Man-to-man defense, or man defense, is a type of defensive system used in team sports such as American football, association football, basketball and netball, as in which each player is assigned to defend and follow the movements of a single player on offense. Often, a player guards his counterpart (e.g. center guarding center), but a player may be assigned to guard a different position. However, the strategy is not rigid, and a player might switch assignment if needed, or leave his own assignment for a moment to double team an offensive player. The term is commonly used in both men's and women's sports. The alternative to man-to-man defense is zone defense, a system of defense in which each player guards an assigned area rather than a specified opponent.[1]
The main reasons a team would want to play man-to-man are:
Some risks and downsides of playing it:
Zone defenses were disallowed by the National Basketball Association in 1947.[3] During this period, an illegal defense violation was called when a defender was either guarding an area instead of a specific offensive player or was double teaming an offensive player away from the ball. A rule change in 2001 eventually permitted zone defense but also specified that a defender who is standing inside the key is limited to not guarding an offensive player at arm's length for no more than three seconds. If the defender violates this rule, a technical foul is assessed against his team, and the opposing team is granted one free throw and subsequent possession of the basketball. This makes it difficult for NBA teams to play zone since such defenses usually position a player in the middle of the key to stop penetration.[4]
Man-to-man defense is still the primary defensive scheme in the NBA, and some coaches use it exclusively.
When defending the ball (i.e. guarding the man with the basketball) away from the basket in basketball, players typically should use a version of the following technique: the defender stands and faces the opponent. He is positioned halfway between the ball and the basket and may be angled in one direction or another depending on the defensive scheme of that defender's team. He has his feet positioned beyond shoulder width with most of the weight distributed to the ball onto his feet. However, the defender's heels should not be off the floor as this will put him off balance. The defender's knees should be bent at roughly a ninety-degree angle with the bottom of his thighs parallel to the ground. This will place the defender's buttocks in a seated position. The defender's back should be straight with just a slight tilt forward. This will place the defender's head over the center of his body and maintain proper balance. Depending on the teachings of his coach, the defender should position his hands wide as if he were stretching his wingspan or place one hand high and one hand low. Keep at arm's length at all times. This allows the defender to be able to react quickly enough to anything that the attacker might do. It is ok to play a little farther back or even a little closer, it would just depend on how confident the player is in his abilities and the skill of the attacker. Keeping eyes on the opponent's chest is very helpful in reacting to their moves as well. It’s very easy for an offensive player to fake with their head, eyes, or body. The spot on a player that is most difficult to fake with is their chest. [5]