I see a few different types of person defense in my head. These can each be used at any point during play, and switched between within even the same possession.
Shutdown
Poachy
Baiting
Help
Lazy
Poachy
Baiting
Help
Lazy
This post will examine the help style of defense and how to execute it. Let me start by saying that I think everyone on the field should be looking to help most all of the time. But playing help defense is not always possible.
Your job in this style of defense is to leave your mark and help a teammate in order to make their mark's job harder and or generate blocks.
A key difference between poachy and help styles lies in when you leave your mark. When attempting to poach, you are leaving your mark preemptively to try to get a block or prevent a throw. When attempting to help, you are leaving your mark after a throw has gone up and you realize you may be able to make a play or make the offender's job harder by being there.
A key difference between poachy and help styles lies in when you leave your mark. When attempting to poach, you are leaving your mark preemptively to try to get a block or prevent a throw. When attempting to help, you are leaving your mark after a throw has gone up and you realize you may be able to make a play or make the offender's job harder by being there.
Here is the most prevalent example situation in which a help style is likely to work.
An opponent is going deep and you see that your teammate is beat.
An opponent is going deep and you see that your teammate is beat.
The biggest factor, in my experience, in determining success at this style of defense is your field awareness. You must have you head up and on a swivel. You need to be able to see things developing and be ready to leave your mark when the time comes.
Examples:
Leaving too early -
I anticipated that the throw would go up, but the thrower pumped it for one reason or another, and my mark got a free under because of it.
https://gfycat.com/ExemplaryCaringIrishwaterspaniel
Leaving too late -
Couldn't end up making a play.
https://gfycat.com/FearlessKindlyCopperbutterfly
Leaving on time -
End up giving up the inside position trying not to get skied, but I made his job harder than it would have been.
https://gfycat.com/HeftyFlawedCaudata
The throw ends up being poor and would've been a turnover anyway, but my teammate was beat and would've needed help had the throw been accurate.
https://gfycat.com/SeriousWarmFallowdeer
Who is your mark on the "Leaving on time" clip? Looked like you were already "playing safety" but working on deep throws it obviously helps.
ReplyDeleteThoughts on the advantage of being on the far side of the field for help, vs the short side?
Cool post and I like the Videos
Number 8 in dark. He was in the dead space and was not a threat so I was very much only looking to help at that moment in time. I think the other 'leaving on time' clip might be a better example now you mention it. In that clip my mark is the one cutting under (you can see jogging across), and though it isn't shown well in the clip, as I see the thrower winding up, I let him go and peel off.
DeleteFar-side vs short-side - Really depends on the force, the wind, the thrower. Each can have it's advantages. Coming from the far-side might catch the offender by surprise, but coming from the short-side will usually give you a shorter path to the disc.