1-2-2 slider
 | 1 The 1-2-2 slider zone can pressure the ball outside, and be effective against good outside shooting. All five defenders cover the perimeter. Slider (superman) X1 plays between the ball and the basket. He is the best perimeter defender, and should be tall enough to cover the low post. X1 must get the ball out of the middle (force weak-hand), as the high post is vulnerable when the ball is out top. Because most offences are right-handed, X2 is usually the second-best perimeter defender, and X4 will have to cover perimeter players (the corner) more often than X5, who should be the better rebounder and inside/high-post defender. See Tubby Smith 3-2, Jack Bennett 3-2, Pistons 1-2-2 match-up. |
 | 2 One defender pressures the ball, the other four protect the paint. Other keys (see Pistons match-up): - deny dribble and pass penetration, but not non-penetrating passes - give help but contest every shot, no layups, no second shots - call the cutters, force them behind - with an attacker in your area of the zone, triangle ball-you-man (the farther the attacker is from the ball, the flatter your triangle) - help position is butt to the baseline - if there is no attacker in your area, protect the basket or look to help (or bump) a teammate - front or 3/4 low and high post attackers - hands up, thumbs outside your ears. X2 takes the ball on the wing, forcing baseline, the other defenders triangle attackers in their areas. X1 drops to the ballside elbow area, X4 covers the low post, does not deny a pass to the corner. Jack Bennett - X3 and X5 have a foot in the lane with vision, X1 is parallel to the ball. |
 | 3 With the ball in the corner, X4 closes out and takes away baseline (Tubby Smith), X1 drops down to cover the low post, X5 covers weakside low. X2 covers the ballside high post, he does not deny a pass out of the corner. X5 covers the ballside low post temporarily if X1 is unable to get in position quickly enough. X4 will close out up to about the level of the dots. If in doubt, he may stunt, and recover when X2 closes out. The wings take any skip pass (including a skip pass from the top, see Tubby Smith). If 5 skip passes to 1, X1 can't get there in time, so X2 closes out, and X1 takes his place, or see Jack Bennett and Tubby Smith (X3 takes 1 until bumped by X1, or they may have to switch). With a conventional 1-2-2, X5 covers the low post, X1 the elbow, and X3 drops down for weakside rebounding. X5 and X4 are on a string. |
 | 4 Trapping the corner Optionally trap the corner with the ballside wing. X1 covers the low post, X3 the elbow, and X5 protects weakside. (More aggressively, X3 could deny a pass out to the ballside wing, and X5 cover the elbow, see Hubie Brown 2-2-1.) On a pass out of the trap to 2, X3 closes out, and will switch positions with X2 in the zone. On a pass to 1, X3 closes out and switches with X1. Situational trapping - trap only the defensive left corner, where an attacker would have to dribble out with his left hand (Flip Saunders - after the first trap opposing coaches may tell their players to keep the ball out of both corners) - trap the defensive right corner with bigger defenders X5 and X3 - trap a shooter (Seth Greenberg 1-3-1). Tubby Smith - When the ball goes below the wing, it's a great time to trap. X3 would still be responsible for the elbow but looks to steal a pass back out. |
 | 5 High post By default, cover the high post with X2 and X3 when the ball is out front, similar to a 2-3 zone. It's 4 on 3 at the top, but would be 4 on 2 against a 2-3. X5 has no one in his area, but will close out on pass to 4, and X1 will dig or trap with X5. basketcoach.com - if 1 passes to 4, low X5 comes up to trap with X1. Variation - X5 moves up behind 4, but not too close, 3-4 feet away, closes out on a catch (see Paul Hewitt point zone). Also see Lute Olson 1-1-3 and Syracuse 2-3. |
 | 6 Once the ball is passed to a wing, X1 drops down to the ballside elbow area and covers the high post. |
 | 7 On a pass back to the point, X2 covers the high post, which leaves X3 to defend 3 on ball reversal (see Syracuse 2-3 zone). Variations - weakside wing X3 takes the high post (coachesclipboard.net) - X1 stays with the high post, X2 takes the ball (St. Joseph 1-2-2). Tubby Smith - X2 would stay with 2 if he dribbles to the corner, and if he dribbles out (X4 is covering an attacker). |
 | 8 Another option with the ball out top is to cover a high post with the back defender who does not have an attacker in his area, here X4. If 1 passes to 5, trap with X1 and X4 (or X1 digs). On a pass to 2, X2 closes out, X1 drops down to cover the high post, X4 recovers to the ballside low post. If 5 and 4 x-cut, X4 has 5 and X1 has 4 at the high post. Tubby Smith - If there is a flash to the high post, the low defender on that side comes up too, there is nobody behind him, he has to find somebody to guard, it becomes a 1-3-1. X2 sinks back to see 2 and guard him on a backcut. X1 would pinch on a pass to the high post. Also see the Pistons match-up (if the offence uses a 1-4 set, bring up both low defenders). |
 | 9 Variation - X5 goes with 4 on an x-cut. X1 is the "jam" guy, open to the ball with his left hand in the passing lane to 4 and his left leg on top of 4's right leg, but he can't get pinned by 4 on a skip pass (Pistons match-up, also see Paul Hewitt point zone). X3 triangles 3. |
 | 10 Overload Against a ballside overload, X4 covers low-post 5, but also has to close-out on a pass to 4 in the corner. X4 has to be in front or play outside 5. Tubby Smith - X4 plays outside low-post 5, staying away from him, butt to the baseline, guarding 5 with his inside hand. X1 bumps X2 down. X5 has no attacker in his area. One option is that he stays for weakside rebounding and will help X1 with 5 as needed on a pass to 4. The other option is that X5 moves over to take 5, bumping X4 to 4 (shown). In the Pistons match-up, X4 would take 4 and X5 take 5. Also see the Paul Hewitt point zone. Jack Bennett - X4 dead fronts or 3/4's a low post. On a pass into the low post from the wing there is a natural double team by X1 and X4 [except if X4 is fronting, then trap with X5]. |
 | 11 If 3 moves down to the weakside corner, X2 has no attacker in his area and drops to triangle 3. See the Pistons match-up. |
 | 12 X4 closes out on a pass to the corner. X1 has low-post 5, usually 3/4 from the top, but optionally fronts, or plays behind a non-shooter. Tubby Smith - On a pass to the corner, X4 can't go out until the ball is in the air, X1 anticipates having to move down. If 5 seals him, X4 will release and go under, don't fight over top, X1 is coming down the high side. X4 closes out baseline side, giving X1 time to get down. On a shot, at a minimum the defence wants to create a rebounding triangle with three defenders to control the boards, making contact and creating a buffer. X1 will box out 5, but if X5 needs to help out (X1 is fronting), weakside X3 slides down to cover weakside low. Optionally the weakside wing always covers weakside low, or helps on 5. |
 | 13 2-3 attacking set (three deep) 1 passes to 2 and cuts to the ballside corner. |
 | 14 X1 has no one out top or at the high post, he slides down, and can bump X4 to 1. X1 stays low if the attacking team plays with two low posts and a baseline runner. See Tubby Smith. |
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