THE BENCHWARMERS

Lineups & Rotation

SSB allows 2-3 males and 2-3 females. Our team rule: always 3 males + 2 females on court. No exceptions — we have no advantage going 2M+3F. Roster: 4M / 3F.

Six Defensive Rules

1. All five back. Every time. Shot goes up — sprint to your spot. No exceptions, no offensive boards from the wings.
2. Hands up, always. Even tired. Even out of position. Hands up changes shots.
3. Find a body on every shot. Face them, ass to their thighs, then go get the ball. Antony — this is YOUR job first.
4. Stop the ball, then recover. If a guard penetrates the top, the closest defender stops the ball. Wings collapse to help. Don't worry about your "spot" — stop the drive first.
5. Two words: "BALL" and "SHOT". Yell BALL when it comes to your zone. Yell SHOT when one goes up. That's all the talking you need.
6. Trap the corner. The corner is a zone weak spot — turn it into a strength. When ball goes there: wing and top guard trap, others rotate down.

Corner Trap — How It Works

When their player catches in the corner, the corner becomes a cage. Wing and top guard converge, the rest rotate down.

• Nick (right wing) closes from above, takes away the baseline.
• Angela (right top guard) closes from inside, takes away the pass back.
• Antony slides toward the rim, covers any pass to the post.
• Dom rotates to the top middle, denies the swing pass.
• Terepai sinks down to weak-side help, ready for a skip pass.
• If trap fails: sprint back to original 2-3 spots. Don't chase.
• Mirror it on the LEFT corner — Terepai + Dom trap, Antony slides, Angela rotates top, Nick sinks weak-side.

Transition Offense — When We Get The Stop

The moment they miss or turn it over — we run. Easiest points come before their defense is set.

• Antony — secure the rebound, outlet to Terepai or Nick on the sideline.
• Terepai — receive the outlet, push middle, attack the rim.
• Dominique — sprint the left sideline lane.
• Nick — sprint the right sideline lane, secondary scorer.
• Angela — designated safety. Stay back. Shot up = retreat immediately. No offensive boards.
• If Antonia subs for Angela: same safety role, no exceptions.

🤚 Handedness Strategy — Right-Hand Bias

Most basketball players are right-handed. So is most of our team. Use that on both ends.

Defensive — Force Them Left

• Overplay opposing ball-handlers to their right side. Position your right foot/hand slightly past theirs so their natural right-drive is blocked.
• Force everything LEFT. Their weak hand. They turn it over more, finish lower percentage, panic in the paint.
• Help defenders shade left. Anticipate weak-hand drives. Their right-handed drive is harder to stop, but their left-hand drive often dies before it reaches the rim.
• Exception: if you spot a left-hander on their team (watch their warm-up shots), reverse it for THAT player only — overplay their left, force them right.

Offensive — Attack the Right Side

• Most actions finish to the right of the rim. Hip Cut, P&R, Dom's backdoor — all right-side finishes by default.
• Antony's roll naturally puts him on the right side when Terepai drives middle from the top — that's his finishing pocket.
• Right-handed defenders over-help to the right side because that's where the ball usually goes. Cutters from the LEFT side often slip free — exploit it with weak-side actions.
• Backdoor cuts from the LEFT are higher-percentage than from the right because the help defender is cheating right.

Terepai's Personal Mix

• Mix sides early — drive left in the first half so defenders know you can. Plant the seed.
• Drive right late — clutch possessions, your strong-side, highest finish percentage.
• Antony's hip-cut works best when you drive right — he cuts from your left, finishes on the right with his right hand. Strong-on-strong.

When to Switch Off Zone

Box-and-1 — One of Theirs is Heating Up

Four players in a box-shaped zone. One player (your best perimeter defender) chases their hot scorer everywhere — top of key to corner to baseline. Don't go full man-to-man.

Terepai is the chaser — your defensive IQ and footwork make you the natural pick. Stick to their hot scorer like glue. The other 4 stay in box positions and only worry about the basket area.

1-2-2 Three-Quarter Press — Down Late, Need Turnovers

Pressure the inbound, force a hurried pass, trap when they cross half. Risky — gives up easy baskets if they break the press. Use only if half-court isn't producing stops.

