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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 17/01/2012 20:00:07
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As I understand it, the basic idea of the pull pass is to enable the BC to approach the defensive line (close enough to hold a defender), get the ball to the receiver and give him sufficient time to readjust the ball and make an accurate, controlled pass before contacting the defensive line himself.
Stepping back to basic consideration of distances etc - how close does a BC have to get to the defensive line before he has held his opposite man, preventing him from drifting with the pass? Clearly, if the pass is made 10m from the line, the defender will just drift across. If the BC waits until he is 1m from the line he risks getting the ball knocked down and/or delivering a hospital pass to his intended receiver. These are extremes but one can see there is a point in between where the defender has been drawn. For sake of argument, let us say that distance is between 2 and 3m. Next we must consider how much time and therefore (because he is moving forwards) space a receiver needs to gather the ball, readjust his grip, find his target and make a pass himself. So we count back from the 2 or 3m already identified, adding the distance we think the receiver will need. This will be based on the time needed, let us say 2 sec and his speed in meters per second. Add to this the fact that the defensive line will move up.
I know that real life is rather more chaotic than that. But it is a starting point for considering these issues, depth of pass, timing of run, spacing in attack etc.
It is pretty easy to make a couple of flat passes and have the second receiver get nailed. Similarly, it is pretty easy to get a situation where attackers and defenders just drift across the field and end up in a pile about 10m from the last pile. What is harder is to move the ball across the field, prevent the defense drifting across and giving a wide runner a one on one in space. The deep pulled pass is A way of moving the ball whilst holding defenders. Take the ball to the line, pull back the pass to a deep runner who repeats. The defense will push up, but an outside defender must beware rushing up too fast and opening a gap behind him into which the ball carrier can run, cutting "over" his opposite man. A consideration of shallow passing to shallow runners reveals that it must either be done a good distance pre-line (in which case what stops defenders following the pass?) or if done close to the line will result in just one one or two passes before a player is caught in possession, the next pass being just too risky.
The passing technique shown does straighten the line of the runner. This is often a good thing as too often everything just goes sideways. Also, if the defender tries to drift early, the BC is well placed to cut inside him. (A swerve step/crossover step would do it). That little move towards the inside helps hold the defender as he must guard against the BC dummying and cutting inside. If the BC is moving in the direction of his pass, so will the defender. It may help get numbers to support the receiver but does nothing to stop the defense getting numbers in the tackle too. I guess it all depends on where and who. If you are trying to move the ball to a wide runner and not have the whole defensive back line arrive with the ball, it is a way of doing it. There will be, of course, plenty of situations where such a pass and such technique is inappropriate.
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Forum Guru
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 22/12/2010 15:51:42
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Excellent points, cjp. I coach in the US at the uni level, and I have a HUGE problem with getting my players (backs especially) to run straight lines (i.e., not "straight ahead", but deliberate lines that fix defenders and force defenders to do things that we want them to -- hold/fix them, or move them out of a channel/space that we want to attack in).
Everyone wants to be the guy who beats his defender, and usually tries to accomplish that by attempting to run around them. Very few understand the other roles in attack, such as the playmaker or supporter.
It's less of a problem on set piece play, but in phase play, it all goes south.
Nipper
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Supreme Being
Group: Administrators
Last Login: 06/01/2012 09:46:25
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Supreme Being
Group: Administrators
Last Login: 06/01/2012 09:46:25
Posts: 123,
Visits: 1,365
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Supreme Being
Group: Administrators
Last Login: 06/01/2012 09:46:25
Posts: 123,
Visits: 1,365
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Supreme Being
Group: Administrators
Last Login: 06/01/2012 09:46:25
Posts: 123,
Visits: 1,365
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