Defense strategey and tactics

On the 22th of January 2009 I wrote about the order of objectives for the defence.
I think it is very important that the defender knows how to work with this order (strategy / tactics) during a match.


Sun Tzu Quote (“The Art of War”): “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat..”
If the reader can visualize an attack then he/she can imagine what the defender can do tactically.

Step 1: When the ball enters the attack, there will be pressure on position and pressure on accepting the ball.
Normally the ball enters the attack nearby the middle line. Here an attacker will accept the ball. The first objective of the attacker is to make an organization where all the players can come and play with the ball in their shot range. Obviously, an attacker who cannot accept the ball is not dangerous. An attacker who plays outside his/her shot range, is also not dangerous. The defense can start to hinder players to accept the ball in their shot range.

The defenders must always work to put pressure on the positions and possibilities (where and how) of the attacker to accept the ball. This means that while every defender plays as a guard, he or she should not only focus on the movements of the attacker in a 1-1 situation. The defender has a double task: he also has to know the position of the ball. Thus, by taking the position of the guard, the defender has to construct a triangle makes a triangle in his/her position:
a. so that he/she can observe his/her personal opponent;
b. the player who plays the ball and
c. the korf

So the defender is not defending precisely on the main ax of attacker and korf. He also has to keep enough distance from the attacker to change from an "open" to a "closed" (totally 1-1) position. In an open position (when there is 1 or 2 meters distance between defender and attacker), the defender can hunt his opponent, by giving pressure on position or sometimes even on the ball line.
The ball line is the line between the player who will pass the ball and the player who will accept the ball.
In an attack there are normally three possible ball lines. These lines are the lines between the player who possesses the ball and the three other players.
A good defender is reading and calculating which line is the most favorable and which line is the most predictable ball line. From his position he can work to exclude (close) the ball line from his opponent or to put enough pressure on the position of the attacker to make him move out of shot range.
A defender has success with his play when the attacker has to move further from the korf or when the attacker accepts the ball when he is not faced to the korf (centralized).

Step 2: Sun Tzu Quotes
“Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.”
“If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.”
First of all, the defender should know his own possibilities and limitations. Besides this, the defender should know the preferences of his opponent.
In training and matches the player can learn what his own possibilities are. The coach can be a guide for the player to help him to be aware of his talent (of course, a coach and players can also use video).

Before the match the coach can make a picture of the opponent:
• The lineup
• The process of the set-up of the attack
• The structure of the attack (3-1; 2-2a)
• The preferred roles of the players; the technical preferences and implementation of the players (strong and weak points)

Step 3: A defender should be aware that he/she has to change roles.
Mostly there is a development in defense, that moves from action to re-action

From Hunter to Guard.
From Guard to Center
From Center to Guard
From Guard to Guerrilla
From Guerrilla to Guard

Step 4 Defense and cooperation

In modern korfball defense is not an individual action; there are the systems of front defense and back defense. But by a special implemenation of roles there are possiblities to cooperate between the two. The Center, Guerrilla and the Hunter roles can be used especially well to cooperate with the Guard.

Back Defence: Cooperation and communication

Photo's: Cor Mantel (Stuntmantel)

System: Back defence as an option of team defence

The option of back defence was a logical development after the introduction of front defence.

Back defence developed when defenders were confronted with many shots in the same attack. The attack could go on / continue because after every shot the attack won the ball (attackers rebound). The chance to score is higher if an attack can repeat shooting during one attack.
In front defence the Center and the Guard of the Wolf, defend the ball line to the zone of the post. They try to prevent or to hinder the pass inside that zone.
The consequence is that the Center is blocked out by the Bear. So when there is a shot, it is very difficult for the Center to come into a rebound position.
The same is counting for the Guard of the Wolf. The Guard is busy to prevent an inside pass. This Guard is on the help side of the Guard who is defending the Tiger. The consequence is that the Guard of the Wolf is not in the best position for intercepting when the ball falls down after the shot.

