The diamond press setup uses the 1-2-1-1 format. Coaches can install the diamond press as a full court press, 3/4 press or even at the half court. The diamond press is considered a zone press so there are specific coverage areas and rules for each player. In this article, I am going to provide some helpful information to understand how the diamond press is SETUP.
I want to mention that there are numerous zone and man presses. I enjoy the diamond press and it is the one I used the most when I coached travel basketball.
When to Use the Diamond Press:
The diamond press can be a very aggressive press that should create a significant amount of pressure on the other team. Heck, even the defense may start to feel a little pressure! Consider the following if you plan to use this press:
- Any aggressive press defenses can cause your players to unintentionally foul.
- The diamond press requires each player to understand their role and work with the team.
- Coaches may need to rotate more when using the diamond press.
The Exact Setup for the Diamond Press:
This is how it looks:
The diamond press is an easy setup. As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, the diamond press is setup using the 1-2-1-1 format. This format looks like the shape of a diamond with an overhead view.
What’s up with the numbers?
Basketball zone defenses are often labeled with numbers. The numbers in the defense represent how the players are setup on the court. It simplifies the process and makes it easy to understand.
For example, the Diamond Press is also referred to as the 1 – 2 – 1 – 1. This is because the players are on the court in this manner, just like in the picture above.
1 – 2 – 1 – 1 = Diamond Zone Press
In the diamond press you have 1 defender at the top, 2 in the center and then 1 and 1 staggered behind. Just like in the photo above.
Player Selection for the Diamond Press:
The diamond press requires each player to understand their roles and responsibilities but since this is an article about how to SETUP the diamond press I am going to simply focus on where players should set up so coaches know where to put players.
Take a look at the photo below. In this picture I numbered them by basketball position number to give you a better understanding of player placement.
Keep in mind, the player positions can be changed. The key is to match the player with the assigned responsibilities. In other words, find the player best suited for the job and put that player in that position.
Setting up the Diamond Press:
Point Guard (or #1):
Placement-
This player is set up at the tip of the diamond and should be facing the inbounder.
Responsibilities-
This player is responsible for discouraging the inbounder from passing the ball into the middle of the court.
This player should be quick and know how to stunt to effectively discourage passes. Typically you want your fastest player in this spot. This player will also be used to setup traps along the sideline.
Guard or Forward (or #2/#3):
Placement-
This position is setup on the left side of the diamond.
Responsibilities-
This player should discourage passes over the head of player one.
This player will also help set up traps along the side line and can be an interceptor.
Forward and Guard (or #3/#2):
Placement-
This player sets up on the right side of the diamond.
Responsibilities-
This player should discourage passes over the head of player one.
This player will also setup traps along the sideline and can be an interceptor.
Forward (or #4):
Placement-
This player sets up at the tail end of the diamond and is opposite of player one.
Responsibilities-
This player has the best view and can communicate with the others easily.
The tail end of the diamond should help keep the ball out of the middle of the court.
This player will rotate depending on the location of the ball and will attempt to intercept passes.
Center (or #5):
Placement-
This position is set up in the other team’s court at the tail but has the flexibility to move forward to help the defense during the initial stages of execution.
Responsibilities-
This player is the safety and responsible for contesting all layups.
This player should be careful not to foul.
Placement Depends on Type of Diamond Press:
There are three main ways to run the diamond press which really impacts where players SETUP on the court. I talk about this in other articles but I want to take a few minutes to explain the various locations where to set up.
Setup for the Full Court Diamond Press:
The first player in the diamond will set up on or near the free throw line facing the inbounder.
The player on the left side of the diamond will set up on the left side of the court near just behind it.
The player on the right side will basically line up parallel with the left side.
The player in the back of the diamond will set up at the half court line.
The safety will setup on the other side of the court at the top of the three point line.
All placements should be flexible and will move with the basketball and in a matter most advantageous for the defense to work.
Setup for the ¾ Diamond press:
Setting up the ¾ diamond press is similar to the full court diamond press. Coaches may choose to move the players back slightly.
Setup for the Half Court Diamond Press:
Players should set up further back to take advantage of the traps near the half court line.
The player at the top of the diamond should set up in the backcourt just in front of the half court line.
The second and third players should set up behind the half court line and be in position to setup traps along the half court line.
The player in the back of the diamond should set up around the top of the three point line.
Conclusion:
The diamond press is set up using the 1-2-1-1 format. Coaches can install the diamond press as a full court press, 3/4 press or even at the half court. The diamond press is considered a zone press so there are specific coverage areas and rules for each player. In this article, I talked about player selection, the placement for each player and their responsibilities which are all important when setting up the diamond press.
