3.01 COLLECTIVE DEFENCE
(d) FRONT DEFENCE CLOSE TO THE KORF
Practising front defence in game situations
Four attackers against four defenders in one division.
A. The attackers are told to play for running-in shots. The defenders must use front defence to prevent the assist.
It won’t be easy for the attackers to make running-in shots, but this does not matter since it is an exercise for the defenders. Tell the defenders continuously if the front defence is good or not.
B. Tell the attackers how they can secure the best assist position (see examples in the section on assisting in Chapter 2 above) so that the defenders’ job becomes more difficult. Otherwise as A.
C. Tell the defenders that they have to speak to each other. They have to tell their colleagues that the assist is impossible and that the defence can give a lot of pressure to prevent a distance shot. In this way, scoring from distance is also made difficult.
Many teams play good front defence close to the korf, but still give lots of space to attackers in front of the korf. This allows a lot of shots and the attack can keep possession as the front defender has a very weak rebound position.
D. The attack may now try to profit from the strong front defence by moving away behind the korf to get good chances close to the korf. The defenders should not allow any easy chances and should follow as quickly as possible the attacker who moves away from the korf. But they must continue to play front defence.
E. Get the attack to play with a strong rebound player under the korf who allows the attack to keep possession. The defence must choose how to adapt to this new situation.
Various solutions are imaginable. If the shooting is poor, the defence can continue as above. Alternatively, the defence can move to a zone defence or can continue to front defend by the post but also try to win rebounds.