STRUCTURES, STRATEGIES &
COMPOSITIONS
OVERVIEW
Today and tomorrow we will…
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Identify the main content
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Create a SSC mind map
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Investigate previous questions
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Structure our response to a question
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Answer a question with our partner
SSC Mind Map
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As we progress through the SSC overview create a
mind map using the key information highlighted.
Describing a structure, strategy
of composition
Describing your role within SSC
Stop – Traffic Light
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Describing a structure, strategy of composition
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Name and describe the attacking strategy you used in basketball
Name the key players involved and explain their role and responsibilities
Identify the Personal, Physical and Skill Qualities required to play your
position
Use performance examples to explain why you were suited to a particular
position
Explain how you ensured Speed and Width in your fast break.
Describe how you decided which fast break option to use.
Key Message - Can you tell me?
Structure – Key content
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Purpose of the fast break
Players involved
Process involved including how the ball is turned over
How do you ensure both SPEED and WIDTH
Options for varying your structure strategy or composition
When each of these options should be used
Your role
Specific skill qualities, personal qualities and physical qualities
required to perform that role
Emphasise SPEED and WIDTH throughout answer
Attacking Strategy – Fast Break
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Purpose of the fast break:
To attack before the opposition have a chance to set
up their defence, creating the opportunity to score
with an unopposed lay-up. This is advantageous as
the lay-up is a shot with a high percentage success
rate.
There are two essential factors that make a fast break
successful:
Speed and Width.
Describing the fast break
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Centre wins a defensive rebound by blocking out his opponent and catching the ball at
the peak. of his jump.
Point Guard moves from his defensive position at the top of the key to the wide
channel. He does this so that the centre does not have to pass through the key.
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Centre makes outlet pass to point guard, point guard dribbles up middle lane at speed.
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Centre overlaps point guard to fill the right lane and forward fills the left lane.
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All three lanes are filled ensuring speed and width. By attacking with speed can break
up court and reach opponents key before they can get back. This ensures that which
ever player receives the ball from the point guard has an unopposed lay-up. Filling all
three lanes pulls any defenders away from the key and middle lane. Creating space for
the point guard to drive up the middle lane at speed. By pulling defenders away from
the key it creates space for players to drive into and perform an unopposed
The point guard where ever possible will look to use option 1, which is a pass to the
forward. However the option selected will be influenced by the defence. If the
defence mark or put pressure on the forward, the PG will use option 2 as the centre
will be free. Option 3, pg going alone, would normally be used when both the centre
and forward are marked. Option 4 would be used....
F
F
C
PG
PG
C
Filling the lanes…
Left
Middle
Right
Lane
Lane
Lane
Describing your role
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You must…
 Pick
a position
 Name
specific skill qualities, personal qualities and
physical qualities required to perform that role
 Use
specific areas of strategy that are important for that
position to give performance examples of why the
qualities are essential
Point Guard…
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Team leader on the court, calling out plays, and
controlling the tempo of the game.
Fast Dribble
Accurate pass
Accurate 3 point shot
Good observation / Vision skills
Forward…
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Versatile player who is taller than the PG but not as
big as the Centre.
Quite good at shooting from outside the key but very
good at driving towards the basket and Scoring layups.
Speed to move up court
Good control to receive passes while cutting to the
basket
Centre…
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The tallest and best rebounders on the team.
Main job is to block out opponents and win
rebounds and score points when close to the
basket.
Tall, good jump, timing of rebound
The best players at blocking shots on defence.
Data Gathering
General and Focused date
Stop – Traffic Light
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Data Gathering
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Why it’s important to gather data on your performance
Describe fully how you gathered both general and focussed data
Explain why the methods you used to gather data were considered
appropriate
Explain what you discovered when analysing your general performance
Explain what you discovered when analysing your fast break
Key Message - Can you tell me?
General Data Gathering
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Introduction – purpose of data gathering what did you want to
know
General Data (Strategy Analysis)
Video recorded, 3 competitive games
Used video to complete observation schedule – Strategy Analysis
Describe Strategy analysis observation schedule
Assessed both offence and defensive strategies, name 5 strategies
What did you discover
Focused Data Gathering
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Specific Data (Fast Break Observation Schedule)
Video recorded in competitive game
Describe Fast Break Observation Schedule
Assessed 12 fast breaks, true picture
Broke fast break into 5 component parts, theses were.......
Used (), (), (E), (T) also made a comment for every fast break
Making a comment helped us better understand our strengths and
weakness because it provided us with more information. For
example.......
What did you discover
Specific Data (Role Effectiveness Observation Schedule)
Each player assessed using position specific observation schedule
Observed to see if they were fulfilling their role effectively
Describe role effectiveness observation schedule.
Strengths and Weakness
Stop – Traffic Light
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Strengths and Weaknesses
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Name two strengths and two weaknesses
Explain which each factor chosen is considered important in the fast
break.
