2-3 Zone vs 3-2 Zone

The same five players in two shapes. One guards the rim, the other guards the high post, and each leaves a different spot open.

The 2-3 guards the rim and the 3-2 guards the high post, and this page draws both at the same three ball spots so you can pick the right one.

The 2-3 and the 3-2 use the same five players and swap one defender between the front line and the back line. That one move changes everything the zone protects. The 2-3 puts three defenders near the rim. The 3-2 puts three at the top and parks one of them on the high post. Below, the two shapes are drawn at the same three ball spots so you can see where each one bends.

The 2-3 guards the rim. The 3-2 guards the high post. Choose by what the opponent does best.

2-3 Zone vs 3-2 Zone at a Glance

	2-3 zone	3-2 zone
Starts near the rim	Three	Two
Protects	Paint, rim, low post	High post, wings, top of the key
Thin spots	High post, short corner, corners	Both corners, dribble penetration
Decided by	The center	The back two
Rebounding	Three already inside	A triangle forms on every shot, but only two start inside
Best against	A team that scores inside	A high-post team that cannot shoot from the top

Ball at the Top

2-3 at the top. The gap between the two guards is the pass to the high post. Keep it small.

3-2 at the top. The rover already sits on the high post. The two wing defenders deny the pass to the wings.

In the 2-3 the two guards start a step inside the arc and close together. The gap between them is the pass to the elbow, and a pass through it splits the zone. In the 3-2 that gap does not exist, because the middle defender of the top three sags to the free-throw line with arms wide. The 3-2 leaves the point guard alone at the top on purpose and denies the passes to the wings.

Ball on the Wing

2-3, ball on the wing. The ball-side guard takes the ball. The other guard slides to the high post. The back three shift toward the ball.

3-2, ball on the wing. The wing defender takes the ball, the rover keeps denying the high post, the weak-side post slides to the middle of the lane.

The wing is where the two zones feel most different to a ball handler. Against a 2-3 he is guarded by a guard who had to slide out from the middle. Against a 3-2 he was already being denied, so the catch comes farther out and later. Behind the ball, the 2-3 has three defenders shifting across the lane. The 3-2 has two, which is why the weak-side post slides all the way to the middle.

Ball in the Corner

2-3, ball in the corner. The ball-side back defender closes out with no baseline. The center steps to the short corner side, the weak-side back defender drops to the rim, both guards shift one step.

3-2, ball in the corner. The ball-side post closes out. The other post slides across. The wing defender falls into the gap between the corner and the wing.

The corner is the 3-2's hardest spot. A post has to close out, the other post has to cover the block, and the wing defender drops into the gap. A skip pass to the far corner catches a 3-2 with nobody near it, so the weak-side wing has to close out first and the post bumps him back. The 2-3 handles the corner more easily: the ball-side back defender closes out with his backside to the corner, which contests the catch and takes away the baseline drive in one move.

The High Post

This is the real reason to choose one over the other.

2-3

The high post is its soft middle. The guards try to keep the ball out of it. When it gets there, one of two things happens depending on the coach. Some collapse on it. Others let the center guard it one on one while the other four sprint out to the shooters, accepting a pull-up jumper in exchange for no open threes.

3-2

The high post is covered before the first pass. If the ball gets there anyway, the rover guards it straight up, the two wings pinch to the elbows and the posts hold the blocks. Every shooter is then one short pass away, so the pinch has to be quick and the closeouts short.

Personnel

2-3: the center decides it. He guards the post, steps to the short corner, contests at the rim, rebounds the far side and talks. The two guards need quick feet to jump-switch on reversals. The two back wings need to get from the block area to the corner fast.

3-2: the back two decide it. They guard both blocks and both corners with one fewer helper, so they need to be bigger and more mobile than a 2-3 back line. The rover is the brain at the top. The two wing defenders need length to deny and to trap in the corner.

Which One to Run

Opponent scores inside or has one dominant post: run the 2-3.
Opponent runs its offense through the high post and cannot shoot from the top: run the 3-2.
Opponent has shooters in both corners: be careful with the 3-2. The corner skip is its weakness.
Opponent drives the gaps well: be careful with the 3-2. Penetration is its other weakness.
You already run a 1-2-2 press: the 3-2 is almost free, since the press drops into it without new positions.
You want one zone for the whole season: the 2-3 is the safer base. Keep the 3-2 as the change-up.

Full breakdowns: 2-3 Zone Defense and 3-2 Zone Defense. From the offense side: How to Beat a 2-3 Zone and How to Beat a 3-2 Zone. Every other zone is ranked on Best Zone Defense for Your Team.

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