2.4 ASSISTING
(c) ASSISTING DISTANCE SHOTS
Practising good assists for veering-off and other distance shots
Groups of three with a ball per korf
A. Two players in front of the korf take veering-off distance shots. The emphasis is on good passing from the assist player, who also rebounds. After 20 assists, or three goals, for example, change functions
A good pass for a veering-off shot is not so easy. Many attackers are very sensitive to the need to receive the ball at the right speed, time and place. As soon as one of the three elements is missing, the shot often loses its accuracy. The job is therefore to emphasise continuously the value of a good assist.
The criteria for a good assist are difficult to put down on paper since it largely depends on the attacker in question. Some want fast straight passes, other like the ball to be played high, a third group moves very fast sideways, while type four stands almost still when shooting. In short, there are many possibilities. It is advisable that the assist player gets feedback from the attackers to whom they are passing the ball. As trainer, the only valid advice you can give is flat passes played to the outside hand.
B. As A, but now the assist player gives some bad passes on purpose – too slow or badly directed – so that it is difficult for the attackers to catch the ball cleanly, and therefore hard to make an ideal shot. The objective is to demonstrate the importance of a good assist.
Do exercise A yourself and give a few bad passes to let people feel how it is to shoot after a bad assist.
C. The shooters defend each other passively. The assist is now more difficult as the ball has to be played to the side of, or over, the defender.
It is of little use to put a defender against the assist player as the defender would always stand behind the assister and so would not hinder the pass.
D. As C, but now the pass is given from above the head (possibly with two hands). This method is more effective from under the korf as the defender is less likely to come into the path of the ball. Another argument for this pass is that it is quicker, after a rebound for example.
E. As A, but the assist player stands with his/her back to the shooter. When the shooter makes a veering-off shot, (s)he shouts, whereby the assist player turns and gives the pass.
F. Both shooters are stationary about six metres behind the korf. The assist player stands under the korf with his/her back to these players. As soon as a shooter shouts “yes,” the ball is passed over the head, backwards, to allow a distance shot. Extremely difficult, but also very surprising and some good shooting chances can come from this.
G. The assist player is about six metres diagonally in front of the korf. There is a rebound player under the korf and a shooter in front of the korf who takes veering-off shots to the left and right alternately. The emphasis is on a good assist. Change functions after awhile.
H. As G, but the assist player is defended by the rebound player in G. The assister collects each shot on the move.
I. The assist player is once again under the korf. The two shooters take it in turns to run in a straight line about eight metres from the korf (alternating between left and right) shooting with a quarter-turn. The assist for this shot – if the players move quickly – is a question of timing. It is certainly not easy. Change functions every three goals.
J. The assist player is about 10 metres in front of the korf. Both shooters stand by the post, in turns running to the side of the korf to receive a pass for a shot with almost a half-turn.
K. As J, but now the shooters can run in any direction away from the post. The assist player must now think quickly to give a short pass, a fast long pass, passes to either side of the korf, etc. The longer the pass is delayed, the further the attacker will have moved away from the korf.