You can never have enough basketball rebounding, so that’s why we’ve focused on it yesterday and today. If you missed the article yesterday it was all about the proper positioning for rebounding when a shot goes up. Today the focus is on boxing out and let’s start it all off with another quote from the great rebounder Dennis Rodman:
“The one thing I do that nobody else does is jump three and four times for one rebound.”
Wherever you are on the court, boxing out is important. By boxing out you’re making these things happen:
1. The player you are guarding can’t get an offensive rebound and therefore can’t give his team an extra possession.
2. If there are some weird tips or the ball takes some strange bounces you are in a much better position to get the loose ball.
3. You’re freezing the offensive player so he can’t get any closer to the basket and impact the rebound with a tip or other action.
4. By having good box out positioning, especially in the paint, you’re setting yourself up to possibly draw an over the back foul, as this might be the only way an over aggressive opponent can get the offensive rebound.
5. On the perimeter you’re setting yourself up to get an outlet pass and start the fast break. If your teammate gets the board, he can turn and see that you already have position on your man to receive a pass. There is no need to make an extra cut to create space to get a pass.
6. You know where the man you’re guarding is. By boxing him out you feel him right on your hip. So if there is a loose ball or the other team gets an offensive rebound or if your team tries to start the fast break, you don’t lose him.
– If there is a loose ball, you know where the person you are covering is, so you can prevent him from going after the loose ball or will have better positioning than him.
– Your opponent can’t sneak around for an open three pointer after an offensive rebound (which is one of the best times for a team to get open looks from deep).
– If your team has the chance to run on the fast break, your defender is either a second too late to get back on defense because you have him stuck and off balance with the box out or you know exactly where he is if you want to cut away to get on the break.
Now that you know the benefits of boxing out, let’s go over the best ways to box out and the steps it includes:
1. Locate your man and have an eye on him/her when the shot goes up.
2. Pivot so you are facing the basket, get a wide stance, put your backside into your opponent and seal him/her from getting to the basket.
3. Have solid balance so your opponent can’t push you closer to the basket.
4. Once you have your opponent sealed, be aggressive, get your hands in the air, and go after that rebound. Attack the glass, rebounding is about positioning and boxing out but it’s also about ATTITUDE and ENERGY. Charge that ball!
*Special Note for Perimeter Players*
– This pivot and seal tactic will work great close to the basket but farther away someone might be able to run by you. First try putting an arm into his/her body to stop their movement and for force them away from the basket. Then pivot and seal if they get closer to the rim.
– Don’t forget to close out! You might not be near your man, playing help side defense, so be sure to run to him after the shot goes up with a hand and pivot ready. Run fast enough to get positioning but not so fast that he can then fake and run by you.
And finally here is a boxing out drill to practice your technique and get better! (Thanks to ExpertVillage and Sean Hobson for the drill video)
If you like this post, here are some others you may enjoy (click title to read):
1. A Guide To Rebounding Part One: Proper Positioning
2. The Ten Best Ways To Help You Tryout And Make Your Basketball Team