Basketball Tips & Strategies – November 2012

HoopTactics Newsletter

Rebounding (General)
Flight Time
Rebound Location
Desire and Determination
Defensive Rebounding
Shot Blocking
Offensive Rebounding

Rebounding

 You Can Over Shoot, Over Dribble, or Over Pass, but You Can Never Over Rebound!

Most coaches have a tendency to look at rebounding in terms of total rebounds, and view rebounding as a single endeavor. In fact, until 1973 rebounds were kept as a single statistic and not broken down into offense and defense. However, offensive and defensive rebounding are entirely two distinct basketball skills. Defensive rebounding relies mainly on positioning and strength while offensive rebounding requires agility and movement. Defensive rebounding also requires a total team effort while offensive rebounding is mainly an individual effort. Therefore, defensive and offensive rebounding skills and techniques must be addressed and perfected separately. However, offensive and defensive rebounding do have four things in common:

1. Assuming all shots will be missed
2. Anticipating rebound location
3. “Flight Time” effort
4. Determination

Anticipation  “Flight Time” Flight Time is the time it takes for the ball to leave a shooter’s hand until it gets to a position where it can be rebounded. This normally takes 2 to 3 seconds. What players do, or do not do, during this Flight Time period will determine their success or failure in rebounding. Flight Time is when the great players excel. Instead of watching the flight of the ball, much like a great outfielder, they assume that the shot will be missed and move into proper position for the rebound.

Rebound Location. Before you can rebound the ball, offensively or defensively, you need to know where to rebound it. Rebound location is dependent on three factors.: 1) The angle from the basket, 2) the shot distance, and 3) the shooter’s touch.
Premium HoopTactics’ Members learn more: Flight Time and Rebounding Location

Must Want the Ball. Being in the right place at the right time is not enough when it comes to rebounding. To be highly successful, players must also want, and be very determined, to get the ball. This mental aspect of rebounding is just as important as the actual physical techniques. Desire and determination is also what allows players with lesser physical abilities to out perform players with greater talent.

Defensive Rebounding

“Defense is not over until you get the rebound!”

The importance of rebounding defensively cannot be over emphasized. A rebound on defense is equivalent to a made shot on offense. A team can play tremendous defense and force a bad or rushed shot, but this defensive effort will be wasted if the offense is allowed to rebound the missed shot. For any defensive effort to be successful it must end in a turnover or defensive rebound (defensive stop).

Defensive rebounding is a coordinated team effort, and every player must realize that it is just as important to box out and prevent their opponent from getting the rebound as it is to obtain the rebound. Therefore, defensive rebounding is one of those situations in basketball where it’s not the number of times you do, but it’s the time you do not that counts. This means that the defenders block every offensive player’s path to the basket and ball on every shot during a game. This is especially true for the shooter since they know where the ball is going as soon as it leaves their hand.

Boxing Out: Do not leave boxing out up to chance. Boxing out defensively is not a single technique or endeavor. On the countary, players must possess a working knowledge of how to box out a shooter, from a ball side pass denial, from a sagged off helpside position and from a post denial position. All of which require different techniques.
Premium HoopTactics Members learn more: Defensive Rebounding Techniques

In boxing out players must develop an attitude as well as an instinct for the ball. They must play mentally strong and want the basketball. Rebound by grasping the ball with two hands. Protect ball by chining ball with elbows out. If possible, players should make a quarter turn before landing so that you can see the court without pivoting prior to making the outlet pass.

CAUTION: Avoid making a bad outlet pass or throwing the ball away after obtaining the rebound. There is nothing worse than turning the ball over on a careless outlet pass after a defensive rebound.

Premium HoopTactic Members learn more:
Common Rebounding Errors, Special Rebounding Situations (Free Throws, Last Shot, Exceptional Offensive Rebounder)

Shot Blocking. Stay down and rebound. Players should not attempt to block shots, unless they have the physical size and ability to block shots. Instead they should stay down and establish good rebounding position. If a player does have shot blocking capabilities, be sure to block the shots to themselves or a teammate. A blocked shot that goes out of bounds is of no value. Shot blocking is usually a result of a defensive error on the part of a peripheral defender. Therefore, poor defensive teams will have a tendency to have higher shot blocking numbers.

NOTE: It is much more wiser to take a charge than it is to block a shot.

Rebounding Offensively

The importance of offensive rebounding is vital to the outcome of the game. Simply stated, even if you shoot well, it is going to be very difficult to win if you get only one shot. Rather than size and strength that is required for defensive rebounding, offensive rebounding requires anticipation, determination, and hustle. Players must develop an attitude as well as an instinct for the ball. They must be aggressive and determined, and 3rd and 4th efforts should be common place to offensive rebounding.

Shot selection also plays a vital role in offensive rebounding. Not much can be done in the way of offensive rebounding when the shooter takes a bad shot. In situations where good shots are taken, a missed shot will result in a good pass to an offensive rebounder. Although, shooting percentages do reflect shot selection tendencies, it really does matter how many shots it takes on a possession as long as you score.
Premium Members learn more: Four Basic Offensive Rebounding Techniques

Second Effort Points. In order for offensive rebounding to be successful you must score. Points scored on second efforts is an important statistic. You can get all the offensive rebounds you want, but it you do not convert them to points they are of little value. Easy putback shots off missed shots not only puts points on the scoreboard, but are also very demoralizing to the opponent as well.

Premium Members learn more:

 Tips, Putbacks & Rebound Shots, Maintaining Defensive Balance, Team Offensive Rebounding Techniques.

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