Watch a game of basketball with young, beginning players and you will usually see a “scrum” of players (both offensive and defensive) following the ball:

There are a number of reasons that contribute to this, and it commonly occurs in other sports as well (e.g. soccer, hockey etc):

The offensive player with the ball is often looking down (as they are not as skillful with the ball) so may miss the opportunity to pass to an open team mate;
When young offensive players do not receive the ball they often stand still or even keep moving towards the ball;
Young players often lack the strength to pass the ball accurately more than a couple of metres, so team mates often move closer in an effort to get the ball;
Young players have not understood the importance of “moving to where the ball is going to be, not where it is”¹⁵and simply follow the ball, hoping to receive a pass.

For the reasons above, and because young players tend to dribble before they pass, on most possessions few players actually touch the ball. Hence, the defenders are often focused on trying to get the ball as that is the easiest way to gain possession on offence.

Typically, offence with young players results in offensive players moving towards the ball (and staying there). They will tend to move very close as many team mates struggle to pass the ball more than a couple of metres.

At the same time, defensive players are often all trying to get the ball, which further increases the “scrum” around the ball.

Accordingly, the first step for the coach is to get defensive players to understand the concept of defending a particular player whether or not they have the ball.

The spacing will often still be quite crowded (as the offensive players move close to the ball).

The following simple rules will help defenders understand their responsibility in defence:

You are to defend the same player all the time (no “switching”);
You are to be closer to the ball than the player you are defending; and
You must stay within 3 or 4 steps of the player you are defending.

Following is an activity that will help defenders develop their ability to defend “one player” and will also help offensive players develop their passing and movement.

The coach designates various areas where a player may catch the ball. These areas may be designated by cones, hoops or markings on the court.

The rules of the game are simple:

The offensive team score a point every time the ball is passed to a team mate in one of the designated areas;
Players cannot pass to the person that passed them the ball;
Players cannot stand in a designated area for more than 3 seconds;
The defence cannot take the ball out of the hands of a player, however they can intercept a pass;
A player can pass to the Coach at any time and this cannot be intercepted;
Play for a set time or until a team reaches a certain score.

As offensive players develop their spacing, the defenders will become less focused on the ball and more focused on defending a particular player. At this stage, defenders have no “help” responsibility and so if an offensive player can beat their opponent, they should have an open lay-up!

Wayne Gretzky is one of the best ice hockey players in the world and famously attributed much of his success to “being where the puck is going to be, not where it is”