Moving to a website

From The Keeper Zone is moving to a website that will allow more freedom in formatting and connection between different social media outlets. http://www.fromthekeeperzone.com

The Breakdown: Boston University vs. Emerson College - NERC 2012

     This is an in-depth analysis of Boston University vs. Emerson in the Northeast 2012 finals. Lawrence Lazewski was the head ref for the game. Harry Greenhouse was snitching this game. Figures, tables, highlights, and a summary are at the bottom. All times are linked to clips. Credit for the film goes to Jackson Maher for uploading video to the internet. All stats and observations were made via his video; I was not present at the game.

Video used: Click Here

What To Watch For:

     BU ran a great transition game. 5 of their 6 goals (before the snitch was on the pitch) were transition scores. Some of these were one pass scores while others were BU players taking the quaffle coast to coast. This came largely from Emerson’s aggressive strategy using both beaters on offense which was a consequence of trying to regain blugder control for much of the game.

     Emerson was able to control the quaffle around half pitch on offense running good screens. They combined this with vertical passing to players behind the hoops to stretch BU’s beaters vertically. Emerson use of beaters on offense allowed them to set up chasers for those long passes.

     There were a lot of beaters attacking beaters. Many times in this game all 4 beaters faced off. Both teams put priority for the beaters to be on the seekers. This made for great one-on-one action between armed beaters.

     Two seeking styles went against each other here. A physical charging at the snitch style (Emerson), and a patient wait for the snitch and beaters to be distracted style (BU).

Brooms Up:

     On brooms up Emerson won the quaffle, but was unable to score initially through BU’s physical quaffle players. It took a reset of Emerson’s offense, a 30 second possession, and a powerful drive by David Foxx to get Emerson’s first goal. Emerson’s inability to capitalize on transition goals was a trend throughout the game.

     BU was able to gain bludger control on brooms up. However, they did not utilize bludger control and let David Foxx drive through their quaffle players for the first goal of the game. (1:13-1:23)Emerson’s beaters were clearly outmatched at the beginning, not even being able to hold on to one bludger allowed BU to score the equalizer quickly. This transition game by BU was a reoccurring phenomenon for the first half of BU’s possessions. BU scored on 4 of their first 10 possessions, all but one was a transition goal. The one non-transition goal was against 0 bludgers. Before the snitch was on the pitch, every goal came against 0 bludgers or a broken transition defense that was typically without a bludger.

The Rest of Pre-Snitch Performance:

     Blugder control was held mostly by BU. Emerson’s offensive efficiency did not change much depending on who had bludger control. This was because when they had bludgers they used them conservatively, and when they did not have blugder control they used both beaters on offense. There was no in-between for Emerson in this game. This strategy gave Emerson chances to score while on offense forcing BU to beat Emerson beaters before they were able to beat quaffle carriers, but both beaters being on offense left Emerson vulnerable to BU’s transition game which accounted for almost all BU’s goals.Even with using both beaters on offense in attempts to regain bludger control, before the snitch Emerson was outmatched in time of bludger possession 9:12 to 6:33.

     Bludger control only changed teams 3 times before the snitch was on the pitch. This was over the course of 15 and a half minutes. The second time BU lost control was with a two female beater group on the pitch. They were not strong enough to wrestle away or strip bludgers from Emerson’s beaters. However, when the snitch was on the pitch, Emerson was forced to throw bludgers more frequently. This is where #7 and #8 from BU (#7 who also played in a one female beater group) excelled by working together and regained bludger control allowing for BU’s offense to resume dominating in the transition game.

     The Emerson quaffle players functioned the same way on offense regardless of blugder control. Emerson’s offense was centered around maintaining control at the top of the pitch with chasers throwing screens for each other. (10:33-10:41) These weren’t necessarily pick-and-rolls; these were closer to screens to an outlet pass. This functioned well with what Emerson was trying to accomplish with vertical passing. Emerson drove to the hoops looking to pass behind the hoops. Unfortunately for Emerson, BU had tall players near the hoops with large wing spans that were able to tip passes and block shots which resulted in turnovers near the hoops. This threw a wrench into the Emerson offense and the quaffle turnovers show up in stats (see figure 2). BU stole the quaffle by quaffle play 3 times near the hoops, and two just outside the keeper zone.

     The BU offense ran a near opposite style of offense. BU’s quaffle players waited for their beaters to occupy the opposing beaters then drove the quaffle down the side of the pitch towards the outer hoops. When they were double teamed, BU would make a horizontal pass for a dunk on the opposite outside hoop. This philosophy of stretching the pitch horizontally was also implemented by BU in their transition game. Out of 16 shots/dunk attempts (before the snitch), BU only took 3 of those form behind the hoops(see figure 1). BU focused on stretching the pitch horizontally, and shot from in front of the hoops. Every shot BU took was hard and fast. By the time Emerson recovered missed shots BU players were back in a set defense resting. This is the biggest factor in why Emerson’s transition game was virtually non-existent. The other was the BU beaters’ ability to step up to the quaffle carrier forcing Emerson into set offenses (9:04-9:13).

