Pack-Line Defense

What is “The Pack-Line”?

The “Pack-Line” is an imaginary boundary one step inside the three-point arc (about 17 feet from the basket). The only defender outside that line is the one guarding the ball. All other defenders stay inside the arc in help (gap) mode. We like to say, “Our positioning is our help.”

When the ball is passed to your man, you must “explode out” of this position and close out properly with high, active hands.

“Stats are for Winners!”

The effectiveness of the Pack is directly tied to three key statistics:

Defensive Field Goal Percentage
Rebounding Margin
Fouls Per Game

We want to force opponents into contested, long shots they don’t want. Then we must finish the stop by rebounding. Finally, this defense is designed to limit layups and free throws.

Know Your No’s

No Paint
No Baseline
No Rhythm Shots
No Direct Drives
No Fastbreak Layups
No Second Shots
No Fouls

7 Teaching Areas

We teach seven areas of team defense:

Talk System
Transition Defense
Stances On Ball
Stances Off Ball
Low Post Defense
Screening Game
Block-Out

Teaching Area 1 | Talk System

Our ability to communicate is as important as anything we do. The language of our defense must be clear and consistent in both practice and games. Everyone needs to know our core terms:

Pack Line: A line one step inside the three-point arc.
Rule of the Pack Line: If your man does not have the ball, you keep both feet inside this line.
The Post: From the low block (one step outside the lane) up past the “Landmark” to the next free-throw spot, extending across the lane.
Ball: Call “ball” when you’re on it. We “talk our defense.”
Man: Call “man” in transition to claim assignments.
Gap: Call “gap” when one pass away.
Help: Call “help” when two passes away.
High & Low Hole: The “wall” formed by help two passes away.
Screen: Call out all screens early, loud, and often (ELO). Example: “Screen left!” or “Screen right!”
White: Call “white” when fronting the post (dead front).
Blue: “Blue is what we do.” Call “blue” when defending a ball screen — show hard until your teammate recovers.
Red: Call “red” if trapping the ball screen. Stay aggressive, toe-to-toe, knee-to-knee with your teammate.
Green: Call “green” if going under the ball screen. “Push up” the screener to clear a path.
Fire: Call “fire” if we’re trapping anywhere, anytime.
S-V-P: Stance. Vision. Position. The heart of our defense.

Teaching Area 2 | Transition Defense

We fastbreak on defense. But first comes offensive board coverage (OBC). If we don’t secure the rebound, all five players sprint back. Your first three steps “out of the gate” are the most important. Protect the basket first, then stop the ball.

Rules of OBC & Transition:

#3, #4, #5: Always crash the offensive glass.
#2: Position for long rebounds (“Halfback”).
#1: Protect the basket (“Fullback”). If #1 drives the rim, the wings immediately get back (our Point Penetration Rule).

Communication is key: talking, pointing, and locating the ball. Guards begin the call-outs, but all five must join in. A loud wall of communication is both effective and intimidating.

Sprint back to the lane, locate ball and man. We demand a dead sprint — no backpedaling, buddy running, or pouting after a miss or turnover.

Teaching Area 3 | Stances on the Ball

Our defensive identity is built on toughness. The Pack allows us to be physical on the ball while positioning help to take charges and dive for loose balls. Toughness is both physical and mental — trusting the system and being able to “guard your yard” (contain three feet in either direction).

Ready Stance – On the catch. High, active hands to take away shot thought. Low base, toes angled to the Pack Line. Trace the ball with one hand, keep the other active. Maintain arm’s length spacing.
Point Stance – When opponent is dribbling. No straight-line drives. Lead hand out above lead foot, chopping. Trail hand palm-up to dig without fouling.
Stick Stance – When the dribble is dead. Call “dead.” Step in, hand trace, pressure high. Don’t reach or lose stance.

Teaching Area 4 | Stances Off the Ball

Great defenders “jump to the ball” at the air time of the pass. This movement is non-negotiable.

Gap Stance: One pass away. Ball-you-man position. Toes to Pack Line, butt squared to basket. Quick head on back cuts.
Denial Stance: Only when ball is dead. Ball-you-man position, deny with lead hand in the lane. Ear at chest level, low stance.
Help Stance: Two+ passes away. One finger on ball, one on man. Sink to ball level. Occupy high or low hole. Be ready to jam flashes.
Close-Out Stance: Sprint two-thirds, chop one-third. High, active hands. Arrive on the catch. Guard your yard.

Teaching Area 5 | Low Post Defense

The post is from the low block up past the “Landmark” to the free-throw spot, across the lane. Win the footwork war — don’t allow two feet in the post.

White Defense: Above you = three-quarter front. Even/below = full front. If sealed, “pull the chair.” On catch: step back to create space, wall up on the shot (no swatting).
Choke the Post | Double Down: On post feed or penetration. Dig from the top when possible. Reverse pivot, sink, dig up with inside hand.
Cover Down: On baseline drives, low hole stops penetration and high hole “helps the helper.”

Teaching Area 6 | Screening Game

Off-Ball Screens – Default used to be “get off and go under,” but that left us pinned too deep. Now, decision depends on who you’re guarding and where the screen is set relative to the Pack Line. Rule: Don’t get screened.

Over: Fight through, blow up screen. Teammate guarding screener must jump to the ball, see the cut, protect rim.
Under: Go under if spacing allows.
Push-Up: Go under screener and your man (often used on ball screens).

On-Ball Screens – Default is fight through/over. Adjust per scouting report. Always with ELO communication.

Blue: Over the screen, under your teammate’s hard show. Low hole helps on the roll.
Red: Trap aggressively, toe-to-toe, knee-to-knee.
Green: Push-up screener, go under both.
SOFO: Spin Off First Object to get under quickly.
Switch: Switch all guard-to-guard screens and hand-offs.

Teaching Area 7 | Blocking Out

Rebounding is the final step of defense. All five go hard to the boards.

On-the-Ball: Extend up, pressure shot. Call “Shot! Check!” Find, hit (forearm bar, inside step), then pursue. Hit & Get! or Bump & Jump!
Off-the-Ball: Hardest spot to rebound. On “Shot! Check!” move laterally to lane line, meet crashers early. Hands up, feet active.