Chapter - 12

Freezing The Ball

When to freeze | Freeze or control | Freeze  principles | Freeze and control patterns

Unless the 24-second rule is placed into the high school and college rule book, teams will continue to use freezing or "stalling" tactics to preserve leads late in games. The use of such tactics presents opportunities for both the offense and defense to employ tactical moves and is an important phase of the game. The offense must have practiced patterns ready to assure ball-control while the defense must have defensive maneuvers ready for a coordinated effort to gain possession.

When to Freeze

Several factors are involved when determining when to freeze:

1. The ball-handling ability of the offense.

2. The pressing ability of the defense.

3. The amount of lead.

4. The amount of time remaining.

When the above factors are analyzed for various teams and for various games, a variety of answers as to when to freeze may be derived. The team with tall players who are poor ball-handlers is certainly apt to be less successful in efforts toward a long-period freeze than is the team with primarily short and clever ball-handlers. It may be far more wise to freeze the ball against the taller and slower team than against the shorter and quicker opponent. A two point lead with five minutes to go would hardly be the time to freeze in the normal situation whereas an eight point lead with the same amount of time remaining could well dictate a freezing pattern. Thus, all of these factors must be quickly and carefully considered and a wise decision reached.

Chart 154 is presented as a guide to freezing the ball with the full realization that consideration of the above factors may cause some variation.

CHART 154. WHEN TO FREEZE

Number of Minutes

Remaining                                             Point Lead Desired

0-2                                                                   1-2 or more

2-3                                                                   2-4

3-4                                                                   4-6

More than 4                                                     6 or more

Freeze or Control

Patterns designed to control the ball to preserve a lead may be of a "freeze" or "control" nature. The "freeze" is usually used late in the game with a small lead and with the primary objective being to hold on to the ball. The "control" game is used usually with a larger lead and considerable time remaining where the objective still is to score. The "control" game is often termed the "long-period freeze" and has been used successfully by clever ball-handling teams in the latter stages of a game to pull the defense away from the basket and open up cutting and driving lanes that result in easy scores. The same basic pattern may be used in playing both types of games but some of the principles may differ. For example, if a team leads by one point with thirty seconds to play, a screen on the ball is unsafe for it affords an opportunity for the defense to double-team the ball-handler. On the other hand, should a team be leading by eight points with five minutes to play, a screen on the ball can be sound basketball. Loss of the ball as a result of a double-team situation is not disastrous here and the offensive maneuver created by the screen often can result in an easy basket.

Freeze Principles

1. A team's better ball-handlers should do most of the ball-handling.

2. Ball-handlers should save the dribble until needed.

3. The ball-handler should face his teammates. Turning his back to his teammates affords an excellent opportunity for the double-team. In addition, he cannot then see a teammate who may become open under the basket.

4. Dribblers must keep their heads up in order to clearly see the defense and their teammates.

5. Ball-handlers should stay away from the corners where boundary lines can combine with a defensive double-team to cause loss of the ball.

6. Good free-throw shooters must handle the ball. Missed free-throw attempts in last-minute freezing situations can quickly result in defeat.

7. Make opposing weak defensive players come out to press for the ball.

8. Screens and criss-crosses should be avoided that will allow the defense opportunities for double-team situations.

9. If a man-for-man press is being used by the defense in efforts to get the ball, a good dribbler can be used effectively. However, if zone-pressing tactics are being used, sharp passing is necessary.

10. If a control type game is in order, screens and cuts should be used that will afford scoring opportunities.

Freeze and Control Patterns

Charts 155-159 diagram effective freeze or control patterns. Charts 155a and 155b illustrate a spread formation involving cuts down the middle. The pattern is often referred to as the Kentucky Continuity and is more fully explained in Rupp's Championship Basketball (Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N. J., 1957). Charts 156a and 156b diagram the spread formation with a screen away from the ball while Chart 157 shows the spread formation with a screen on the ball. Chart 158 illustrates spreading the single post by sending the pivot player to the corner. Charts 159a and 159b diagram a high-post freeze pattern.

CHART 155a. The spread formation as a freeze pattern. 1 passes to 3 and cuts down the middle looking for the return pass. 2 begins move toward ball. 1 will take the position being vacated by 5.

CHART 155b. 3 passes to 2 coming to meet the pass and cuts down the middle. 5 moves toward ball as 3 cuts on through to position vacated by 4. The pattern is a continuity ard involves continuous movement by all five players. It can be adjusted so that a weak ball-handler can remain in one corner.

CHART 156a. The spread freeze pattern with screen away from the ball. 1 passes to 3 and moves away from the ball to screen for 2.

CHART 156b. 3 passes to 2 who has come off screen set by 1. 3 goes away from the ball to set screen for 5. 2 passes to 5 and sets screen for 4. At any time a pass receiver comes off a screen and finds himself defensed, he reverses direction and goes away from the ball to set screen for the next

player in the continuity.

CHART 157. The spread freeze pattern with screen on the ball. This is best used when a control type game is desired. After passing to 3, 1 sets screen for 3. 3 dribbles off screen and looks for 1 rolling out down middle. If he is not open, 1 will cut through and into the position being vacated by 5. 3 passes to 2 and sets screen for 2. As 2 dribbles off screen, he looks for 3 rolling out down middle. If `he is not open, 3 cuts on through to position

being vacated by 4. 2 will pass to 5 to continue the continuity.

CHART 158. A spread type freeze from the single-post formation with center, 5, pulled to corner. 2 passes to 1 and sets screen for 1. As 1 dribbles off screen, he looks for 2 cutting down middle on the roll-out. If 2 gets pass from 1, 5 starts toward basket for pass in event defensive player guarding 5 should attempt to pick up driver. 5 does not figure in the continuity pattern. Again, this type pattern is best suited for the control game.

CHART 159a. A high-post freeze pattern. 2 passes to 1 and cuts through looking for the return pass. 3 moves to position vacated by 2 as 4 moves out to guard.

CHART 159b. 1 passes to 3. 3 may pass to 4 or return pass to 1. If neither is open, he may pass to 5 as shown and cut through. If 5 passes out to 4, 1 comes out to guard and 3 cuts to position vacated by 1.

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