While Snitch was on Pitch:

     Emerson had bludger control when the snitch got back to the pitch, but quickly lost it as the BU beaters double teamed the Emerson beater that was assigned to protect the seeker/snitch. From here bludgers continuously flew back and forth as both teams focused on the seekers and snitch. With beaters so focused on the snitch, the offenses of both BU and Emerson were able to score more often. BU scored 5 goals and Emerson 3 while the snitch was on the pitch. Even as the Emerson offense improved, BU was still able to extend their lead by 30 then 40 before catching the snitch, and win the game by 70.

     BU went back to one male beater, and one female beater. It was not enough to protect their seeker who was hit by a bludger 9 times. The BU seeker played a patient seeking game with time spent watching out for beaters; waiting for the opportunity to swoop in and make a catch. The catch was made instead on a one-on-one situation with the snitch.

     The Emerson seekers, Ryan Barnada and Cam Wong ,werefar more aggressive. They charged at the snitch and whipped their hand around in an attempt to grab the tail. This style can be effective, and the Emerson seekers combined for 3 near catches (fingertips on the tail), but in the end could not end the game. This physical style is highlighted by knocking the snitch to the ground twice throughout the game. The Emerson seekers were only thrown to the ground once each, but were beaten 9 times like the BU seeker.

     The number of beats on seekers is good stat for highlighting Harry Greenhouse’s snitching style. He stayed almost entirely on the half-pitch line. This gave both team’s beaters opportunities to beat the opposing seekers without venturing deep into opposing territory. Greenhouse also held himself at one side (left or right) of the pitch, and only was in the middle to cross to the other. This kept the beaters who were on the seeker far away from quaffle play, and preventing them from playing half on the quaffle half on the snitch.

Stand Out Players:

Emerson Keeper #97, David Foxx – A great tackler, and it showed in this game. Because of David Foxx, Emerson was able to stop some of BU’s transition scoring attempts against no bludgers. David also had a great drive to the hoops for the first goal of the game. He exerted his physical will on BU throughout the game.

BU Chaser #10 – Tall and great wing span. Had some great tips and blocked shots helping his team reduce the effectiveness of Emerson’s pass behind the hoops/shoot to pass mentality. Often, he was the chaser that would bring the quaffle down the pitch for BU. #10 played fast on offense, and smart on defense.

BU Beater #7 – She played all but 2ish minutes of the game. She played in a 1 female beater group, and in a 2 female beater group. When watching the film, her blonde hair & bludger stands out among the black and dark red jerseys of BU, and so does her goal saving beats.

Summary:

     All of BU’s goals came against no bludgers or in transition when beaters were trailing too far behind to make a beat. Hard shots and smart positioning by BU’s beaters prevented Emerson from developing a transition game. BU had bludger control longer than Emerson, so Emerson used two beaters on offense which made them vulnerable to transition scoring. Both teams dedicated a beater to a snitch which resulted in 8 goals (5 by BU; 3 by Emerson) being scored when the snitch was on the pitch (~ 5 minutes of play). The final score was BU 150 – Emerson 80 with BU catching the snitch. The snitch, Harry Greenhouse, appeared on the pitch at about 15:30 excluding injury time (16:10ish Youtube time).

Highlights:

BU resilience after dropped pass

David Foxx exerting his will on BU

Block by #10, coast to coast by #16

Well run transition play by BU

Harry Greenhouse throwing down an Emerson Seeker

(figure 1. BU shooting at the bottom hoops, Emerson shooting at the top hoops)

By pushing the quaffle in transition, BU was able to get a lot of shooting attempts. Emerson’s Keeper, David Foxx, made several tackles that forced BU to pass the quaffle out wide for a lower percentage shot. There was only one goal that came from outside the keeper zone by either team.

(figure 2. BU shooting at the bottom hoops, Emerson shooting at the top hoops)

When BU would shoot the quaffle they would shoot it fast. This resulted in Emerson recovering the quaffle far behind the hoops (green & pink circles). BU was able to intercept and tip a lot of Emerson’s attempts in passing the quaffle behind the hoops, disrupting their offense for much of the game (orange & yellow circles).

(figure 3. Turnover and shot map while snitch and seekers were on pitch)

Due to the camera switching between seeker play and quaffle play, marking the exact position of certain shots/turnovers was difficult. This figure does a great job of exemplifying both teams’ dedication to keeping a beater near the snitch.

Table 1.

(figure 4. Emerson time of possession by possession before the snitch)

Emerson’s time of quaffle possession was relatively uniform throughout the game. This resulted from a lack of transition game. The only transition possession was on possession 6, and resulted in a missed shot which was recovered by Emerson then turned into a set offense.

(figure 5. Boston University time of possession by possession)

BU’s time of possession was up and down. When in a set, they typically held the quaffle for an above average time. BU pushed the quaffle in transition in 8 of their 20 possessions before the snitch.

