Crossovers

The crossovers are a technical resource advanced from the Dribbling in which are present the changes of direction and changes of pace.

Definition

‘The action of throwing the ball over by dribbling to the other hand, making him pass by in front, beneath the legs, behind the back or reverse side’. (Cedric Arregui).

Description

The crossovers are a technical resource advanced composed of the Dribbling that should be present in the changes of direction and changes of pace. In addition, the use of feints is an add-on to be very effective in the time prior to their execution. The Player with the Ball using the changes of hand with the goal of breaking the opposition of his defender in the 1×1.
In this article, we describe:

• Overview of crossovers
• What a crossovers use
• Change of front hand (crossover)
• Behind-the-back crossover
• Between-the-legs crossover
• Behind the back crossover
• Progression methodological of crossover
• Final considerations

Overview of crossovers

All changes of the hand have common features. These are the phases that make up each change of hands:

• Preparation phase (perception+decision): it is all that there is to have in mind in the time interval prior to the change of pace. Includes boats prior to the change of hand. During that moment, he observed the situation of the ombudsman, taking into account orientation, scrolling speed, scroll type (race or sliding), as well as the position and activity of the hands and feet. Based on all this information, you will decide which type of change-of-hand to make. Finally, we must take into account the possible actions after the change of hands to be able to encadenarlas in the output phase.
• Phase change (run): this is the high point on which you are running the technical rationale of the change of hand. From the moment that the hand with which we were dropping the ball throws the ball up to the time at which the ball reaches the other hand (includes the time in which the ball bounces on the ground).As in the foundation of the Boat, the ball should always be controlled in the direction that we want and it will never be the hand that go to the ball (the ball does not control the hand!).
• Output phase (perception+decision): begins once you have made the change of hand. At that moment, is when the materialized advantage created by the change of hand. Essential that there is a presence of a change of pace. The advantage will be achieved in how much we have left to scramble the defender, and we have the line to ring released. Not just it is created. Then you need to be able to keep it and take advantage of it.
  Note: to take advantage also to have managed to leave distanced the defender and be with enough space and time to make a release.

Then we leave the common aspects of the changes of hand (in front, behind the back and under the legs):

Objectives for teaching

1. Read position of the defender
   1. Defensive position
   2. Displacement of feet
   3. Activity of hands
2. Put the defender (feint exchange rate)
3. Control supports the advocate and seek to have their foot more away from the ball is ahead of them to break.
4. Legs bent to achieve:
   1. better balance
   2. hand exchange under
   3. biggest explosion in the output
5. Take advantage of the breadth of the arms.
6. Throw the ball at an optimal distance in which to take advantage of the supports and the inertia after the change of hands.
7. Keep control of the ball to the height and position relative to the body (including handheld receiver) that you wanted to.

Most common errors

1. It does not read the position of the defender and lacks information to decide.
2. There is No change of pace, the defender remains in place and is positioned to continue to defend. With more time to gauge at what point in time to steal.
3. Don’t dominate the jar and have to watch it. Look at it don’t get fixed in the support of the defender, and can’t read your position. 
4. Legs extended will cause the following disadvantages:
   1. low balance
   2. change high hand and more exposed to the scope of the hands of the defender.
   3. null explosion on the output.
5. The change of position of the ball with respect to the attacker is barely perceptible.
6. The ball is almost in the same position, and the attacker has not advanced.
7. The pot loses strength, and the hand-receiving hand exchange you should go looking for the ball that was half way.

What is the crossver use?

The choice of what change(s) hand(s) to use is primarily determined by the distance of the defender, the speed at which it moves, the type of displacement that performs (career or side-scrolling/sliding), if cut or not to step on the defender to the attacker, as well as the position and activity of the hands and feet.
The choice between a change of hand, and the other is another of the many choices tactics that made up the 1×1.
In the following video of Paul S. García (coach uruguayan ‘Basket to Detail’) explains the keys to choose the changes hand in hand with the defender, the Player With the Ball (JCB):

• If the defender accompanies but does not close, it is sufficient to make a change of pace.
• If the defender closes but leaving space, a change of front hand will be sufficient to take advantage of.
• If the defender closes with less space, a change of hand beneath the legs will take advantage of the time that it protects the ball by the closeness of the defender.
• If the defender closes and tries to steal them opposite hand, we will take advantage of that imbalance, to surpass the defender, with a change of hand behind the back.
• If the defender closes and pounces with intent to steal, then the change of hand on the back will be the best option.

