3.01 COLLECTIVE DEFENCE
(b) DEFENDING A DANGEROUS MAIN ATTACKER
Exercise where the whole division co-operates to defend a dangerous main attacker
Four attackers against four defenders in a division.
One division attacks for about three minutes. If the defenders intercept the ball, they give it back to the attacking team, which begins a new attack in front of the post. Change roles after three minutes.
A. The attackers agree who is to be the main attacker. This player will have the majority of the shots with the other primarily supporting, though still not ignoring completely their own shooting chances. The defenders do not know who is the attacker and must discover this during the game. Otherwise the defence has no specific instructions.
B. As A, but the defenders are told that the main attacker must be consistently defended. The personal opponent plays strict one to one defence and the other players try to play front defence close to the post.
C. As A, but now the defenders are told to mark the head attacker with two defenders. Assume that the attack has chosen a lady as the main attacker. Then her direct opponent will play one to one defence. The other female defender leaves her opponent free, unless she is within five metres of the korf, in order to watch the main attacker and her defender. If the main attacker breaks through, the second defender can then switch. This means that the direct defender can take more risks and play very close to the main attacker so as not to allow distance shots. Both of the men defend as in B. The attacking team continues to play the ball to the same lady as main attacker, even if she is so well defended that she hardly gets a chance to score (it is an exercise for the defence!).
D. As C, but now the attack may try to profit from the second attacker who is usually free.
E. As C, but now the head attacker is defended by all four defenders: both men leave their attackers free unless they come within six metres of the korf and play front defence close to the korf. In addition, they try to intercept the ball. Once more, the attack plays through the main attacker.
F. As E, but now the attack may make greater use of the three attackers who are hardly being defended. The defenders are therefore constantly required to judge whether to go close to their personal opponents or to stick with the chosen strategy against the main attacker. The choice to help the defender of the main attacker is clearly a risky one.