Beating a Zone

Scrimmage/finisher

Move the ball and fill gaps to beat a zone defence.

12 min 5+ Half court · dual
TeamworkPassingU12U14
Press play
OffenseDefenseBall / cone Move Pass
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Setup

Five attackers vs a simple 2-3 or 1-3-1 zone.

Steps

  1. 1Sit in the gaps between defenders.
  2. 2Swing the ball side to side to shift the zone.
  3. 3Skip a pass to the open side.
  4. 4Attack the gap the zone leaves.

Coaching points

  • Play in the gaps, not behind defenders.
  • Move the ball faster than the zone can shift.
  • Be ready to shoot or drive the seam.

Why kids love it

Zones stump young teams — a simple gap-and-swing plan makes them solvable.

Variations

Easier

Defence stays passive to show the gaps.