QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Friday, 13 April 2007

STRUCTURES AND STRATEGIES

This sections has been created to help you to understand how to go about answering your Higher & Intermediate 2 exam questions.

Q. Describe in detail a structure or strategy

In the activity of Basketball I used the strategy of a Fast Break. Our teacher had us use the fast break as our primary offence. Every time our team got the ball we were to immediately look for opportunity to Fast Break. This is a good way to attack your opponents, especially if they are very slow at getting back to defensive positions. It meant that we would be able to get into a much better attacking/shooting position.

Each time we went from defence to offence, especially after our opponents had just scored a basket, the #5-player, our tallest player, was to get the ball and either (a) inbound it from behind the end-line, or (b) Play the Outlet Pass

The #1-player, the Point Guard, was to move quickly out to the side of the court on the wing to look for a pass from the Centre. He would indicate he wanted the pass by shouting "Ball" and then move forward to receive it.

On recieving the pass he would then 'drive' down the middle lane of the court.

If the #1-player cannot receive the outlet pass, this is made to the #4-player who should come back to the restricted area to provide support and cover for this eventuality. They would receive the initial outlet pass and then pass for the fast break attack to commence.

At the same time as the Point Guard went down the central lane, the #2 and #3 players, the Small Forward and the Shooting Guard, were also to sprint forward into the opposite lanes down the wings of the court. They were to be ahead of the PG if they could. This meant they would be available for a pass if any opponent got back before the PG could get in a shooting opportunity. This was our secondary Fast Break

The PG was to drive to the open basket shooting with lay-up.

The two big players, our #4 and #5 - Power Forward and Centre, were to follow up the court into their respective positions in case the team had to move into another strategy, for example a Horseshoe Offence, if the primary and secondary Fast Breaks had broken down.

Briefly describe two strengths and two weaknesses that affect your performance of this S.S.

I have strengths and weaknesses in playing the Fast Break. My role as the 5-player (Centre)puts me in a position under the basket when my team are defending. This is ideal for someone of my height and strength. I am very aware and good at rebounding the ball from shots that come in off the backboard and when I land I do so in a great open stanced position to get the outlet pass off to the 1-player (Point Guard) who starts our fast break. This is ideal because it gets the ball out from our court rapidly into the opponents court and sets up our teams primary attacking move. Another strength is that I get up the court to the opponents basket swiftly after the outlet pass. This keeps our running game moving as a team. This can mean us losing possession or not having an effectiveattacking option.

My weaknesses lie in that if the long outlet pass is not on and I find the 1-player guarded by an opponent I am relatively slow at finding our 4-player (Power Forward) who has come back onto the Foul-line to help provide cover and/or receive the outlet pass from me. I usually forget that they are there to help provide a secondary outlet pass for the Point Guard, who is to lose his opponent, run onto the pass and begin a fast break from there. My other weakness is that although I am fast at running up court I invariably go to the wrong side or position if we are having to move into our secondary offence of either a motion play or Horse-shoe attack. Because I end up on the wrong side I knock the balance of the team out or cause confusion, especially if I find there is already a player attacking within the fast break option. I am then not in my correct position to fill my attacking role.

What did you do to address your weakness?

The first thing I did was to discuss the situation with my coach/teacher to help me find ways of improving.