Where Does The Ball Go?

If you are a high school basketball coach and your team would make 35% of their threes and 50% of their twos, you would be thrilled most games. Now look at this another way. This means you miss 65% of your three point attempts and 50% of your two point attempts. Let's say you take 20 three attempts and 50 two point attempts. Based on the percentages I suggested, it means you have missed 38 shots. Many, many game outcomes are

determined by what happens with those 38 missed shots. A little payed attention to stat is how many points are scored off offensive rebounds? It's kind of like not paying attention to how many points are scored off your turnovers. It's almost like they are hidden points that don't count. But of

course they really do count!!

"I wonder who's on offense & who's on defense?"

If you are going to miss shots on offense and if you are going to defend well enough to influence misses on defense, you had better do a good job securing offensive and defensive rebounds.

Consider the following information. A research group called KenPom tracked 1,164 three point attempts made over a span of 50 teams during NCAA men's basketball games. The results for you stat happy people were

the following:

Shot Location Same Side Center Opposite Side

Baseline 33% 19% 48%

Elbow Extended 38% 17% 44%

Upper Wing 32% 30% 38%

(*This information taken from an article entitled "The Benefits of Developing a Rebounding System")

This may be a relatively small sample size but it does reinforce the idea that most shots missed go to the opposite side of the basket. Rebounding is difficult to develop a system for because of course rebounds are so unpredictable. You, as a coach, want to emphasize a "system" or style of play that will increase the likelihood of your team gaining possession of more rebounds.

Some questions you should consider before you attempt to install your own rebounding system:

1. How many offensive rebounders are you going to send to the offensive

board? 5. 4. 3. 2. or 1

2. What defensive technique(s) are you going to teach .... "hit & hold". hit &

git or combination of both?

3. What defense are you in? Are you going to attempt to form a rebounding

triangle when the shot goes up?

(May be easier to form a triangle when playing zone than when playing

man.). On offense are you going to get 1 or more players to the opposite

side of the shot?

4. How are you going to teach rebounding? a) drills. b) 3 on 3, 4 on 4, & 5 on 5

live situations. c) combination of drills and live action

Some random thoughts on developing a system:

A) Especially when facing zone defenses, try to get two offensive rebounders

vs one defensive rebounder

B) Coach Don Meyer had a great system for assigning responsibilities to his

team going from offense to defense .... He always sent three players to the

offensive board. They were called "tailbacks." Once the opponent

secured the rebound or the offense scored. Those three rebounders job

was to GET THEIR TAILS BACK! When a shot was taken, he also had one

player assigned to be the "fullback." This was the person assigned to

protect the defensive board during transition. He also had a third

assignment and this person was called the "halfback". His responsibility

was to cover the area from the top of the key to the center court area

before full recovery.

C) Most coaches send at least three players to the offensive board. If you

face a really good offensive transition team, you may want to send only

two players to the board.

D) You need to develop offensive rebounding techniques as well as

defensive rebounding techniques.

E) If you view video after games, you may be surprised (and disappointed)

to see the lack of effort/response players make to gaining an offensive

rebound.

F) Teach players to tip the rebound if they can's secure it especially on the

offensive end of the floor.

G) Be flexible in assigning roles and responsibilities. If you have a gifted

lead guard, do you allow him to rebound on the offensive end or do you

always send him back?

H) I head Rick Majerus say at a clinic one time the most difficult thing to

change is a player's personality. The best high school rebounder I ever

coaches had one exceptional trait and I can take absolutely NO

credit for it ..... HE WAS RELENTLESS. He never seemed to accept being

blocked out. He never seemed to give up on a missed shot. At least in my

experience, they are rare individuals!!

I) I know, if you are a high school basketball coach, you often lack the

human resources you need to adequately evaluate a game. If you can

figure out a way to get some help, have someone watch your game tape

and track the number of times your players "pursue" rebounds. My guess

is you may be shocked at how seldom some of your players move

towards possible rebounding area.