I hate to nitpick, but as a coach I take issue with some of what Art N says in 3. I back my team off with a huge lead and pull off the press to allow the other team to play half court. However, I teach my players to recognize trap situations and take advantage, and I never have them stop going for steals and blocks.
In rec leagues, I currently have a 6-0 team and an 0-6 team, and have been on both ends of blowouts. We have rules that restrict a team with a 15 point lead to the arc. I don't like rules that restrict half court defenses with large leads, because it teaches my weaker team bad habits. It does not allow players on defense to play with the constant pressure they will need to apply when they play at a higher level. They develop the habit of looking around to see if they can play defense.
With youth teams, they are still trying to learn the game and even though a team looks far better, they frequently are not as proficient as they look. It is very hard for young players to sustain a full game effort, a problem I have with my third team, a select team in a high level league. Let them play ball.
I do support being more strict on the team with a substantial lead, because the players that are at a higher skill level will frequently move up to more advanced levels of play where the rules are more strictly enforced. They need to develop better habits. Recreational ball is a learning environment. I teach each player at their level. Referees are just another form of instruction and feedback for players, and those that are more advanced need to be coached and refereed at that level, while being careful not to penalize them excessively for being skilled.
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