Funnel Down Defense

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for defensive system breakdowns, drill progressions, and practice plans that will help you install and master funnel down principles to transform your team's ability to protect the rim and defend ball screens. In this episode, we dive deep into one of the most effective defensive philosophies for high school basketball: funnel down defense, where perimeter defenders force ball handlers toward help and shot blockers rather than allowing penetration to weak side or baseline. This systematic approach prioritizes protecting the paint, eliminating layups, and forcing contested mid-range shots and outside jumpers—exactly the kind of shots high school players struggle to make consistently.

We break down the core principles that make funnel down defense work: aggressive ball pressure with proper angles, baseline denial on the wings, hard hedging or showing on ball screens to force middle penetration, and active help-side rotations that arrive before the drive. You'll learn specific footwork and positioning techniques for on-ball defenders, the exact positioning for help defenders in the lane, communication systems that keep everyone connected, and how to recover and closeout when the ball is reversed. We also discuss common mistakes teams make when trying to implement funnel down concepts—like passive ball pressure that allows easy middle drives, late help that results in layups, or overhelping that creates wide-open threes.

This episode provides detailed teaching progressions for installing funnel down defense: starting with individual defensive stance and angles, building to two-on-two shell situations where help concepts are introduced, progressing to full five-on-five team defense with proper rotations, and finally competing against live offense with ball screens and actions. We address how this defensive philosophy affects your big men's positioning, what kind of athletes you need to run it effectively, and adjustments you'll need to make against elite ball handlers or three-point shooting teams. Whether you're tired of giving up easy baskets in the paint or looking for a defensive identity that maximizes your shot blocker's impact, you'll gain a complete framework for building funnel down defense that protects the rim and forces opponents into low-percentage shots.

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