Read top to bottom: 1 player pressures the inbounder (Dom). 2 players cover the wings ready to trap (Angela + Nick). 2 players stay back to defend if pressed broken (Terepai + Antony). When the inbound pass goes out, the wing nearest the receiver TRAPS at half court with #1.

Up by 10+ in Last 2 Mins

Stay in the 2-3 zone. Force them to shoot threes to come back. Most teams at this level can't make enough threes to overcome a 10-point lead in 2 minutes. Don't get desperate — just hold the shape.

Game Format — SSB Mixed Parramatta

• 2 × 17-minute halves, running clock
• Total game: 34 minutes (real time ~40-45 min)
• Clock stops in the last minute if margin is 8 or fewer points
• Overtime: 1 minute period if tied at full time. Fouls and timeouts roll over from 2nd half.
• Late start: Need 4+ players to begin. After 3 mins late, penalty 2 points/minute. No 4 by halftime = forfeit.
• Played at Arthur Phillip High School, Parramatta (Macquarie St entry)

Player Balance — On Court

Team rule: always 3M + 2F. The SSB rule below is what's legal — but we always run 3M+2F.

• Our lineup: 3 males + 2 females on court at all times
• SSB allows: 2-3 males AND 2-3 females (min 2 of either, max 3 of either)
• Why we lock 3M+2F: No tactical advantage to 2M+3F for our roster
• Only 1M or 1F available? League rule: you play 4 on court (not 5)
• Sub coordination: male-for-male, female-for-female swaps only

⚠️ Mixed-Only Rule: Female Shot Guarding

Critical for all male players (Terepai, Antony, Nick, Jacob). Breaking these = automatic shooting foul.

When a female has the ball above her chest with intent to shoot, every male within arm's length must:

• Freeze. Stand still. No moving toward, leaning over, running at, or running past.
• Arms straight up. Be in position BEFORE the ball goes above her chest.
• No jumping. Stay grounded.
• No waving, clapping, or shouting at the shooter.

What you CAN do: Steal the ball while it's below her chest. Have arms straight up before she releases. If she throws it into your arms, play on.

Bonus rule: If a male blocks a female's shot, the basket counts (treated as goaltending).

⚠️ Mixed-Only Rule: Female Backcourt Possession

• Males cannot steal from females in the backcourt while she has possession or is dribbling.
• On rebounds: Once a female has the ball below her chest, it's possession — males can't strip it.
• If she passes or loses control of dribble → she no longer has possession → ball can be stolen.
• Illegal contact causing a steal = foul.
• Note: 8-second backcourt violation IS still enforced at Parramatta.
• Tactical exploit: Tell Dom and Angela to bring the ball up against male pressure — they're protected. Same applies for the opposing team's females against Terepai/Antony/Nick/Jacob — overplay them, but don't reach.

🎯 Exploit These Rules — Offensive Strategy

The Mixed rules give females tactical advantages. Use them.

• Dom or Angela in the backcourt: If they bring the ball up, males CAN'T pressure them. Send them up against male defenders.
• Female shot fake: When Dom/Angela catch with intent to shoot, raise the ball above the chest — every male nearby must freeze. Drive past them or kick to a teammate cutting.
• Defend with arms up when guarding their female shooter — be in position early and stay still. They can't draw fouls if you don't move.
• Match female-on-female where possible. In our 2-3 zone, Dom and Angela cover their female perimeter players. Antony and males cover their male perimeter and post. Reduces obstruction foul risk.

Fouls — The SSB Limits

• 4 personal fouls = fouled out. Cannot return.
• 6 team fouls in a half = bonus. Other team shoots free throws on every foul after that.
• Track yourself. 2 fouls = warning, play smarter. 3 fouls = think twice on every reach.

Common Fouls — Don't Give Them Up

• Obstruction (Mixed-only). Males moving while a female has the ball above her chest. The biggest gift to opponents — don't give it.
• Reach-in. #1 most common. If you can't see the ball, don't swipe. Move your feet instead.
• Body bump on the drive. Stay vertical. Hands straight up. Let them come into you.
• Bumping cutters. Off-ball contact still gets called. Don't grab jerseys.
• Undercut a shooter. Dangerous. Step back, contest with verticality only.
• Box-out arm bar. Lock arms with a defender = foul. Use your body, not your arms.
• Charge. If a defender's set with feet planted, don't barrel through. Spin off, kick out.

