What does it mean to crash the boards in basketball
Crash the boards, sometimes referred to as crashing the glass, is an alternative name for the gathering of an offensive or defensive rebound by one particular player after another player in possession of the basketball took a shot that did not go into the basket ring.
What is the general importance of crashing the boards
In general, it is important for players to crash the boards simply because it results in team possession of the basketball, which could potentially lead to scoring opportunities near the basket or near the perimeter areas of the court.
For example, let’s say that there are two basketball teams, denoted as Team A and Team B, that are playing standard full court 5 on 5 action.
Next, let’s say that Team A has current possession of the basketball and are executing a set play or strategy in terms of basketball offense while Team B implements man to man defense.
Following that, let’s also say that the offensive point guard of Team A takes a jump shot, which means that Team A no longer has possession of the basketball during the field goal attempt.
Furthermore, let’s also assume that the shot taken by the offensive point guard of Team A was of a lower quality (in other words, not a completely open shot) because the defensive point guard of Team B was able to successfully closeout and contest that shot attempt.
As a result, the offensive point guard misses the shot and after the ball bounces off the rim, the defensive power forward of Team B crashes the board, which would also be a defensive rebound in that case.
From that point, current possession of the basketball has now changed to Team B.
Afterwards, Team B would have an opportunity to execute their transition offense and attempt to score quickly or if that is not viable, Team B could simply run some type of set play or other offensive strategy for scoring purposes.
On the other hand, to give an alternative scenario, let’s briefly rewind back to the jump shot that was taken by the offensive point guard of Team A.
Let’s also say that the shot misses similar to the previous example. However, this time, let’s say that the offensive center crashes the boards, which would also be an offensive rebound.
When that occurs, Team A would regain current possession of the basketball since it initially ended during the field goal attempt by the offensive point guard.
Afterwards, the offensive center could try to score, particularly around the basket, and if that same player is successful in doing so, then that would be representative of second chance points for Team A.
What is a generally effective action that could increase the success of crashing the boards
A generally effective action that could increase the success of crashing the boards is simply for players to box out other opposing players.
Boxing out occurs when an offensive or defensive player gets positioned between the basket and an adjacent opposing player, particularly during a shot attempt, to increase their own chances of crashing the boards while at the same time, decreasing the chances for that same opposing player.
Also, in general, when a shot is attempted by an offensive player, one or more defenders would usually have a box out advantage over one or more respective offensive players.
This occurs because in most cases, defenders would already be in front of offensive players, mainly to contain the ball and prevent easy scoring opportunities near the basket such as layups or dunks.
So, once a shot gets released by an offensive player in possession of the ball, defenders can quickly turn, face the basket, execute the athletic stance, and then box out an adjacent offensive player for a potential defensive rebound.
However, it should also be mentioned that it is possible for an offensive player to get around the defensive player that is boxing them out for the inside position closest to the basket, particularly with great footwork and/or body fluidity.
From there, that same offensive player could gather an offensive rebound, which could then lead to second chance points.
Which basketball positions should emphasize crashing the boards
In terms of basketball positions, the traditional power forward or center should strongly emphasize crashing the boards because those types of post players would be typically near the basket, especially near the low post areas of the court, most of the time.
Putting it another way, as it relates to offense, the traditional power forward or center would play with their back to the basket and potentially score around the rim via different low post moves.
Furthermore, in most cases, those same traditional post players could also possibly defend against other traditional power forwards or centers.
In addition to that, the power forward and center are usually the tallest players with above average arm lengths and/or wingspans when compared to the point guard, shooting guard, or small forward of the basketball team.
So, because of that, it would certainly be a wise decision for those types of players to consider crashing the boards as much as possible, especially by way of solid box out skills as well.
Nonetheless, other basketball positions such as the point guard, shooting guard, or small forward could also provide assistance to the power forward or center in reference to crashing the boards when it is feasible to do so.