To play good defence the elementary fundamental to master is footwork. The defender shall anticipate his opponents by moving his feet, so as to establish legal guarding position in the path of his opponent.

Man-to-man defence

In basketball, the most often used defence is the man-to-defence. In this defence, each player guards an opponent. This type of defence requires every player to play good defence, because, if one of the defensive players makes a mistake, his opponent can easily score a basket. Against this defence the pick and roll combination plays are often very effective, somtimes resulting in very dynamic plays.

Zone defence

When using this defence the defenders are not guarding every opponent individually but they guard a specific area (zone) around the basket. The defensive team's moves do not directly mimic the opponents but remain in a defensive pattern as they follow the path of the ball. Every player has his own position. It is generally used when the defensive players are tall but not as quick as their opponents. Against this type of defence, pick and roll combinations cannot be used because the defenders do not follow a player without the ball.