More than simple basketball plays, these continuity offenses are designed to attack the zone defenses.
Special Note: This play originally appeared in the March 2024 edition of The Coaching Clinic, a monthly publication published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. It was submitted by my dad, Jim Alfonso, back when he was a freshman boys coach (he is now recently retired after many successful years as a track coach, referee, and history/physical education...
This High/Low Zone Offense is a simple basketball continuity offense that is effective against zone defenses, particularly even-front zone defenses such as the 2-3. The movements are simple to execute and therefore allow it to be an effective offense for youth teams that come up against a zone. It is also an efficient zone offense...
Finding a zone offense that is a multi-tasker can be tough, but with our Slash and its accompanying quick hitters we have found just that. This zone offense allows us to run our transition spots (4 Out-1 In) and seamlessly get into it when we see a zone look. The best part is that it...
The following zone offense is designed to create many problems for most zones. It is convertible to meet odd front (1-2-2 and 1-3-1) zones or even front (2-3 and 2-1-2) zones. The Convertible Zone Offense is from Mike Harkins in a book titled Successful Team Techniques in Basketball. Coach Harkins coached Eastern Montana College (now...
The Lob Continuity play is designed to create multiple scoring opportunities, with the easiest of all being a lob pass for a layup or dunk. It is an effective quick hitter that can also be run as a continuity as the ball swings and reverses from side to side. The Lob Continuity play starts with...
The Zone Delay Spread Offense is an offensive set you can utilize at or near the end of game situations when you are trying to use clock and the defense is in a zone. It is not entirely a continuity offense because there isnt a set pattern to follow but it is effective against a...
The 1-4 X Zone Offense starts out in a 1-4 set as shown in the following diagram. It can really be used against any zone defense because as the offensive players move, they will be flashing and cutting to open areas in the zone. The 1-4 X Zone Offense works well as a quick hitter...
The 1-3-1 Control Game Offense is a continuity offense with a baseline roamer. This offense works equally well against man-to-man or zone defenses. A control game is much like a delay game in that you are attempting to control the tempo of the game. You can certainly achieve this tempo in a motion- or passing-style...
The 1-4 High Continuity is an effective zone offense to employ against odd-front zones such as the 1-2-2. The point guard, O1, can initiate the offense to either the right or left side. In this diagram, O1 starts by dribbling to the right. As he goes right, O4 steps out to the the 3-point line...
The Flash Middle Overload zone offense is designed to put pressure on the middle of a zone defense, especially an even-front zone such as the 2-3 zone defense. The continuity is simple; keep flashing players into the middle of the zone. O1 can initiate the offense to either wing. In this diagram, O1 starts by...