There was another development that made back defence opportune.
Defenders were so focused to come in front defence that the Bear and the Wolf by tricks could conquer very good shooting positions around the post. The result of front defence in every situation and till every price was that the Bear and the Wolf could make easily goals.

After this happen very often, the defence should look for a better strategy to intercept the ball after a shot and furthermore the defence should not give always help to the Guards of Tiger and Panther.

In principle the strategy of Back Defence aims
- To rebound the first shot: effect can be winning the ball by the defence;
- To hinder the organisation of the attack: effects can be losing time and tempo and being confused in building up the attack.

To rebound the first shot
When players started to play back defence the distance shot (6 – 8 meters) was in general a chance of about 10 percent. This fact gave possibility to the defence to start the 1-1 defence in the zone of the post. Every defence player around the post was in a back defence position and blocked out their personal offensive opponent.
The offensive players were challenged by the “Guards” to make long distance shots. Very often the attackers ran into this trap and after that the ball was immediately intercepted after the first shot.

To hinder the organisation of the attack
In Korfball scoring is difficult. The very best Tigers score by distance shot about 15 to 30 percent. (I.e. The Dutch Tigers and Panthers in the last match Belgium – Netherlands, 01/02/2009, scored: 1/7; 3/17; 4/10; 7/21)
To consider these facts then it is useful that the attack will be organized before a Tiger makes a shot from distance.
To be organized means at least that there is a strong Bear in the blocking position around the post.
The Bear is ready to rebound the shot that fails.
By playing Back Defence the blocking rebound position for the Bear is not open and free. The Center blocks out the Bear.
To get that position the attack has to play a trick: the ball has to come in an assist position nearby the post then the Bear can go by a special roll circuit to the rebound position.
Now a day this “obstacle” means for the attack loss of time (shot clock!) but also the obstacle / barrier can mean breaking tempo of the attack. Attacks get used to this barrier in their development of the attack. Normally the attack solves the organisation problem and then the real attack can start. But there are still attacks who will be confused by this kind of back defence when they start to build up the attack they can not do their routines.

Now a day the development of the power of the attack, the average scoring of four top players in one section is very effective. That makes back defence not that useful as 10 years ago. There are players who scores so easy from distances of 6 meters from the post that they should not need a Bear in the rebound. (The best Tigers score 50% from less than 6 meters of the post and this is not an exception. Also the best Bears and Wolves score more than 50 %, the chances around the post (1-4 meters).
The consequence of the development of the scoring skill of the attackers is that back defence means a strict 1-1 defence against all the attacker’s roles.

Sometime it is useful to vary between front defence and back defence even during one attack. The defence can confuse the organisation of the attack and break down the tempo of the attack. In relation with the shot clock this strategy can helpful to confuse the attack. They get nervous when the shot clock runs down to ).
This variation needs a very good communication between the defenders. Mostly this communication gets support by players from the other section. Attackers in the other section inform the defenders where the danger by the opponent attackers is coming.
Back defence can use as a strategy to force the attack to an unwanted rotation. The Panther or the Tiger are forced to go for the rebound position. So the Wolf and the Bear have to conquer for free positions from where they have to make a scoring attempt. This give the defence a good chance for an interception by a steal or a defence rebound.




 

Front defence: Cooperating for one goal

In korfball, cooperating is a pleonasm. Every player knows that he cannot play solo in korfball. Even so, in (top) korfball, cooperation is a very complex organization.
In the defence section, the players cooperate with one common goal: to prevent the opponent from scoring. Even the novice immediately learns the basic rule of cooperation: "give, go, give and shoot".
Cooperating in defence means more than just 1 to 1 defence.
First of all, every cooperation within the defence can only succeed when there is a game plan. This game plan consists of the choice for a particular form of organization against the attack of the opponent.
The game plan is defined by the strategy of the coach: how he thinks his team can prevent the opponent from scoring and subsequently, how the defence of the opponent can be beaten to score.

