when did zone defense start in the nba
Zone defense Zone defenses were prohibited in the National Basketball Association prior to the 2001–2002 season. The NBA now permits the use of zones, though most teams don't use them as a primary defensive strategy, and defenses featuring an unguarded defender inside the free throw lane are now disallowed (a violation that results in a defensive three-second violation, which is a technical foul that was also implemented in the 2001–2002 season). The Dallas Mavericks are an example of an NBA team that regularly uses zone defenses. During the 2011 Playoffs, their zone defense was credited with slowing down offenses, forcing opposing players to determine which defense they were playing.[1] Zone defenses are more common in international, college, and youth competition because the defensive three-second violation makes it difficult for NBA teams to play zone, since such defenses usually position a player in the middle of the key to stop penetration.[2]