Source: Paul S. García (Basket detail)
below, we detail the characteristics of each change of hands, as well as the learning objectives, and common mistakes to correct.

Change of front hand (crossover)

Is the change of hand more ‘simple’ and faster. Before moving on to the other changes of hand (change of hands behind the back, change out of the hand beneath the legs and change of hand on the reverse), it is essential to mastering it.
Not to be trusted. Despite being the most simple and it also has to be mastered. Not dominating as good as you thought.

Objectives for teaching

1. Put the defender (parry performed with change of pace).
2. Throw the ball as low as possible (below the knee).
3. Throw the ball so that, after bouncing off the ground, go back slightly to be closer to us than the defender.
4. Return to start or continue with the previous rate.

Most common errors

1. Does not print a change of pace prior. The defender retains its basic position, is balanced and remains within the reach of stealing the ball.
2. The ball changes from the side at a height above the knees and makes the defender comes easily to put the hand, and to intercept the change of hand.
3. The ball changes from one hand to another. The defender continues to come with the other hand (also known as ‘hand mirror’).
4. The change of hands has been made but has not been taken advantage created by not leaving the area of action of the ombudsman. 

Behind the back crossover – BTB)

Is the change of hand ideal to overcome the defender when it rushes towards the Player With the Ball in an attempt to steal the ball.The increased complexity of the change of hands behind the back lies in mastering the gesture of wrapping the ball (without making the ‘management’ of the ball aka ‘Accompaniment of the ball’). In a first moment, with the hand over it, and when has already established contact and harnessing the momentum of the ball upwards, resting the hand on the outer side of the ball to guide the ball, and taking you behind the back. It ends flexing the wrist to give the necessary impetus to the ball for it to come out in the desired direction (forward or side-to-side).Finally, you have to pay attention to detail of the props.To master this gesture players should be able to do the change of hands behind the back as smoothly as possible and that involves take maximum advantage of the supports. In any case, the supports should be a hassle because a lot of times we see players who do more support due and results in a loss of speed.

Note: the movement has transfer with the pass behind the back chopped. The difference lies in the time and the speed at which the wrist is bent to direct the ball.

Objectives for teaching

1. Give pot tense and then ‘tame’/retain the pot.
2. Wrap the ball.
3. Drive the ball from behind in the desired direction
   1. Forward.
   2. Side-to-side in pot static.

Most common errors

1. The last boat lacks tension and is more difficult to perform the gesture.
2. Do not wrap the ball, and the gesture is no strength for the journey.
3. Not prints pulse from the wrist flexion.
   1. Not the end of the twist of your wrist to make the ball go forward.
   2. Measured evil that the site in which you have to dribble the ball and the height of exit is desajustada.

Change hand under the legs (crossover, Between The Legs – BTL)

Is the change of hand, ideal to protect the ball to the couple that progress continues into the hoop without barely reduce the speed of scrolling.
It should be noted that there are two ways of passing the ball under your legs in a change of hand under the legs:

Change hand under the legs, front to back

The change of hand under the legs more than usual. To the couple that the change is made, it ‘gets’ the knee from the side of origin of the ball in order to facilitate the change of address and to prepare the support that will serve as an impetus in the new snatch.

Change hand under the legs, back-to-front

It is the less common and has been for years stigmatized because many coaches did not see any utility. Directly it was the worst option because it was to teach him the ball to the defender. Like any other resource, if it is used in the worst circumstances possible, for sure that will be the worst choice. The magic of this movement is to save a support to be able to make a change of address or a change of pace decreasing and unbalance the defender (already accustomed to only read and react to the ‘classic’ changes of hand under the legs of forward backward.
Ideal when the defender is in the race in his desire to continue standing (or re-filed) between Player With the Ball (JCB), and aro. It serves to catch contrapie the defender is not expected that a change that serves to stand. Usually strung together with a stop and shoot, or even to change direction and penetrate.

Objectives for teaching

1. To establish a correct position, with bent legs and braces separated to ensure a space from pass to the ball.
2. Throw the ball under the legs with the objective to maximize the amplitude of the pot.
3. Get the hand receiving prepared to daisy-chain to the next pot or the next action.