Strategy

The first problem that a coach should solve is the balance of the line up. In (top) korfball there should be a balance between the two sections in the line up.
(After every two goals in a match, players have to change their roles: attackers become defenders and defender become attacker, which means that during a top korfball match sections of teams have to change their functions more than twenty times.)
In the game plan it is important to make a strategy what sections starts as defence and who is playing against whom.
The organization in defence is an interactive answer on an organization of an attack. To make the choices for an organization the coach should study the way of playing and the options in the attack of the opponent.
The organization of defence of a team is also based on the idea that you can win enough time so that the own attack can go for goals and beat the defence of the opponent.

Structures
The organization of defence is a strategy based on the possible strategies played out by the attack of the opponent.
The composition of the korfball attack is mostly based on a hierarchic structure (top down structure) of different roles. In the composition of the attack the coach can use different roles: Tiger (main attacker); Panther (the second attacker); Bear (the rebounder) and the Wolf (the transporter and assister). While the names of the different roles all refer to killers of the animal world, they vary because they operate in specific (different) areas.
- Tiger and Panther operating in the area where they can make long shots.
- Panther and Wolf operating in the areas where they can make the so called short shots;
- The area of the Bear is around the post.
Because all players can kill in their specific area (can score) they can execute their specific roles much better.
In (top) korfball the organization of the four attackers and their roles can rotate. Yet, it is important to realize that the quality of the Tiger (the main attacker) is mostly leading in the composition of the attack.

The quality of the Tiger and Panther will be determined by:
a. the quantity and quality of the Tigers shots (In a match the Tiger will make about 20 - 30 shots from long distance and short distance. His scoring percentage is about 20 to 25 %. The Panther operates as a kind of back up in tempo, next to the Tiger)
b. The quality of the duel with the Guard. The quality of the duel has to do with the way he can conquer a free position and the time that the attacker needs in free position to collect himself for to make a balanced shot.
Normally the Bear and the Wolf make less than 10 shots during a match, while their scoring percentage is very high (sometimes 50%).
The coach scouts the structure of the opponents attack.
The structure in defence is mostly:
Tiger will be defended by a Guard*;
Panther will be defended by a Guard or Guerrilla*;
Wolf will be defended by a Guard or Guerrilla*;
Bear will be defended by a Center*.
* See for the special qualities of Guard, Center and Guerrilla the articles in this blog.

System: Front defence as an option of team defence

The system of defence consists of
- the cooperation of roles in defence;
- the relation between 1-1 defence and zone defence;
- the rotation of roles of the players;
- the coaching by the players themselves during play.

In 1972 during a clinic for coaches, when I was still a young coach I demonstrated front defence. Before that time korfball was played only by 1-1 defence against an attack.
The attack was organized as a kind of pattern that can be described as 2-2.
Two main attackers were the male players and the female players were the assisters.
Female players scored hardly. They played around the posts and assisted the male players who made the shots: distance and running in shots.
The male players made a lot of long shots in that time. But generally the long distance shot was not that successful. The total score of matches was mostly only 16 goals (like 10 - 6). Players loved to make running in shots.
The technique of the running in was an example of how skillful the male players were.
In the run they demonstrated a ball handling that was considered difficult. But in fact the running in shot was already more successful in matches.

The theme of the clinic in 1972 was "front defence", which was a new way of defence at the time.
The main idea was that defenders should not give the option for "give, go, give and shoot".
Which meant that the female defenders around the post were to keep the position in front of her opponent, at the ball side. Which would result in a blocked ball-line to the post.
If it is impossible to break-through with the ball, attackers can only make long shots. If attackers can only conquer free positions for distance shots, the other defenders are more free to follow everywhere in the space.
Today, the principle of front defence is still largely the same. But of course there are developments also in front defence.

Front defence: Cooperating by "Pressure on ball lines” or by deliberately "Open ball lines".

