Why on earth would you mark in attack?
This advice flies in the face of most of the advice you will ever be given. Take a look at this video to see why though...
And to see how effective it will make you on the field!
Mark in Attack
Transcription:
The other concept I'd like to mention here is marking, not only in defense, but in attack also. Just to recap then. One is often told as the number one, to go up and wait for the ball to be passed.
This only works in low goal polo and for beginners who are very weak. It is far more effective at set plays, and where there's a slow release of the ball, to try to get on the offensive side of the player, at back and mark. As there's then, no protection for the goal and when the pass does come, you have the ball free with no back between you and the goal.
Take a look at the following scene, where this has done to perfection. Here, you can see a rather slow release from the blue back. But you will see that the player in blue, ending up at one, has beaten the player in white, ending up at back, and the goals are now open.
Let's look at that scene from a different perspective. Here you can see the player who has ended at two, even though he's got a number one on his Jersey, doing a fine job clearing the man to the edge of the field here.
And as they go, you can see that white eventually checks up and tries to slip back on his inside. And he does a great job, again, going back and clearing her out to the other edge of the field, allowing his teammate a free passage to the ball, and if she misses it, he's going to pick it up.
Let's look at another good example of this. Here you can see the beige team taking a spot hit from in front of the goals they're defending.
And you will see that the beige number one, has cleverly sneaked onto the offensive side of the black back, while he was watching the ball, and is now cleared wonderful space for the beige back to put the ball into, and he can then run onto that ball free.
And the black back will never be able to keep up with him, as he has put him on the edge of the field. Goal. In this next scene, one can see the player on the grey doing good work, defending in the goal mouth, and getting the ball to her high goal number three.
She then makes a good run and is able to get onto the offensive side of the defending blue player. Here, however, she cleverly does not run into space, but is very aware of where the blue is, and stays just ahead of him.
As the blue player is suckered into running to the outside to make the hook on her. She, instead of making a play on the ball, takes the man out and creates a fantastic goal scoring opportunity, which they convert.
You can see the man behind also doing great work, taking the man away and being there as great support when she misses the ball on a bouncy field. And in this example, one can see how many times the black number one could've marked and beaten a man very effectively to allow his team to attack.
One can see at this point, the opposing high goal player on his right side. And if he had marked him, and slowed him down even if he could only do it temporarily, this would have given his own high goal player some good options.
There you can see his own high goal player with the ball, and the black number one running into space. If the high goal player passed him the ball now, the other 2 white players on his right, are going to be able to get to him as he gets the ball, and he will probably loose it.
Where, if he had marked one of them, then you will see as the play develops, that if he had just cleared the proverbial rugby ball, as we have suggested in previous lessons, that he would have received that pass without the white player being able to defend.
Watch a lovely little reverse pass from the black number three, who has really good vision and knows that his black back is free behind him. An awesome pass from the black back into the goal mouth.
And there you can see, the black number one has not done what he should do and clear out the white number one. Who is then able to hit a clearing backhand, instead of the black number one easily scoring that goal.
