My newly formed team has just started practicing and we have one main problem. We cannot play defense and our back guys can never cross it up and lock down the 50(including me). We seriously need help. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Defense Drills
- Thread starter ncpaintballkid
- Start date
Practice some 3 on 2 and 4 on 2 drills with your 2 backmen. Their job should be to hold off the other team for 2 minutes by crossing up their lanes.
Start with 2 backmen in their back bunkers. Facing them are 3 or 4 players spread out across the field in mid and forward positions. The backmen need to hold the other team off for 2 minutes to win.
Start with unlimited paint until the backmen start winning, then start limiting the paint to a hopper and 1 - 2 pods. This will help them learn to conserve their paint, as they would probably be low in an end-game situation.
Crossing up means the back guys need to look crossfield and, most importantly, talk to each other constantly. They should be shooting controlled bursts to keep the other team in, not constantly dumping. They need to tell each other where the opponents are and if they need to shoot tape. For example, the right backman has a left tape target wrapping around the outside of his bunker to shoot at him. If the left back comes out and puts a couple of balls down the tape, he'll keep the tape player in. If he's lucky he may even eliminate the tape player.
Start with 2 backmen in their back bunkers. Facing them are 3 or 4 players spread out across the field in mid and forward positions. The backmen need to hold the other team off for 2 minutes to win.
Start with unlimited paint until the backmen start winning, then start limiting the paint to a hopper and 1 - 2 pods. This will help them learn to conserve their paint, as they would probably be low in an end-game situation.
Crossing up means the back guys need to look crossfield and, most importantly, talk to each other constantly. They should be shooting controlled bursts to keep the other team in, not constantly dumping. They need to tell each other where the opponents are and if they need to shoot tape. For example, the right backman has a left tape target wrapping around the outside of his bunker to shoot at him. If the left back comes out and puts a couple of balls down the tape, he'll keep the tape player in. If he's lucky he may even eliminate the tape player.
Not a drill... but anyway:
My team placed some new guys at the back corners. These guys had rec experience, but not much SupAir practice.
The idea was to have a solid and agressive front/midfield line... So we were being crunched big time on the field.
Place your steadiest guys on the back: When things look great it's because they're dominating the field. When it turns ugly... they are the lonely ones keeping the other team away from wining and eventually they are the ones that turn the tables on the opposition and get to hang the flag.
Hope it helps sum
My team placed some new guys at the back corners. These guys had rec experience, but not much SupAir practice.
The idea was to have a solid and agressive front/midfield line... So we were being crunched big time on the field.
Place your steadiest guys on the back: When things look great it's because they're dominating the field. When it turns ugly... they are the lonely ones keeping the other team away from wining and eventually they are the ones that turn the tables on the opposition and get to hang the flag.
Hope it helps sum
If you know you have to cross it up and lock it down, how come you don't? If we knew some more details about this, then we would be able to give some more advice.
Well...... What I mean is when we try to get our guns crossed up we have a serious problem with people moving up on the sides. (keep in mind we are using a spool field which is a pain in the arse). We just have a problem keeping people off our sides when we cross it up and setting up a strong defense.
It's all about covering your lanes, communication and trust.
- keep the crossfield lanes covered. Look for the guy farthest up the field on the opposite tape. That's your point of reference. Post on him, lay suppressing fire, look a bit behind him for shots and look for people moving up that tape. Don't look at your tape unless your partner tells you there's a shot to take. If you shoot down your tape, do it quick and rotate back inside looking for another shot. Don't forget to stay tight.
- make sure you keep communicating. Tell each other what you see, who's where, what the threats are. Make sure you listen to what your partner tells you so you know if there's a tape or wrap shot you can take.
- you have to trust your partner to do his job and cover your tape. If he doesn't watch your back, the other team is going to move up your tape or the center of the field and you'll end up getting bunkered. Practice will help build the trust you need for this.
