Many times that is also how the team practices, with the preferred player having the ball most of the time.

It can accordingly be a very effective tactic if the defence is able to force a different player to have the ball.

An inbounds pass is the most common opportunity that a defensive team has to force the ball info the hands of someone other than the preferred player.

Instead of guarding the inbound passer, the defender (x4) can aggressively deny a pass to the preferred player (1). This also enables x4 to step away from the baseline to be in a better position to defend them if they do receive the ball.

In this example, x3 is in position to deny a pass to 3 in the middle of the court, but would allow a pass toward the sideline.

Teams may also have x3 step off , so that x3 is in a position to help defend any dribble if 1 does get the ball. A strong “hedge” may cause 1 to pass the ball, which achieves the defensive objective of having another player with the ball.

Another tactic is to have x3 double team 1 as soon as they receive the pass. This double team must happen quickly, so that x3 arrives as the pass is caught.

On the pass, x4 can rotate to defend x3, which allows an easy pass for 1 to make, which again achieves the defensive objective.

x3 is used to double team 1, as they come from a position that can stop 1’s dribble x4 is not in a position to stop this dribble as they are above the line of the ball.

These tactics can also be adopted in the half court context, when the team has an inbounds pass. The harder situation is to keep the ball out of the hands of the preferred player in “transition” or open play.

It can be achieved through tactics such as:

  • “double teaming” the person that has the ball and then denying the pass back to them;
  • playing a “sagging” defence, with help defenders being ready to rotate to stop any dribble penetration;
  • have whoever is being defended by the “preferred player” immediately deny them after a shot attempt.