MEED HOOPS LAB

Defense & Rebounding

Player Skills Library
Defense wins possessions. Effort wins games.
Module 6 · Defense & Rebounding

Defense, Positioning & Rebounding

Learn how elite defenders move, communicate, rotate, and control games without scoring a single point.

Defense is a skill built through positioning, footwork, anticipation, and discipline.

Footwork Positioning Rebounding
Stance & Footwork Positioning On-Ball Defense Off-Ball Defense Team Defense Closeouts Containment Transition Defense Rebounding Communication Film & Drills
Section 1

Defensive Stance & Footwork

Great defense starts with body control, balance, and consistent footwork.

Your stance should feel like:

  • Low hips, chest up, spine neutral
  • Feet active on the balls of the feet
  • Hands active—one mirroring the ball, one disrupting vision
  • Weight balanced, not leaning forward

Footwork rules

  • Slide → don’t cross until recovering
  • Drop step when beat—not turning the hips early
  • Beat the dribbler to the spot
  • Recover by sprinting, not sliding

Film

Section 2

Defensive Positioning

Great positioning makes the offense predictable and uncomfortable.

Core positioning principles

  • Stay in gaps—not on flat lines
  • See both man and ball
  • Force weak hand or into help
  • Always maintain triangle vision

Help principles

  • Low man wins
  • Tag rollers early
  • Closeout under control
  • Recover with high hands

Film

Section 3

On-Ball Defense

Contain the ball, pressure without fouling, and dictate the dribbler’s options.

Pressure & Disruption

Make dribbling uncomfortable.

  • Active hands without lunging
  • Take space without fouling
  • Influence dribble direction
  • Disrupt rhythm at the hip

Film

Section 4

Off-Ball Defense

Intelligent defenders anticipate, deny, rotate early, and communicate constantly.

Responsibilities

  • Deny or gap depending on scouting & rules
  • Be early, not late, on help
  • Read backdoor threats
  • Closeout with control

Communication essentials

  • Call ball, help, screen, switch
  • Talk early, loud, continuous
  • Cover teammates on mistakes

Film

Section 5

Team Defense & Rotations

Great team defense is connected, disciplined, and built on rotation rules.

Section 6

Closeouts & Shot Contests

Closing out correctly is the most important defensive skill in basketball.

Section 7

Ball Containment & On-Ball Control

Containment turns scorers into passers. Control the dribble, and you control the possession.

Containment Tactics

  • Win the first two slides
  • Force to weak hand
  • Disrupt rhythm with active hands
  • Recover by sprint → slide transition

Film

Section 8

Transition Defense

Stop the ball early, match numbers, build a wall, and force tough decisions.

Transition Priorities

  • First: stop the ball
  • Second: protect the paint
  • Third: match up early
  • Sprint to build a wall

Film

Section 9

Rebounding Principles

Rebounding is a skill: contact, positioning, timing, pursuit, and toughness.

Section 10

Steals, Deflections & Controlled Disruption

Great defenders create turnovers without gambling away layups or fouling.

On-Ball Steals & Pokes

Win the ball without bailing out the offense.

  • Start with great stance: low hips, wide base, chest up.
  • Swipe at the ball on the up-bounce, not on the way down.
  • Use the inside hand to poke at the ball, outside hand to contain.
  • Never reach across the ball-handler’s body or across their chest.
  • Attack the ball after you’ve beaten the dribbler to the spot.
  • Finish the play: secure the ball or tip it to a teammate, then sprint to offense.

Teaching Cues

  • “Slide, slide, poke, recover.”
  • “Hands active, feet win the steal.” (No steals from bad feet.)
  • “One hand pressures, one hand disrupts vision.”

Film Ideas

Passing Lane Steals & Deflections

Take away easy passes without giving up back-cuts.

  • Show one hand and one foot in the passing lane.
  • Stay between your man and the ball—don’t jump behind their body.
  • Read the passer’s eyes, shoulders, and pick-up, not just the ball.
  • Jump the lane on the airtime of the pass, not before.
  • Deflections count: tip the ball, slow the offense, and force new decisions.
  • Know team rules: who can gamble, when, and from which spots.

Team Rules for Steals

  • Never leave a strong-side corner shooter to chase a steal.
  • Help-side players can jump high lobs and skip passes if rotated early.
  • Priorities: no layups → no easy threes → steals and deflections.

Film Ideas

Section 11

Rim Protection, Verticality & Shot Blocking

Teach smart contests and blocks that protect the rim without putting your team in foul trouble.

Verticality & Legal Contests

Own your space, go straight up, and make finishing uncomfortable.

  • Jump off two feet whenever possible for balance and control.
  • Hands up early: show the refs your arms before contact happens.
  • Go straight up—avoid swatting down or swinging across the shooter’s arms.
  • Chest to chest at the rim, not shoulder to hip.
  • Land under control ready to rebound; don’t fall out of bounds.

Teaching Cues

  • “Vertical, not violent.”
  • “Show early, stay high, finish the box out.”
  • “Contest first, chase block second.”

Shot Blocking & Timing

Use timing and angle, not just athleticism.

  • Block with the hand closest to the ball, not the rim.
  • Track the ball, not the shooter’s head.
  • Meet the ball on the way up or at the peak, not on the way down.
  • Come from the help side when possible—avoid fouling from behind.
  • Tip the ball to a teammate or keep it in play when you can.

Rim Protector Responsibilities

  • Be early in help: see drives coming before they happen.
  • Call out drives and rotations—be the back-line voice.
  • After the contest, immediately find and hit a body to finish the possession.

Film Ideas

Section 12

Defensive Communication

Communication ties together all five defenders. Quiet teams lose.

Communication Keys

  • Early, loud, continuous
  • Call screens, switches, cutters
  • Alert teammates of matchups
  • Direct traffic during rotations

Film