Each area of the court on the basketball field has its name and identity. It helps players and coaches to decide strategy and even helps the analysts to break down the plays run by each player.
When watching a basketball game you will often hear the commentators use the term wing to signify a specific area on the court.
There are areas on the court that are called “the wing position” and then there are certain plays in the game that are called “pass out to the wing”. To help you understand these terms better we are going to highlight the uses of these terms and what do they signify.
The basketball sport has its own set of vocabulary and knowing what each term means will help you understand the dynamic of the game and get used to the vernacular being used.
What is a Wing in Basketball?
The area on the Court called Wing:
In traditional terms, the wing area starts from the free-throw line to the end of the court line. The same applies to the other side of the court. From the free-throw lines to the end court line on either side is known as the wing area.
Nowadays the term has expanded to include the whole outer area of the court. Meaning that the wing area starts from the outside of the paint to the court line and lengthwise the area is spread between both the baselines is considered a wing area. Do keep in mind that this rule applies to both sides of the court.
Use of the terminology:
The coaches often use this term to signify the area where the players should position themselves during a game. This makes the term very important for the coaches and players to decide the different plays and strategies for any game.
Most strategies for the game are drawn up in the wing area. Hence the importance of the terminology rises even more. The understanding of the different areas of the court helps players and coaches to strategize and plan their plays accordingly to make their games better and perform well.
Another way to address the different areas of the court is the weak side and the strong side. The weak side is where the team doesn’t have the ball. The strong side is the one with the possession of the ball.
When the ball gets moving the side keeps changing based on which side has the ball. That way both the sides keep switching from the strong side to the weak side and vice versa.
Strategic importance:
Strategically the wing area is very important because players can draw out the defensive players make a move towards the basket and score.
This helps the basketball player to move closer to the basket the floor stretches and the field becomes more open for the players to make their move. The players who utilize the wings area well are the ones who can get a quick score as they draw out the players of the defending side.
The wing allows the offense to plan their strategy carefully and post underneath the basket as the offense moves to the wing area and defenders follow opening up the middle of the court.
This kind of strategic move incorporates the usage of the wing and a careful strategy to move the defenders out of the way and allow the offense team players to move into position near the basket.
An outlet pass: another one of the most important plays of the game can be performed with the help of this play. It allows the players to push the ball towards a player who is positioned near the basket after they have received a defensive rebound from the defending team.
Another ideal scenario to play out in this area would be to keep possession of the ball and try to keep dribbling it until the offense has a player stationed near the basket.
This allows the offense to plan their strategy and keep possession of the ball, as the defense is less likely to be able to steal the ball at this point.
Some of the above and many other scenarios allow the offense and the defense to plan their moves using the wing area. Hence its importance as an area for the players to maneuver becomes more imperative.
The second use of the term is wing players and it is used as follows.
The Wing Players:
Wing players are the team members who know how to make good use of the wing area. And they help their teammates by positioning themselves in the area where they can catch a pass easily.
Two positions, that are the shooting guard and the small forward are the players considered to be wingmen. They are also sometimes called the swingmen.
Their role as excellent swingmen and defensive players is very important. These players positioned in the wing area are known for their ability to pass and dribble the ball and assist the offense players in making the shot.
They also have the ability to defend against any kind of moves and plays executed by the opposing team’s swingmen.
Conclusion:
Now that we know all the meanings of the term wing and the various ways it’s used in. We are better able to understand the importance of this area on the court as well as the importance of the term itself.
It also helps us understand the strategies that can be made to ensure that the players can perform as they are expected to in these positions.