: Get back and prevent the offense from scoring before we are organized.
NO FOULS: Defend without giving the offense free throws.
MAN DEFENSE: Each defender has an offensive player to guard. Support positioning does not erase that assignment.
On-ball defender
Ball pressure: Make the ball handler uncomfortable while staying able to contain the drive.
Keep it in front: Do not let pressure turn into a blow-by.
Closeout: Move out to guard the receiver with ball pressure.
Into the pack: Influence the drive toward the middle of the support, away from the baseline.
Off-ball defenders
Pack line: An imaginary line about three feet inside the three-point line. The four off-ball defenders stay inside it.
In the pack: Off-ball support position inside that line.
Gap: The space where an off-ball defender can support against the drive and still recover to an assignment.
One pass away: Your offensive player can receive a direct pass from the ball handler. In Pistol, be in your gap before the drive.
Early support: Be in your stance and in position before the ball handler penetrates.
Show and recover: Show gap support against the drive, then recover on a closeout when the ball comes out to your player. This is Pistol’s gap action, not X-Ray’s forward skip-pass assignment.
Too deep: Gap position that leaves too much distance to contest the reversal three.
Too high: Gap position that leaves the drive insufficiently protected.
Rebounding and transition
Block out: Take away the offensive player’s path to the rebound.
Finish the possession: Secure the rebound after forcing the miss.
Get back: Return to defense to prevent a transition basket.
Details still to define
Screen coverage: Exact ball-screen and off-ball-screen rules are not yet established here.
Post coverage: Exact fronting and lob-support rules still need definition.
Transition assignments: Who gets back and who crashes still need to be assigned for Pistol.
Communication calls: Do not borrow calls or rotations from Soldier or the Lightning defenses without Coach’s direction.