We established that in top korfball, the Tiger should opt for more goals than the Panther, the Wolf and the Bear. The Tiger needs support by the Wolf or Panther.
The Wolf's best position for assisting is straight in front of the post and in the funnel of the Tiger. (Main attacker’s axe)
When the Tiger can pass the ball in the funnel, just in front of the post (the best assist position), the Tiger can duel for free positions in a space of 360 degrees. When there is front defence it is very hard to get the ball in this "best" position. (Pressure on the ball line into the funnel)
When there is front defence, the Tiger is forced to look for side passing (open ball lines) and the Panther and the Wolf can assist the Tiger only by side passing. (The double pass: short and long passing and go for distance shot). The areas of the free positions for the Tiger are restricted by forcing, that assist passes can only come from aside. Forcing that only assist passes can come from aside, which will give better possibilities to the Guard of the Tiger. The Guard has to defend 270 degrees of the attacker’s space of the Tiger.
The defenders can try to force that the pass has to go to the side of the section by opening the space to one of the attackers who is not expected to finish the attack by distance shots, mostly a Wolf. The Guerrilla who has to play against the Wolf gives open ball line near by the sidelines, after that the Guerrilla has given pressure on the ball in the line between Tiger and Wolf.
The Wolf is forced by the Gurerrilla to play nearby the sidelines . There the Wolf gets a free position and the Guerrilla allows the pass from the Tiger to her. In the same time the Guerrilla (see the role of the Guerrilla) squeezes into or nearby the funnel of the Tiger. So it becomes more difficult for the Tiger to find the best assist and fighting for a very good chance in the funnel nearby the post.
By giving a lot of freedom only in zones nearby the lines to the Wolf, the Panther who is playing normally next to the Tiger has to go to an area “lower” in the section. By doing that, the Guard of the Panther can give some free space to the Panther and this Guard can move to the “helpside”, that is moving more to the funnel of the Tiger or to the rebound area of the Bear. The Panther is then in an unguarded position but he can use that free position when he can receive a long pass. During that time the Guard of the Panther can come back in his first position: guarding 1-1 the Panther.
Now the Bear cannot only focus to block the Centre he should also be aware that the Guard of the Panther who is nearby, can steal a shot.

Today, the front defence gives more options than only defending the post zone by Centre and Gurrilla.
There are options for giving pressure by 1-1 defence but also pressure on ball lines and deliberately open ball lines. These options has to do with the power of the attack, especially the dominance power of the Tiger and the way the other roles cooperate and the qualities of “killing” (statistics of scoring percentage can help to make a game plan) by Wolf, Panther and Bear.
In a match the coach or also the defenders themselves, have to make adjustments depending on the attacker's strenghts and weaknesses.

The Guerrilla, With Chinese translation

Photo: Elke de Gram

Photo : Hans van den Broek

The Guerrilla
the role in Korfball Defence (also Chinese translation)

General description

The Guerrilla player is mostly a female player. She is playing against a Wolf who is
more busy transporting the ball and less focussed on shooting. This Wolf has
structural less attempts of shots and less goals when you read her statistics.

The Guerrilla is fast and can read the intentions of the interaction of the attackers,
especially the process of cooperation between Tiger and Wolf. The Guerrilla has a
very good skill in ball handling and can act very fast The Guerrilla's first intention
is to irritate the cooperation process in the opponents attack. She is a persistent
threat for interrupting the intentions of the Tiger and Wolf. She is coming in the
ball lines and in the running lines of the Tiger. She likes to come in or nearby the
funnel of the Tiger and Panther and does that by coming in front of the Wolf who is
ready for to receive the ball and starting an assist.
The Guerrilla is after a shot ready to read the bounce and the drop down of the ball
for intercepting the ball. The Guerrilla is the best help for the Guards and the Bear in
the korfball defence.

Special skills of the Guerrilla

The Guerrilla can read the process in the attack of the opponent. She has a good
feeling, sense of anticipating, for the intentions of the attack. She can read the
direction, tempo and timing of the cooperation. She has to interrupt these cooperation.

The Guerrilla can change her attitude flexible during the match. She develops her
options as a defender during the match. From a Guard to a sweeper, the Guerrilla.
She can come back in the same match, sometimes in one attack, from a Guerrilla to
a Guard.

Normally she starts as a Guard in a strict 1-1 and by doing that she reduces the task
of the Wolf, her direct opponent, only to transport the ball. She pushes the Wolf out
her best shooting area and prevents shooting by the Wolf. So in the start of the match
she hinders that her opponent, a Wolf can receive a ball. She diminishes the option of cooperation by pressure the ball line to her Wolf.