Most common errors

1. The legs are extended and/or the supports too many coming. It is physically very difficult for the ball to pass under the legs and if you do you may only have a few trajectories.
2. Keeps the hand pitcher on the upper side of the ball and does not direct the ball to the other hand.
3. Hand receiving is not going to meet the ball and you lose time by going to look for the ball.

Change of hand in reverse crossover)

Is the change of hand ideal to use when the defender rushes to steal. The attacker takes advantage of the defender rushes towards him to make progress by using a reverse that fulfills a double function:

• Protect the ball by placing their body in between the ball and the defender.
• Take advantage of the support to win the space and void the possibility that the defender to recover line ring-ball.

The only weak point of the change of the hand on the reverse is that for a moment the attacker loses sight of the ring , and everything that happens around.
Note: it is important that the teaching of the change of hand on the back accustom the player to turn first to the head and accompanied by the shoulders to gain speed.

Objectives for teaching

1. Observe that the defender has blocked the passage.
2. Use the foot closest to the defender as a shaft to swing back
3. Turn the head and accompanied by the shoulders.
4. Gain space with the foot behind the back.

Most common errors

1. Is not fixed in the defender closes the step, and if it does it is late and does not activate the movement.
2. Turn on the foot farthest to the defender and fail to earn the space.
3. Turn first the body and the head is the last part of the body. You will find ‘surprises’ after half a turn. It has taken back to see the situation of the game that has changed quite a bit. Loss of initiative.
4. After swing back supports the free standing very far away from the defender. Not to have claimed that space (nearest in progression towards the ring), the defender has seized the opportunity to reclaim space.

Progression methodology of the teaching of the changes of hand

When considering the progression, we propose to start with the change of hand in front, continue with changes of the hand behind the back and finish with changes beneath the legs. The change of hand in the back can be taught at any time since that can go ‘outside’ to not be so involved in the original movement of the hand exchange ahead (depends more on the turn).

• Changes of the hand in front:
  • In static
  • In continuous displacement
  • Change of address
• Changes of the hand behind the back:
  • Static (exercises 1×0 and 2×0 – combinable with passes chopped behind back).
    • Feet in parallel and aligned.
    • Feet in parallel, and with the foot closest to the hand that boot behind.
    • Feet in parallel, and with the foot furthest from the hand boot behind.
• Changes of hand under the legs:
  • In static:
    • with one foot front, back and forward (we started with this type of change because the angle of entry is higher and the output is easier to locate with the sight of the ball).
    • with a foot-front, front to back.
    • Same arrangement and in both senses.
• Changes of the hand in back:
  • in static, interspersed with the pot of protection.
  • on the move:
    • with a cone, or a patch of ground:
      • by making a small pause sandwiching the pot of protection.
      • doing the same thing as before, but without pause, and reducing to a minimum the number of supports.
        
• Exercise is a compilation of the changes of the hand in front, under the legs and behind the back.
  • In motion, bouncing over the intersection perpendicular two lines of the field of play (or on a line or for the more advanced, without references).
    • changing hands in front, taking a walk, and making the changes below the front leg. The same for the other side.
    • the same thing making the changes below of the back leg.
    • the same, with the difference that incorporates the change behind the back as an intermediate step (changes front, change under a leg, either forward or backward, aligning the other leg to make the changes behind and closing the cycle).

Final considerations

The changes of hand (front, behind the back, under the legs and on the back) are the tools that will be used by our players with guarantees when dealing with a 1×1 (either to overcome the ombudsman, or to go backwards or laterally, creating a space to throw in).
Mastering to perfection the 4 types of change it is very rare and the players themselves tend to feel a predilection for any of them based upon the security granted by the domain achieved after a lot of practice time.
It is our task make them see how important it is to master the 4 types of changes of hand position that each one of them has its advantages. Apart master each one of them, is the next task… to Be able to combine different changes of hand advanced combos and countermoves by if the defender persists in its efforts defensive 1×1 (so as not to extend more this article, we leave all that for another article).

For the moment, here are two videos about the changes of the hand that made Allen Iverson ‘The Answer’. Player expert in the use of these technical resources that made him formidable in any 1×1. It was not particularly high (measured 1,83 m) but it was devilishly fast and when he had the ball in the hands did almost what I wanted. Without a doubt, what made him so good was his ability to dissociate feet and hand to the pair that changed your craving speeds of their body segments.

Cedric Arregui Guivarch
Entrenador Nacional de Baloncesto (CES 2014)