General Rules:
If you don’t play defense you don’t play!!! Everyone plays 110% on defense!! If you make bad passes get your towel and sit on the bench!!! Play smart – Play a team game!!
Progression of
Our Team Defense
1. If the entire team is pretty weak or the team does not have a counter attack, not very fast or out of shape.
We will press everywhere!!! Press the ball!! No player on the other team gets to make an easy pass – they must be pressed.
-When you press and we (coaches or teammates) are telling you to “Let them pass” this means – press and turn them out so they cannot look at who they are passing the ball to. When they put their hand on the ball: NO FOUL. When they turn on their back: NO FOUL When they begin to move their arm for the pass hit their arm/elbow… forcing them to pass under pressure. Because:
We will be in passing lanes. The further away you are from the ball the more you can cheat up in a lane. If some makes a mistake and fouls – drop back somewhere between a lane and between your man and the goal. If you make a mistake and foul do not drop back to help but get ready to press again.
We must front two meters – between the ball and your man!! We must also front the deep wings… if there is a foul on the deep wings and we are fronting at two meters – the other deep wing defender must look to help the backdoor.
Now if a team is smart and they hear us saying NO Foul, let em pass and they can’t get the passes off – THEY WILL try to turn you. You must stay on their left shoulder!!! Do not get there after the turn – you must be there so they turn into you. If they turn the other direction and get a jump on you – you MUST counter spin and swim – do NOT get on their back!!! SWIM!!!
Our defense becomes our offense and we are up on Counters.
2. If the team has a good set that can get around our front:
We will try to match up our defenders and stay to the left shoulder.
3. If the have an awesome set and we are getting tooled and schooled at two meters we will:
1. In and Out
2. Look to Help
3. Dead Drop
4. If the set moves to mid cage or further to the strong side, we will:
“M” Defense
Counter Attacks
1. If you are up look swim back for the ball from the goalie.
2. If you are up and pass half tank – get on your back so the goalie can pass the ball on your hand – You must also know if the goalie is coming out.
3. If you one of the 1st players down and not up you MUST release for the ball!!! We want the ball to lead the counter attack!!! Would like the 1st release to be left- then look right (right swim about 3 lanes from the wall – stay out of dummy land) and we should be up in the center if we easily gross and go on the set.
4. When making a release do not sit and wait for the ball – you must either be swimming and release out – or swim back to the goalie.
5. If we are up 2 on 1 everyone come back defense. Don’t watch us take shots – go defense when you think we are going to shoot the ball.
6. Counter Attack – if your man is on you and we don’t need you to release – stunt them down the pool. Stunt them when you are on defense too.