The Guerrilla has the feeling (timing) when she can leave the 1-1 task and start
breaking cooperation in the attack funnels.

The biggest result in her defence role is when the attackers has the feeling if they
play against an extra defender who is playing always in funnels where the ball should
go.

The Guerrilla should be a very fast runner and can change very quickly the directions.

She knows that her role is very risky. But the Guerrilla can calculate the balance
between risk and control and she is able to switch between 1-1 and to play as a
sweeper.

The order of tasks of the Guerrilla is

* Prevent shots of her personal opponent, a Wolf.
*To give the Tiger, Panther and Wolf an extra problem in the direction of passing the
ball; and by the tempo of passing the ball. The Guerrilla irritates the play of the Tiger
and Panther and Wolf. The Guerrilla is persistent nearby or in the funnels of run
ways and ball lines.
*To intercept the ball during a give and go and give and after a shot which bounces on
korf and drop down. She is continuous plague, also for the Bear. The Guerrilla is tall
enough to block out a Bear who has to run after a ball which is dropping down.

 

The Center

Photo: Cor Mantel


The role of the Center in the korfball defence
Description of the Center Role

The center, is the defender who is guarding the Bear. The Bear is the attacker who takes care of the rebounds nearby or under the post.

The center is normally the tallest player in the defense division. (1.85 – 2.00 mtrs) He is strong and has a good body mass as well. In many cases the Center’s primary role is to defend the Bear: don’t give any shooting chance to the Bear. He plays 1-1 against the Bear around and close to the korfball post. The Center who possesses size along with athleticism and korfball skill constitutes an unparalleled assets for a division and team. The Center is often a good jumper.

Special skills of the Center

1. The Center can play a strict 1- 1. The Center will always be aware of the Bear's position.

2. The Center can read where the ball will drop after a shot. He is ready to duel with the Bear,
after each shot for intercepting the ball. The Center is aware of the tension between risk and
control. The risk is in the duel: the tension between rebound chance and the chance of losing
the defense position. The control is: no shooting chance for the Bear.

3. The Center can change his position depending on the position of the ball and by doing that he
closes the ball line to the post. (front defense)

4. The Center can do different actions together:
· Guarding the Bear;
· Coaching his Guards; From the position of the Center he is able to coach the Guards and the
Guerrilla, players who are defending very often with their back to the ball.
· Guarding the ball line to the area, back of the post;
· Guarding the assist area just in front of the post where the Wolf will assist Tiger and Panther
· To overtake the role of the Guard of the Tiger or Panther. The Center should always be
ready to rotate roles.

The Guard and The Hunter

Defence: 1-1 the role of the guard and the Hunter
Defence is very often a topic that we don’t give enough attention. Coaches and players
think very often that defence is an issue you pass through on the way to a score.
Defence is in top korfball the other side of the balance.

A good defence gives the attackers really time for to score. For the defence the
order of importance should be borne in mind. The defender (Guard) of the Tiger
and (Hunter) of the Panther (main attackers) is of more (of another) importance than that of the defender of either the assist (can be Guerrilla) or rebound (Centre)

The instructions to all defenders are:
• prevent attempt of shots• block attempts to score
• hinder attempts to score thereby influencing the accuracy
• with a chance of a distance shot by the attacker don't change to allow a running-in
opportunity
• provide assistance to fellow defenders with front defence
• impede the organization of the attack
• intercept the ball

The Bubble the basic idea of 1-1:

The defender should know be aware of the following points:
1. The defender has to avoid that his opponent makes shots. He can do this to play a
strict 1-1. This should happen in an area which is called the bubble. See the design.
The straight arm of the defender should reach the ball in the hands of attacker
which are in shooting position.

