Gman

I had the same m2m vs zone dilemna. Teaching Man to man at the 3rd-5th grade level can be nerve-wracking. During games the coach spends most of his time on the sideline yelling "Who's got number __?". I was the only team playing a m2m defense and have now reached a compromise. During practice I spend 80% of time alloted for defense to teaching m2m fundamentals- footwork, positioning, etc. These are the really the same fundamentals used when playing a zone defense. It's much easier teaching them a zone alignment and responsibilities after they've learned good m2m technique. We play both m2m and zone in most games.

Regarding attacking zone defenses at the fifth grade level, I have my fifth graders constantly working on the fundamentals- passing, ball-handling, dribbling with their head up, etc. If they can't handle the ball, then working plays is fruitless. Quick passing and reversing the ball to the weak side will work against any zone. I put my kids in a 1-3-1 offensive set and give simple!! responsibilities for each position. You can do this with any offensive alignment. I like the 1-3-1 because I have good shooters and ballhandlers and we are not particularly tall. We seem to get a lot of open shots by first looking to the high post and secondly to the wings, and many times a simple screen for the point guard will free him for a drive or pass to the post. Keep working on the fundamentals. Practice time spent on "plays" is mostly wasted time at this level. Most teams get only about 20% of their points in the half court situation. Work on the fast break if you have some team speed and ball/player movement against zone defenses and you'll be on the right track. Gman