Transition

[tref]

I know there's no absolutes or always to what we do, but over the past 3 summers I've heard different opinions on slot to slot positioning in transition.

1. Trail the pack to have a mini T view (DI-M official I work HS games for)
2. Even with the pack to be on top of the play (HS decision makers)
3. Ahead of the pack to receive the play (NBA/DII-W supervisors)

Which do you use & why?

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by tref

Which do you use & why?

Approximately even with the second to last defender. OR, about 2/3 of the way back in the pack.

[tomegun]

#2 for me but I think only #3 has a good chance of causing you to be in a bad position.

[tref]

Thanks guys!

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Approximately even with the second to last defender. OR, about 2/3 of the way back in the pack.

Bob, why do you trail the play, do you not think the T can referee 3 players?

Originally Posted by tomegun

#2 for me but I think only #3 has a good chance of causing you to be in a bad position.

I prefer 2 over 1 but why do say 3 would cause us to be in bad position?

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by tref

Bob, why do you trail the play, do you not think the T can referee 3 players?

Who said I trail the play? I wasn't talking about a double team in the BC and the rest of the players in the FC. I was talking about a "pack" of players moving down the court

[tref]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Who said I trail the play? I wasn't talking about a double team in the BC and the rest of the players in the FC. I was talking about a "pack" of players moving down the court

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Approximately even with the second to last defender. OR, about 2/3 of the way back in the pack.

Does "back" not mean "trail" here?

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by tref

Does "back" not mean "trail" here?

I'd interpret it means 6 players ahead of you and 4 behind you. It doesn't mention where the ball is. If there are 4 players in the backcourt, I'd expect that the ball was still there too and his position seems about right. However, if the ball was thrown down court on a quick outlet, I'd expect he'd get ahead of the "pack" to help cover the 2+2 attacking the basket. No one right position for every play.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by tref

Does "back" not mean "trail" here?

Let's start over. Describe the play. Where is the ball and where are the other players? I think we're envisioning different things.

[tomegun]

Originally Posted by tref

I prefer 2 over 1 but why do say 3 would cause us to be in bad position?

In transition, the C has responsibilities that make #3 a disadvantageous position. The L receives the play, the C stays with the pack and the T is trailing the play(ers). That is a desirable balance and makes the best use of six eyes. Personally, I would try to use #2 all the time, but I could be slightly behind the pack. I just don't see a situation where I would be in front of the pack.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by tref

I know there's no absolutes or always to what we do, but over the past 3 summers I've heard different opinions on slot to slot positioning in transition.

1. Trail the pack to have a mini T view (DI-M official I work HS games for)
2. Even with the pack to be on top of the play (HS decision makers)
3. Ahead of the pack to receive the play (NBA/DII-W supervisors)

Which do you use & why?

I'm with #2.

I do hate when I'm watching games on TV and #1 is employed but instead of watching the pack the Center is looking back at the ball. See it a lot in Big 12 games.

[tref]

IKR! The new L is watching 7 players but the slot is gonna get that illegal dribble should the T miss it

At a camp I recently attended they showed us video of all 3. On film:

1. Looked slow & lazy, chasing the play down. No disrespect to anyone that practices that technique. Ideally, the T should be refereeing the one on one matchup through to the next layer.

2. Showed how clustered it can be for us & how things are missed as we are caught trying to see through players.

3. Not only showed hustle & athleticism but it follows the L principles of refereeing back, being in position to accept the play & there were more open looks through the pack.

I'm going to experiment with 2 & 3 to see which works best for me.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by tref

...
3. Not only showed hustle & athleticism but it follows the L principles of refereeing back, being in position to accept the play & there were more open looks through the pack.
...

My problem with this is how often does a C "receive a play"? The Lead does because he has plays to the basket and secondary defenders. The C is supposed to be getting angles to see between players and looking for competitive matchup.

Also, #3 is from the NBA guys for a reason. They have a 24-second shot clock and rarely any backcourt pressure to deal with. The ball gets inside the 3-point line a lot faster in the Pro game than it does in college or HS ball. So #3 doesn't really apply to the amateur game, IMO (unless you have an old school UNLV/LMU game going on).

[tref]

Makes sense BNR!

And there you have it folks, I guess its best to be versatile in the slot, sometimes this & other times that.

Thanks to all for playing!

[rockyroad]

I was taught that the C in transition should try to be in position to referee the "next pass" - or to be where he can officiate the player that will be getting that pass and the defender(s) who will be picking him up. So running down and setting up at the far end is a bad idea. Trailing the pack is a bad idea...find the happy medium. It will be different from game to game, and quite often from transition to transition within the same game. There is no "set" place to be...that's why officiating is an "art", not a "science".