2-3 Zone Defense
2–3 zone initial alignment
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| 2–3 zone Defense | |
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| Type: | Half court zone defense |
| Name Usage | |
| Technical name: | 2–3 zone Defense |
| Common name: | 2–3 zone |
| Other common names: | 2–1–2 zone |
| Play Development Credit | |
| Designed 1st by: | Coach Cam Henderson |
| Year play 1st used: | 1914 |
| Play 1st used by: | Bristol high school |
| Country: | United States |
The 2–3 zone defense is a defensive strategy used in basketball as an alternative to man-to-man defense. It is referred to as the 2–3 because of its formation on the court, which consists of two players at the front of the defense (and closer to half court) and three players behind (and closer to the team's basket).
In 1914, Eli Camden "Cam" Henderson's Bristol High School first used a 3-2 zone defense against Clair Bee's team, Grafton YMCA, in West Virginia. The zone defense was used because the gym floor was made of green pine and it was very slippery when wet, when the roof leaked.
The 3-2 zone defense did not provide the rebounding support for the fast break that Cam Henderson was using. The top defender dropped back to form the 2–3 zone. Henderson developed this style of basketball successfully at Davis & Elkins College, before moving on to coach at Marshall University.
In 1938, Marshall University upset Long Island University, to snap their 40-game winning streak.
In 1947, Henderson led Marshall to a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) championship title with his 2–3 zone defense and fast break offense.
In 2003, Syracuse University coach Jim Boeheim led his team to an NCAA Tournament championship playing the 2-3 zone, which has become Boeheim's trademark.
The widespread use of the 2–3 zone is likely due to its somewhat intuitive operation. The two players on the top of the zone are usually a team's guards, and they guard the zones closest to them on the perimeter and three-point arc. In the same way, a team's forwards guard the sides of the zone and its center guards the lane and center of the defense. As the opposing team moves with the basketball around the court, the zone as a whole shifts accordingly.
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