One-Pass Away Defense

One pass away refers to when you’re guarding an offensive player and there are no other offensive players between you and the ball.

When the ball is one pass away, your positioning is very important because this will determine whether you can help on the dribble drive or rotate if needed.

When one pass away:

• Be Close Enough to Help– When a player is one pass away, the defensive player should be off the player they are guarding and both “Up the Line” and “On the Line”.

Up the Line – The line we are referring to is the imaginary line between the player with the ball and the player that the defender is guarding.

The defender should be a 1/3 to 1/2 the distance up that imaginary line. This distance allows the defender to be close enough to help on dribble penetration. It also allows them to be close enough to stop the player they are defending if the ball is passed to them.

If the ball handler gets by the defender and you cannot get there in time to help, you are probably not far enough “Up the Line”.

On the Line – This refers to when the defender should have their feet or hands in the path of that imaginary line. This positioning may vary depending on whether you allow or deny the perimeter pass.

If you allow the perimeter pass, you may take a step back so you can stop penetration. If you deny it, you’ll definitely want to have a foot and hand on the imaginary line to force more turnovers.

• Be Close Enough to Stop the Player You Are Guarding – You want to be close enough to help, but you also need to be close enough to stop the player you’re guarding if the ball is passed to them. If you cannot get to your player in time to stop them, you are probably too far “Up the Line”.
• Be Ready to Move – Just like any other position on the court, you must have your knees bent and ready to move quickly.
• See Man and the Ball– You should be able to see the man you are guarding and the player with the ball at all times. This way you can see if your man moves. You can also react to help on dribble penetration if the ball handler penetrates.