Foul Management — Per Player

Limit is 4 — every foul matters more than in standard basketball.

• Antony: Stay vertical at the rim. If he fouls out, we lose the rim. Especially careful when females shoot near him.
• Angela: Aggressive defender — but no reach-ins. She CAN steal off females in backcourt because she's also female. Use that.
• Terepai: Captain can't foul out. Pick spots. Avoid early reach fouls.
• Nick: Secondary handler is too valuable to lose. Be disciplined on the perimeter.
• Jacob: Use your body cleanly. No arm bars on box-outs.
• Dominique: Low foul risk profile — protect females driving and watch for charges.
• Antonia: When subbed in, focus on positioning over swiping.

Timeouts

1 timeout per half. No on-court timeouts — only when ball is out of play. Cannot call after YOU score. CAN call after being scored on.

• Stop a run. 3+ unanswered baskets. Burn it before it snowballs.
• Reset after chaos. Two turnovers in a row, blown coverages, panic.
• Set up a play late. Last 2 minutes, close game.
• Save subs late. Rest a key player without giving up a possession.

• Just because you're tired and want a break.
• First 5 minutes (rare exception: opponent on a 0-10 run).
• To complain about a ref call.

• Captain (Terepai) — yell "TIMEOUT" and make a T sign with hands to ref.
• VC (Dominique) backup if Terepai is on the bench.
• Only the player with the ball can request — if you don't have it, alert your captain.

Strategic Fouling (Late Game Only)

• Down 3-6 with under 30 seconds left? Foul their worst free-throw shooter immediately. Stop the clock.
• Foul before they shoot, not after. Once the ball's up, it's a shooting foul = guaranteed FTs.
• Pick the foul target. Their weakest shooter. Don't foul their best.
• Don't foul up by 3+ in last 10 seconds. They want to foul you — make them.

Game Situations

• Up by 1 with 30 seconds: Drain clock. Hold for last shot. Foul-aware.
• Down by 1 with 30 seconds: Run a play. Layup or a foul. No threes — go to the rim.
• Tied with 10 seconds: Last shot. Terepai creates, Antony rolls, Dom/Angela space (use the obstruction rule against them).
• Up by 6+ entering last 2 minutes: Slow tempo. Force them to foul. Clock stops in last minute when margin ≤ 8 — keep margin above 8 to avoid that.
• Down by 6+ entering last 2 minutes: Push every miss. Trap if needed.
• Margin ≤ 8 in last minute: Clock now stops on whistles. Every possession matters more.

Uniforms & Misc

• Matching team jerseys with numbers front and back.
• Shorts don't have to match across team — but no loose-pocket or loose-cord shorts.
• Out of uniform repeatedly = 2-point penalty.
• Source of truth: Full SSB Mixed bylaws PDF on sydneysocialbasketball.com.au.

How to use this tab

If you're new to basketball or hear a term in this playbook you don't know — it'll be explained here in plain English. Skim once before your first game and you'll understand everything in the Plays, Defense, and Rules tabs.

Offense Terms

• Screen / Pick — When a teammate stands still and lets the ball-handler's defender bump into them, freeing the ball-handler. Like setting up a wall.
• Pick & Roll (P&R) — The player who set the screen then runs (rolls) hard to the basket for a pass.
• Pick & Pop — Same setup, but instead of rolling to the basket, the screener steps back out and shoots a jumper.
• Roll — The cut to the rim by the screener after setting the pick.
• Cut / Cutter — A player without the ball moving sharply to get open near the basket.
• Backdoor cut — When a player's defender turns their head, they sneak behind them toward the basket for an easy pass.
• Hip cut — Cutting hard right past the side of a teammate who's driving — using their body to shield the defender.
• Dunker spot — The area right beside the basket where Antony stations himself, ready to finish.
• Spacing — How spread out the offense is on the court. Better spacing = easier drives.
• Five-out — All five players spaced around the perimeter (no one inside). Our default starting setup.
• Strong side / Weak side — Strong = side of the court the ball's on. Weak = the opposite side.
• Catch-and-shoot — Receive the pass and shoot in one motion, no dribble.
• Iso (isolation) — Clearing the floor so one player can go 1-on-1 against a defender. We try to avoid this — the system creates better shots.
• Hero ball — Trying to score 1-on-5 instead of trusting the team. Don't.
• Two-man game — Two players running pick-and-roll or hand-offs together repeatedly until the defense breaks.
• Hand-off — Passing the ball to a teammate at close range, often combined with a screen.
• Bailout — When the play breaks down, the ball goes back to the best ball-handler (Terepai or Nick) who creates from scratch.