2. The defender should not stand erect A good rule for a lower crouch is: Make sure the
head of the Guard/Hunter is always lower than the head of the Tiger/Panther the defender
is guarding. By standing lower the Guard/Hunter is more ready to move. The weight of the
body of the Guard/Hunter should be to the back foot. Get in the Tiger's/Panther's bubble and
have your weight back. Guard/Hunter often stay too far away from their tiger and Panther.
When the Guard/Hunter is not in the bubble and the Tiger/Panther receives the ball or he
fakes without getting the ball and then the defender starts to move forward, the Guard/Hunter is too late to get to the bubble. His weight is forward so that the Guard/Hunter can not possibly beat the Tiger/Panther where he is going. The Guard/Hunter should be always in the bubble when the Tiger/Panther receives the ball in his hands. The Guard/Hunter needs a lot of communication especially by the Center defender.

3. Get in the bubble of the Tiger/Panther. This means the Guard/Hunter plays in a good defensive position.
Position means so close that the Guard/Hunter could slap the ball if the Tiger/Panther should hold the ball in shot position. To play good defence the Guard/Hunter must consistently be in that bubble. Even along there is front defence the Guard/Hunter should be able to get in the Tiger's/Panther's bubble. Every time the Tiger/Panther gets the ball, the Guard/Hunter strives to be in the bubble. The Guard/Hunter will be a constant irritation.

4. Position of the hands. When the Guard/Hunter expects the Tiger/Panther will get the ball, or the Tiger/Panther has the ball, in the shooting range, the Guard/Hunter should use his hands. “Hands up” at that special moments. If the Tiger/Panther with the ball is in shooting range, the Guard/Hunter should have one hand up almost touching the ball. The Guard/Hunter is prepared to block the shot. In this moment the Guard/Hunter is allowed to raise his body for an active block. When the Guard/Hunter defends a running Tiger/Panther. The hands of the Guard /Hunter do not have to be up.

De basis van het verdedigen; the basic rules of 1-1 Defence, Bubble1對1的防守原則

Dinsdag, 7 Oktober

Verdedigen, 1-1 = aandacht voor de rol van de guard
Het schaduwen of plakken of in “ the bubble blijven", staat centraal.
De tekening probeert “the bubble" of de "bel” uit te leggen.
1. Verdedigen gebeurt op armafstand, dat is de afstand tot de bal die in schotpositie is bij de aanvaller.
2. De houding van de verdediger is lager dan die van de aanvaller. Het hoofd van de verdediger is bij gelijke lichaamslengte ongeveer iets hoger dan de schouders van de aanvaller
3. De gewichtsverdeling van de verdediger die altijd met een been naar voren staat is gericht in de richting van de korf. De verdediger is altijd klaar om met een stap naar achteren de dreiging naar de doorloopbal op te vangen.
4. Schaduwen / plakken van de verdediger of de verdediger blijft in de bubble/bel , geeft aan de aanvaller geen voorsprong die later bij balbezit van de aanvaller ingehaald moet worden. De verdediger voorkomt hiermee dat looprichting van de aanvaller botst met de looprichting van de verdediger.
5. De verdediger kan zo nodig wanneer een aanvaller dreigt te passeren zijn voorste voet wisselen . Een rechtshandige aanvaller heeft vaak voorkeur om over de linker voet van de verdediger te passeren. In dat geval begint de verdediger met zijn rechter voet voor.
6. De verdediger gebruikt zijn armen bij balbezit van de aanvaller. Staat de rechter voet voor dan gebruikt de verdediger zijn rechter arm en beweegt actief naar de bal. Staat de aanvaller met zijn linker voet voor dan wordt de linker arm gebruikt.
7. De verdediger blokt een geschoten bal en komt daarvoor omhoog uit zijn “zit”. Blokken is wat anders dan slaan. Slaan is een beweging die hoog begint en laag eindigt. Blokken is een hoge stevige handhouding die hoog blijft .

