Stuff Happens Away from the Ball

When you are a young player, just starting out, it’s natural for you to concentrate on the action around the ball (or puck in hockey). Your first instinct is to either move toward the ball to make a play or prepare yourself to receive a pass. The fans, the referees, and most of the players are all focusing their attention solely on what’s happening around the ball.

Understand, however, that you don’t always have to look at the ball. You should also direct a portion of your attention to what’s going on away from the ball, how it’s impacting the game, and what you can do to affect the game without necessarily touching the ball.

In basketball, you can run away from the ball to set a screen for a teammate. In situations where your defender focuses his or her attention on another player with the ball, instead of you, the “back door” option is often available—you can cut quickly to the basket, receive a pass, and score a layup basket. Simply moving away from an area can empty the space you occupied and enable a teammate to move into, and take advantage of, the same space.

Other sports present similar opportunities and game situations. In football, ball fakes and deception works because some defenders focus too much of their attention on getting to the ball and not enough on the subtle movements and other clues away from the ball that indicate a play’s true nature.

Don’t focus too much of your attention either on the ball or the players immediately around the ball. If you do so, you are missing opportunities to give yourself or your team an advantage. Always be aware of the plays you can make away from the ball and try to recognize all aspects of game situations.

Copyright 2009-2012 Jeffrey S. Rhoads; All Rights Reserved