There are some good articles on this in the Classroom section. Check 'em out and practice, practice, practice.
re
imagine that the two back guys are like 'Bishops' in a chess game, they can only shoot diagonally! unless told that there is a shot down the tape, and as previously said, take the shot and get back on your angle, cos as soon as you look down the tape your opposite will move up for a better angle! this is where a good snap shooter with a calm and concise approach will take players out. cos when they are in greater numbers they will take larger risks (unless they are top pro's) ultimatly you are responsible for not letting anyone bunker your mate and vice a versa.
listen for distinct sounds as well, like the top of a pot opening, or a hopper spinning, or when the shooting stops, these are all factors that you need to be aware of!
basically get yourself in these positions on the training field and you will soon see weaknesses and strengths.
imagine that the two back guys are like 'Bishops' in a chess game, they can only shoot diagonally! unless told that there is a shot down the tape, and as previously said, take the shot and get back on your angle, cos as soon as you look down the tape your opposite will move up for a better angle! this is where a good snap shooter with a calm and concise approach will take players out. cos when they are in greater numbers they will take larger risks (unless they are top pro's) ultimatly you are responsible for not letting anyone bunker your mate and vice a versa.
listen for distinct sounds as well, like the top of a pot opening, or a hopper spinning, or when the shooting stops, these are all factors that you need to be aware of!
basically get yourself in these positions on the training field and you will soon see weaknesses and strengths.
- To me, when you're crossed up, it's your job to keep your partner from getting bunkered. Out of necessity, some of the other team will get VERY close to both of you, and this will make you antsy, but you have to hold tight, tell your partner what's happening, and stay on the trigger when you need to. I occasionally peek down my tape but I never fire more than two shots down the tape 'cause I've had my partner bunkered because I wasn't looking. Mainly, I peek down the tape to catch someone my partner couldn't see, or to make them tuck in and take the pressure off my partner.
-Also, when you're crossed up and your partner is still in, if someone comes to bunker me on my tape side, and my partner's side is still hot, I don't spin to shoot the guy, and I don't try to pick him off. I just keep shooting in front of my partner and trust him to shoot out the guy before the guy gets to me. Then, if the ref trys to pull me for shooting while dead, I just point out the fact that I never shot at my bunkerer yet he had paint on him before he got to me. There was never a trade after he shot me. Therefore I was still alive, and was allowed to shoot. How did I know he had paint on him? I trusted my partner that he would mark the guy before he got to me. Some people call that playing "gray". I call it trusting your partner. If you're wrong, you get a 1-for-1.
- As a side note: I've known some people that will shoot their own partner if he doesn't stay crossed up. They'd rather play by theirselves rather than worry about someone that they can't trust.
Basically, in drills, I've seen three backmen regularly decimate (AKA Kill) six frontmen 'cause they stay basically crossed up (the center guy gets to shoot whomever he wants) and they communicate.
Practice, practice, practice by yourselves, somewhere you can work on stuff without interference. Don't scrimmage until the end of the day.
Ray "Eye even cross my I's" N.
-Also, when you're crossed up and your partner is still in, if someone comes to bunker me on my tape side, and my partner's side is still hot, I don't spin to shoot the guy, and I don't try to pick him off. I just keep shooting in front of my partner and trust him to shoot out the guy before the guy gets to me. Then, if the ref trys to pull me for shooting while dead, I just point out the fact that I never shot at my bunkerer yet he had paint on him before he got to me. There was never a trade after he shot me. Therefore I was still alive, and was allowed to shoot. How did I know he had paint on him? I trusted my partner that he would mark the guy before he got to me. Some people call that playing "gray". I call it trusting your partner. If you're wrong, you get a 1-for-1.
- As a side note: I've known some people that will shoot their own partner if he doesn't stay crossed up. They'd rather play by theirselves rather than worry about someone that they can't trust.
Basically, in drills, I've seen three backmen regularly decimate (AKA Kill) six frontmen 'cause they stay basically crossed up (the center guy gets to shoot whomever he wants) and they communicate.
Practice, practice, practice by yourselves, somewhere you can work on stuff without interference. Don't scrimmage until the end of the day.
Ray "Eye even cross my I's
" N.
As said above COMMUNICATION is the key. As long as you stayed crossed up nothing can go wrong, 2 of the guys i play with were the only people left in a game at the MM because they stayed crossed up the other team thought they had it easy and moved up to quick, they also was out too, too quick. My teamates took the game when the other team was 3 up on em. If some one moves up and starts to pin you down narrow the angle more and just wait for him to move on your back guy and take him, or shout out tape and your back guy should fire a couple down the tape taking him his self.
It just takes practice!!
It just takes practice!!