Bo Ryan's X Zone Offense and Options

If you are looking for a good continuity zone offense, probably the best one that I've come across is Bo Ryan's "X" zone offense. The only drawback is that if you run Bo Ryan's Swing continuity offense against man defense like Wisconsin does, you'll need to make quite a few adjustments to teach the "X" zone offense from the Swing.

The X Zone Offense:

Bo Ryan calls his zone offense, the X zone offense. Like any good zone offense, it takes advantage of some core principles of going underneath, using the high post, ball reversal, screening the zone, and attacking the gaps. The X zone even works against matchup 2-3 zones because the posts cause problems by the "X'ing" action. The keys to the offense are to use vertical and horizontal speed, and to play off the "big on big" screens. The baseline rover, O3, needs to follow 3 basic rules:

- ball location, how is the rover being defended?
- ability to flash into another gap
- flash into the paint from screen by big

Ideally, you want to run the same lanes as you would in your man offense so that getting into the X zone offense is the same. The offense starts with O1 dribbling up the right side of the floor at O3 in the right corner. O5 steps out to the perimeter while O4 cuts into the low post. O2 is flattening out on the back side to stretch the zone defense horizontally, this is very important and Coach Ryan stresses this point continuously,


If neither the post nor the corner player receive the ball, O1 reverses it to O5 up top. O4 steps in the middle of the lane and tries to post for a "2" count while O3 runs the baseline looking to step into the short corner. When O4 posts in the
middle, O3 should have an open seam underneath in the short corner because O4 is occupying X5, the post defender. If O5 is unable to locate O3 or O4 with a pass, the ball is swung to O2 on the left wing,


Because the action in the beginning by O1 and O5, both perimeter defenders should be guarding O1 and O5 so when the ball is reversed to O2, X4, the low defender, has to come out and close out on O2. This situation leaves O3 open in the short corner running along the baseline,


After the ball reversal, O4 steps out of the lane and cuts to the
top of the key. O5 cuts down to the ball side low block. Just as O2 did in the beginning, this time O1 flattens out on the back side to stretch the zone defense,


O2 can pass to O3 in the corner at anytime for the corner 3-pointer. O3 can also go inside for a post entry if the defender is playing on the high side. If O5 gets the ball in the post, O4 can dive to the basket or hold while O5 turns and looks to score or kick it out opposite to O4 or O1,


No matter how which way the X zone offense is initiated, the ball is continually reversed, O5 steps in the lane and posts for a "2" count while O3 runs the baseline looking to sneak in behind the low zone defenders at any open area,

The offense is now in the original alignment. Emphasis with good spacing, with all players able to "touch" the post as they call it (pass or look inside to the post), while stretching the zone with O2 on the back side of the floor. They will continue to run this movement from side to side.

Interior Screening Option:

At anytime O5, the post man on the perimeter, can back screen the back side defenders. There are 2 options: screen the top guard defender or the low defender on the zone. O1 would look to skip the pass to O2 while O3 runs the baseline looking to receive a pass if O2 does not have a shot,


High Ball Screening Option:

Another screening action can occur when the two post players screen for
each other on the perimeter. This screen can come from any direction at
any time. It will be an option read as to when and where the other post player will
come from when the screening action takes place. The post should be naked coming off the ball screen, forcing the low side zone defender to choose between dribble penetration or the corner 3-pointer,


I got my X Zone video from Amazon but I believe they are no longer available there. If you are looking for more zone offense video info though, then check out Mike Krzyzewski's Attacking the Zone DVD. Coach Krzyzewski is head coach of Duke University and of Team USA in the upcoming 2010 Olympics in London.