Stupid tournament rules

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

The first year my daughter started playing basketball, probably fifth grade, after giving up dancing, the recreation league that she played in had a no zone rule, just man to man. My daughter was a pretty smart player. Whenever a teammate would get beat, she would leave her man to defend the ball handler. Officials: "Sorry, can't do that. Stay with your man".

...

She signed up for travel ball the next winter. We had enough of that nonsense.

That is nonsense. While it has been a while since I have worked a no-zone game, it was never managed that way. Teams were free to double team and help and some even played a match-up zone.

Since these rules were usually used only at a level when the player were very poor shooters beyond about 10', the point was to keep a team from packing 5 defenders deep in the paint and making the opponent shoot from outside all the time or just stand out there with the ball.

It also served to promote the better learning of individual defense.

[Brick43]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

That is nonsense. While it has been a while since I have worked a no-zone game, it was never managed that way. Teams were free to double team and help and some even played a match-up zone.

Since these rules were usually used only at a level when the player were very poor shooters beyond about 10', the point was to keep a team from packing 5 defenders deep in the paint and making the opponent shoot from outside all the time or just stand out there with the ball.

It also served to promote the better learning of individual defense.

+1
I should have read this post before I just commented. This is exactly what our youth league does. Man to man outside the 3 pt area. So no zone pressing. Double teams inside the arc and anything goes in the paint so long as you don't plant yourself there to start.

[just another ref]

Triangle and 2 is the way to go. Put your 2 biggest guys on the blocks. Put your 2 best/most active guys chasing the ball. Put your smallest/weakest player just inside the free throw line so he gets help from both sides.

[Welpe]

I hate these youth league rules about defenses and is one of the main reasons I did not work a local youth league here that pays very good money for games with running clocks. Don't want to deal with the crazy local rules or the crazy coaches.

[Texas Aggie]

The theory is that kids at the younger age don't have the range for outside shooting and a zone that packs it in is too difficult to play against.

Then both can play zone and work on their outside shooting.

These rules are stupid. Aside from not defining what is actually prohibited (I can have a team play a zone that few would recognize as a zone), it fails to teach a very important part of the game.

A defensive 3 seconds rule MIGHT be a suggestion, but I wouldn't want to get players into bad habits.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Whenever a teammate would get beat, she would leave her man to defend the ball handler. Officials: "Sorry, can't do that. Stay with your man".

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

That is nonsense. While it has been a while since I have worked a no-zone game, it was never managed that way. Teams were free to double team and help and some even played a match-up zone.

"Officials" were coaches from the previous game, or from the next game.