Voor hen die niet de volgorde van het verdedigen in de 1-1 (rol van de Guard)kennen nog eens de hoofdregels, zoals ik ze opschreven heb in “KORFBAL CONCEPTEN”

“De opgaven voor alle verdedigers ( hoogste niveau) zijn:
1. Geen schotpogingen toestaan
2. Schotpogingen blokken
3. Schotpogingen hinderen, de zuiverheid beïnvloeden door een hoge handhouding en daarmee een hoge (schot) boog afdwingen
4. Een kans van afstand voor de aanvaller, nooit inwisselen voor een doorloopbal. Dat is een 100% kans geven in ruil voor een kans die kleiner is dan 25%
5. hulp geven aan de medeverdedigers zoals overnemen en voorverdedigen. Let wel dit komt lang niet op de eerste plaats van de opgaven. Voorverdedigen is hulp en dus een gift aan de verdediger die onder druk staat. Het is een luxe en lang niet altijd nodig. Hier is dus ook een inschatting van het risico nodig.
6. Organisatie van de aanval bemoeilijken ( bijvoorbeeld: gezamenlijk press op looplijnen van de aanvaller) Riskante onderneming tegen aanvallers die goed zijn in het lezen van de verdediging.
7. Onderscheppen van de bal. Veel Nederlandse teams spelen te snel op onderscheppen. Op lager niveau (ook bij jeugdkorfbal) is dat een goede tactiek, want hier is het schotpercentage erg laag en kan dat risico worden genomen. Op hoger niveau, Korfbal league, is het spelen op onderscheppen van de bal riskant. Vaak wordt dan een voorsprong aan de aanvaller weg gegeven. Met het gevolg een inhaalactie van de verdediger die op het niveau van de KL een doelpunt moet opleveren voor de aanvaller

Defence: 1-1 the role of the guard

Defence is very often a topic that we don’t give enough attention. Coaches and players think very often that defence is an issue you pass through on the way to a score.
Defence is in top korfball the other side of the balance. A good defence gives the attackers really time for to score.
For the defence the order of importance should be borne in mind. The defender (Guard) of the Tiger and Panther (main attackers) is of more (of another) importance that that of the defender of either the assist (can be Guerrilla) or rebound (Centre).
The instructions to all defenders are:
• prevent attempt of shots
• block attempts to score
• hinder attempts to score thereby influencing the accuracy
• with a chance of a distance shot by the attacker don’t change to allow a running-in opportunity
• provide assistance to fellow defenders with front defence
• impede the organization of the attack
• intercept the ball

The Bubble the basic idea of 1-1:

The defender should know be aware of the following points:
1. The defender has to avoid that his opponent makes shots. He can do this to play a strict 1-1 This should happen in an area which is called the bubble. See the design. The straight arm of the defender should reach the ball in the hands of attacker which are in shooting position.
2. The defender should not stand erect. A good rule for a lower crouch is: Make sure the head of the Guard is always lower than the head of the Tiger or Panther the defender is guarding. By standing lower the Guard is more ready to move. The weight of the body of the Guard should be to the back foot. Get in the Tiger’s bubble and have your weight back.
Guards often stay too far away from their Tiger and Panther. When the Guard is not in the bubble and the Tiger receives the ball or he fakes without getting the ball and then the defender starts to move forward, the Guard is too late to get to the bubble. His weight is forward so that the Guard can not possibly beat the Tiger where he is going. The Guard should be always in the bubble when the Tiger receives the ball in his hands. The Guard needs a lot of communication especially by the Center defender.
3. Get in the bubble of the Tiger. This means the Guard plays in a good defensive position. Position means so close that the Guard could slap the ball if the Tiger should hold the ball in shot position. To play good defence the Guard must consistently be in that bubble. Even along there is front defence the Guard should be able to get in the Tiger’s bubble. Every time the Tiger gets the ball, the Guard strives to be in the bubble. The Guard will be a constant irritation.
4. Position of the hands. When the Guard expects the Tiger will get the ball, or the Tiger has the ball, in the shooting range, the Guard should use his hands. “Hands up” at that special moments. If the Tiger with the ball is in shooting range, the guard should have one hand up almost touching the ball. The Guard is prepared to block the shot. In this moment the Guard is allowed to raise his body for an active block.
When the Guard defends a running Tiger or Panther. The hands of the Guard donot have to be up.