The amoeba defense was developed by Fran Webster, an assistant for the Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team.
[1] In the 1970s, Webster perfected the defense with Pittsburgh head coaches Charles Ridl and Tim Grgurich.
Pitt used the defense extensively in their 1974 season run to the Elite 8, winning 22 straight games in the process, before losing to eventual National Champion, North Carolina State in the East Region Finals (Elite 8).
The defender originally playing below the elbow then drops to front the offensive post player.
The defender originally occupying the space below the elbow on the opposite side of the ball has now dropped under the basket and has backside responsibility while the defender originally at the top of the key sits at the free throw line and has top side responsibility.
In the event of a skip pass the defender with backside responsibility would sprint out to guard the ball.
The defender at the free throw line then sprints out to deny the pass back to the top while the defender that had previously been denying the pass to the wing shifts back to the free throw line where they originally started.
In that situation both defenders up top both drop down to the free throw line to triple team the high post.
In the case that a triple team occurs, if a pass is made an offensive player may be left wide open for a shot if the defender does not close out quickly enough.