Explain how each strength affected your performance positively
Discuss how each weakness affected your performance
Explain how you adapted performance to overcome a weakness
Key Message - Can you tell me?
Previously suggested strengths & weaknesses
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Below are the possible strengths and weakness you previously
suggested.
You must select two strengths and two weaknesses
Speed
Width
Decision making
Variation
Predictable
Movement
Communication
Interceptions common
Opponent better than centre
Pressure on individual skill levels-don’t have necessary skill level
Poor outlet pass
Strengths & Weaknesses – Structure of Answer
Introduction - Set the scene.
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Weakness 1 – Speed
Explain why speed is important
Discuss how a lack of speed affected performance
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Weakness 2 – Variation
Explain why variation is important
Discuss how a lack of variation affected performance
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Strength 1 – Decision Making
Explain why decision making is important
Discuss how making good decisions affected performance
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Strength 2 – Width
Explain why width is important
Discuss how having width affected performance
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Example Strength - Width
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Explain why width is important
Width is created during the fast break by the Centre and Forward filling the
wide lanes either side of the Point Guard. Filling all three lanes not only gives
the ball carrier more passing options but gives any defenders in place more
space to cover by pulling them out of the key. The space created can now be
used by the PG to drive into themselves or by the C or F who can receive a
pass and score a lay-up as they cut in from the left or right lane.
Discuss how using width affected performance positively
During the fast break my team would regularly fill all 3 lanes. This meant that
as we moved up court we would be pulling defenders away from the middle
lane and the key. When we crossed into our opponents half the PG was in the
middle lane with the C wide on the right and the forward slightly ahead in the
wide left lane. This successfully increased the space the opposition had to
defend and ensured there was space around the key for us to drive in to. As a
result we were able to finish our attack with a lay-up which is a high percentage
shot meaning we tended to score.
Example Weakness - Speed
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Explain why speed is important
Speed is a vital element of the Fast break. Moving up the court quickly
maximising the opportunity of numerical superiority. If there are few or
no defenders this gives an excellent opportunity to shoot and score an
unopposed lay-up. Creating the opportunity for a lay-up is advantageous as
it is taken close to the basket and therefore has a high success rate.
Discuss how a lack of speed affected performance
When my team attempted to move up the court with speed we lost control
of the ball (e.g. misplaced pass) due to our low skill level. To offset this we
began moving up the court more slowly. Unfortunately this resulted in the
opposition having more time to set up their defence. With defenders now
in our way we couldn’t create space for an unopposed lay-up shot. At
times we had to resort to taking an opposed lay-up or a lower percentage
set shot this lowered the number of baskets we scored.
Developing structure, strategy or
composition
Adapting structure strategy or composition
Stop – Traffic Light
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Developing / Adapting fast break
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Describe fully the practices you used to develop your fast break and
explain how they became progressively more game like.
Describe how you adapted your fast break to overcome identified
weakness
Explain why it was important that practices became progressively more
game like
Discuss how adapting fast break ensured you attacked with speed and
width and most importantly how it allowed you attack from any lane and
overcome the issue of predictability.
Key Message - Can you tell me?
Structure of practices
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3 man weave
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2 man fast break practice
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3 man fast break practice
Fast Break option 1
Fast break option 2
Fast break option 3
 Each option
 1 passive defender
 2 passive defenders
 1 active & 1 passive defender
 2 active defenders
Continuous fast break drill
Conditioned Games
Developing Performance of fastbreak
Activity
Focus
Success
Criteria
3 Man Weave
Speed & Width
60%
1.
2.
No Lay-up
Lay-up
2 Man fastbreak
Fill 2 lanes
Rebound
60%
1.
2.
No Lay-up
Lay-up
3 Man fastbreak
(option 1)
Width & Speed
Skill Execution
60%
3 Man fastbreak
(option 2)
Width & Speed
Skill Execution
Decision Making
60%
3 Man fastbreak
(option 3)
Skill Execution
Decision Making
60%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Lay-up
Passive Defender
Active Defender
Passive & Active
2 Active
2 Active & 1
Passive
Continuous
Fast Break
Turn defence into
attack
60%
Conditioned
Games
Use fastbreak
within game
Evidence of use
in game
Adaptations
Key Content
Part One
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Part Two
3 man weave
2 man fast break practice
3 man fast break practice
Fast Break option 1
Fast break option 2
Fast break option 3
 Each option
 1 passive defender
 2 passive defenders
 1 active & 1 passive defender
 2 active defenders
Continuous fast break drill
Conditioned Games
 During or after a description of
the progressive practices
 Discuss how the variations allowed
you to score from each lane- adding
width to your attack
 Discuss how speed helped you get
quickly beyond defenders
 Discuss how your practices allowed
you to practice the movements but
also that they became progressively
more demanding on your decision
making skills and your skills within
Basketball as they became more game
like
Structure of example answer
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Name activity
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Name SSC
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Due to the speed of the fast break it’s important to make each player familiar
with his/her role in the strategy.