Transition Terms

• Fast break — Running offense before the defense is set. Easiest points in basketball.
• Push the break — Sprint the ball up the floor immediately after a rebound.
• Outlet / Outlet pass — The first pass after a defensive rebound, thrown quickly to a guard to start the break.
• Safety / Designated safety — The player who hangs back near half-court so the other team can't run a fast break on us. Angela's job.
• Transition D — Sprinting back on defense after losing the ball.

Defense Terms

• Zone defense — Each defender guards an AREA, not a specific person.
• 2-3 zone — Our default. Two defenders up top (Dom + Angela), three across the back (Terepai, Antony, Nick).
• Man defense — Each defender guards a specific opponent (we don't run this by default).
• Box-and-1 — 4 players in a box zone + 1 player chasing one specific opponent. Used if one of their players is heating up.
• Press / Full-court press — Defending the full length of the court instead of just our half. Used late if we're losing.
• Trap — Two defenders double-teaming the ball-handler, usually in the corner.
• Help defender — When someone gets beaten on a drive, the nearest off-ball defender slides over to stop the ball.
• Recover — Getting back to your zone or assignment after rotating to help.
• Box out — Putting your body between the rim and an opponent so they can't get the rebound.
• Verticality — Defending with arms straight up and feet planted. Avoids fouls — the offensive player can't claim contact.
• Contest — Pressuring a shot without fouling — hand up in their face, no body contact.
• Switch — Two defenders swap who they're guarding, usually after a screen.
• Stop ball — Whoever's closest to the player with the ball stops their drive — even if they weren't your assignment.

Game / Rules Terms

• Personal foul — A foul charged to YOU. Get 4 in this league = you're fouled out.
• Team fouls — Total fouls by your whole team in a half. Hit 6 = bonus.
• Bonus — When the other team has 6+ team fouls in a half, every foul on you sends you to the free-throw line.
• Free throw (FT) — Uncontested shot from the foul line after certain fouls. 1 point each.
• Shooting foul — Foul committed while the offensive player is shooting. Awards free throws.
• Goaltending — Blocking a shot on its way down or off the rim. Not allowed — the basket counts.
• Charge — When the offensive player runs into a defender who has their feet planted. Offensive foul.
• Reach-in — Reaching across to swipe at the ball and making body contact. Most common foul. Move your feet, don't reach.
• Backcourt — Your defensive half of the floor. Once the offense crosses half, they can't go back.
• 8-second violation — Offense must cross half-court within 8 seconds of inbounding.
• Obstruction (Mixed-only) — Males moving while a female has the ball above her chest with intent to shoot. Automatic shooting foul. Read the Rules tab carefully on this one.
• Possession — Who has the ball. Females in backcourt have legal possession protection from male defenders.
• Inbound — Throwing the ball in from the sideline or baseline to start play.
• Turnover — Losing the ball to the other team without taking a shot.
• Timeout — A short break called by the captain to stop play. 1 per half. See Rules tab.

Position / Court Terms

• Top of the key — The area at the top of the painted "key" near the free-throw line.
• The paint / The key — The painted rectangle under the basket.
• The wing — Each side of the court, around the 3-point line.
• The corner — The deep corners of the court, behind the 3-point line.
• The post / Low post — The area near the basket on either side of the key.
• High post — The area near the free-throw line.
• Baseline — The line under each basket.
• Perimeter — The 3-point line area, where most plays start.

Drills Mentioned

• Mikan drill — Stand under the rim. Layup with right hand → catch → layup with left hand → repeat for 30 reps. Builds the catch-and-finish reflex Antony needs.
• Catch-and-shoot reps — Stand at a spot. Get a pass. Shoot in one motion. Don't dribble first.
• Box-out reps — Practice getting between an opponent and the basket on every shot. Find a body, stay low, then chase the ball.