Abstract
The objects of this study were to clarify the circumstances that introduced 3-2 Zone Defense, the positioning of 3-2 Zone Defense, and the factors that demonstrated the effectiveness of 3-2 Zone Defense in Japan.
The results of the stud y are summarized below.
1. Before the introduction of 3-2 Zone Defense in Japan, the role of each position was distinctly divided. Up to four players were deployed for offence, and the defense tactic used against this was Man-to-Man Defense. In this defense, the number of defensive players was fixed to correspond to the number of offensive players on the opposing team, and it appears that the defense was performed by 4 players or less.
2. In 1924, Franklin H.Brown, who was invited by Waseda University as a coach to strengthen their team, was the person who introduced 3-2 Zone Defense. The 3-2 Zone Defense was the first 5-player defensive tactic used in Japan, and it was therefore dubbed the "Five Men Defense". The 3-2 Zone Defense was the only 5-person defensive tactic in Japan until the adoption of the Five-man Two-line Defense.
3. This 5 player 3-2 Zone Defense proved highly effective, unlike the 4-player defense utilized in Japan until then; it was possible to cover the space under the basket. Additionally, these 3-2 Zone Defense functioned as an effective tactic because the basketball courts in Japan of the day were narrow and slippery, and the layout of the court at the Tokyo YMCA, where many conferences were held, did not allow for a corner shot.
