1 3 1 basketball offense is a popular high school and middle school play that provides good spacing with an excellent low post and good high post presence which helps players find scoring opportunities CLOSE TO THE HOOP.
1 3 1 basketball offense is effective against 2-3 zone defense because this offense creates a triangle on the WING, which FORCES the lower zone defensive player to guard the wing.
As the name suggests:
1 player stays on top of the 3 points line.
3 players stay in the middle across the free throw line and
1 player stays on the low post.
The player on top of 3 point line is responsible for SETTING UP THE PLAY and his/her responsibility is to decide which side of the floor to start the initial attack.
In a 1-3-1 basketball offense, a couple of wing players are expected to be good scorers because they allow their team to get buckets by ATTACKING THE PAINT and scoring from the perimeter.
The middle player across the free throw line is expected to be good at reading the defense and is often among the tallest player on the team, which allows them to help the team by MAKING A PASS and also take advantage of SCORING OPPORTUNITIES for themselves. They also have a crucial role in helping set screens, especially for wing players.
A player on the low post is often a good finisher at the paint; however, most importantly that their crucial role in the 1 3 1 offense is to help their team by KEEP MOVING ON THE BASELINE to create space by reading the defense and making passes for his/her team mates.
Effectiveness Of 1-3-1 Offense On 2-3 Zone Defense
1-3-1 offense if particularly effective to break down the 2-3 zone defense. This video gives perfect examples to explain the effectiveness of the 1-3-1 offense on 2-3 zone defense.
Effectiveness Of 1-3-1 Offense On Man To Man Defense
1-3-1 offense is the most effective for 2-3 zone defense; however, it could take players some time to take full advantage of running a 1-3-1 offense whilst on man-to-man defense as it could take a longer time for players to run this offense efficiently whilst the defenders are guarding man to man.
This couple of videos gives good examples of running a 1-3-1 offense whilst defenders are guarding man to man.
Phew, remembering where you should be on the floor and what you need to do is doing each time you are on the floor whilst running 1-3-1 can take a while to master, even for a seasonal hooper.
Whilst the videos above give you guidelines, your coach may have a particular way to run a 1-3-1 offense and THEIR FAVOURITE go-to plays!
Like any basketball play, learning a 1-3-1 offense can take some time and lots of practice, so keep working on your game.
This is a good example of a 1-3-1 offense in full-speed run by Florida Gulf Coast University.