It is also important that the team are familiar with how to adapt and change the
strategy as the game progresses
This is important when an opposition team work to disrupt a strategy we are
using
Initially we began with a 3 man weave to ensure each player was comfortable
passing, communicating, running, filling the lanes wide and using the lay-up shot
at speed. As each of these are important for our team to perform the fast break
successfully.
From our individual physical and skill related attributes, strengths and weaknesses
we allocated positions so that each player was fulfilling the role most suited to
them.
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Our training program looked to develop our fast break from the development
stage to being able to use it in a game.
After our teacher had detailed the format of the fast break strategy which had 3
scoring options, we used unopposed practice to ensure that each player was
familiar with the movements of the 3 options, their role and the skills within that
role.
We increased the pace of this gradually as we experienced more success
This was quickly followed by using 1 passive and then 2 passive defenders to put
some pressure on us and to demonstrate what our actions did to the movement
of the defenders.
Then we used a 3 v1 practice with an active defender- who started at the top of
their key and only became active when the outlet pass was made.
We progressed this to a 3v2 practice with active defenders who came in from half
way, through the centre circle, when the outlet had been made.
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This encouraged us to use the width of the court by filling the lanes to create
space in the middle and use speed in attack to try and get beyond the defenders
before they became active. This contributed a lot to improving our decision
making skills, of which fast break to use, depending on the situation.
This level of practice was very game like and a lot of our actions were
becoming instinctive and automatic.
Before progressing to the game, we used the continuous fast break practice
which involved 3 attackers and 2 defenders at any one time but 15 people were
involved. This was very game like as it included the concept of turning defense
into attack by initiating the fast break and the defenders were instantly active.
As a drill which was very tiring, it was important for my team to maintain the
quality of the movements, including the width of our attack, even when tiring
as this would effect how easy it was to defend against us.
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The final practice was a 5v5 conditioned game where we got more points for
using the fast break.
All these practices made us familiar with roles we had to play and gradually
became more demanding so our confidences improved as we experienced
more success and the speed of our fast break increased.
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The most important area of the practices was the familiarity of the variations.
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The fast break can become very predictable.
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Our variations ensured any of the three players who undertook the fast break
could finish it by scoring.
Each of these players attacked from a different lane, ensuring we had three
different points of attack.
This ensured that even if 2 defenders got back, my team were prepared and
ready to adapt our strategy, using good decision making to score using the fast
break.
Decision Making
Stop – Traffic Light
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Decision making in basketball
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Name your position, describe your role and main responsibilities within
fast break
Identify in chronological order the decisions you had to make when your
team used the fast break. Explain the different options that were available
when you made each decision.
Discus why you selected the option you did when making decision and
what the consequences would have been had you selected a different
option.
Explain how your team decided which attacking option to use.
Key Message - Can you tell me?
What do we mean by decision making....
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The Cambridge Dictionary gives the following definition...
A choice that you make about something after thinking about several possibilities ....
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Any decision you make during the fast break has to have at least two options.
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In the case of a centre...
1st decision: Start with blocking out, anticipating and rebounding the ball and
passing
 What were his options
 Why did he choose this option
 Consequences? What would have happen if he didn’t make the correct
decision.
Decision Making - Structure
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Introduction: The importance of decision making in the fast break (example intro
given in next slides)
Key decisions within my role (decisions that you make as a PG or C or F not team decisions)
(work through decision in chronological order)
 1st decision…
 What were my options (explain each of the choices available to you)
 Why did I make this choice (explain the choice you made and why it was correct)
 Consequences? What would happen if I didn’t make the correct decision.
 2nd decision
 What were my options (explain each of the choices available to you)
 Why did I make this choice (explain the choice you made and why it was correct)
 Consequences? What would happen if I didn’t make the correct decision.
How your team decided which fast break option to use. Your 3 fast break options are 1
decision, you had 3 options to choose from.
Conclusion:
Describe why making the correct decision quickly ensured your fast
break was successful.
Example Introduction
For the ball to be moved up the court quickly and a scoring opportunity created
each player in my team has to be able to make fast instinctive decisions as
various performance demands arise. Quick decision making, particularly around
the key, speeds up our attack and limits the number of defenders who can get
into position. Incisive decision making on what FB option to play also means
that those defenders who have recovered will find it extremely difficult to
predict what is going to happen. By making quick decisions we can reduce our
opponent thinking time, limiting the chances of them taking up a good
defensive position and intercepting the ball.
Key topics
 Describing a structure, strategy or composition
 Roles and responsibilities within your SSC
 Principles of attack
 Data Gathering
 Problems/ weaknesses in your SSC
 Developing/ practicing your SSC
 Checking progress of your SSC
 Changing or adapting your SSC
 Further Development Needs