Playing Quidditch with my Girlfriend

     The best thing about quidditch is the competitiveness of it while being a coed sport. The sport has let me play against teams from across the country, and has let me play with my girlfriend. I have always wanted to be able to play the same sport has her, but never would have thought that we could be on the same team, on the same field, playing by the same rules at the highest level of competition for the sport and arguably the most competitive coed sport in existence.

     Kayla Pohl and I met in the spring of 2010 at a Science Olympiad for our schools. We went to rival high schools. It wasn’t until the summer of 2011 during a one week break between the spring and summer semester at Michigan State that we would meet again. We went running early in the week, and I helped out with her church’s charity thing later that week. We’ve been dating ever since. Our anniversary is May 14^th, 2011.

(Kayla and I after the color run in Ypsilanti, MI 2012)

     I owe playing quidditch to her. In the spring semester of 2012 I was telling her about how my friends’ resident assistant plays quidditch. It is important to know that I am not the biggest harry potter fan. My favorite moments in the series are the quidditch moments and dueling class. She, on the other hand, is a huge harry potter fan. As soon as I told her about how quidditch was a real sport she immediately asked if MSU had a team. (At this point she was a Northern Michigan University. She went there for the 2011-2012 year then transferred to MSU.) Everyday for a month we talked about how I should go to a quidditch practice. At this point I was reluctant to play a sport with a broom. However, what I did do was watch quidditch on YouTube. Seeing some game play really helped increase my interest. Finally, I went to practice, and within a couple of months I learned the game and became the starting keeper for MSU.

     Her experience in joining quidditch wasn’t so gradual. Over this past summer (2012) I helped her practice, and we practice with a few players from East Lansing High School and some MSU players that were still on campus. However, we did not have enough to have a full scrimmage. We managed to have a half-length pitch 3 on 3 (1 beater, 1 chaser, 1 keeper, and 3 bludgers) scrimmage once. He first full game came at Midwest Fantasy. We were fortunate enough to be drafted on the same team thanks to a Mr. Alex Clark from Texas Tech. From there her first game was even more unusual in the sense she was starting among players who all started for there team including: Luke Changet, Lee Chandler and Braden Stevenson from Ohio State, Devon McCoy and Sarah Makey from Ball State, Samantha Elgin from Bowling Green State University, and Alex Ray Scheer who founded the Toledo University quidditch team. This first game lasted well over 45 minutes, and she had to play the entire game because she was our only female beater. She did fantastic, not just only for her first ever game, but just plain fantastic.

     Fast forward to a couple weeks into the 2012-2013 quidditch season, and we have both earned a starting spot on the MSU quidditch team. MSU is about to play a 3 game exhibition series with Central Michigan State University. At this point, we (MSU) have not practice much. Practice was spent teaching the new players, and getting them interested in quidditch. This is when I found out one of the drawbacks of playing with her. Because we spend so much time around each other she is more likely to disagree with me about a quidditch strategy. She wanted to play the beaters side by side while I was telling them to play front and back on defense. Both strategies can work depending on the roster and where/how the quaffle players are playing, but at the time we needed to play front and back. We still won the two games we started, and we lost the third game. By then end I learned I like playing a series of games against the same opponent more than I like tournaments. It was great fun, and the strategy between games was great as well. Playing a semi-serious series of games with the girlfriend was great too.

(Kayla and I are Midwest Regional Tournament; The Defensive Duo)

     The best part about playing tournaments together is the time spent before, between, and after games. Some is spent with the team, and some is spent spending time as boyfriend and girlfriend walking, napping, and playing playgrounds.

     When I first started teaching her quidditch she didn’t know what position she wanted to play. She wanted to try chasing, beating, and seeking; so basically every position. Over the summer in which she started we never tried much, if any, seeking. We played catch with a quaffle about every other day. Knowing she wanted to be a starter and a serious contributor to the team come the fall, I made her focus on beating. She did though reluctantly sometimes. She was still adamant about playing chaser from much of the summer; she at least wanted to try playing chaser in a game. This was until day 1 of practice. Every new recruit and veteran was shocked at how good this player they had never seen before (besides a few over the summer) was. From the on she was a beater through and through.

    Not only does she love beating, but she takes pride in her role as a beater. MSU’s defense plays beaters up and back similar to Ohio State’s defense and the way many other teams use their beaters on defense. When the opposing team makes a long pass, she is the one who has to get there or else they are scoring. She needs to turn her head, located the receiving player, sprint ,and make and the beat. If you have ever read my Position Focus post on how a great defensive beater (written before she played her first game) cam take over the game, you will know how important I think have a phenom as a back beater is. She takes pride in being the most reliable defensive back beater like no one else I’ve seen. I’m not sure who is more determined, her in being a solid back beater or me in being the best communicator wearing a green headband.

(Win over OSU in Midwest Regional Tournament. Kayla and I are Kissing on the left)

     I love playing with her, and I love her. Not many couples are lucky enough to play the same sport, or even be interested in the same sport. Even fewer can play on the same team in the top league for their sport at a high level of competition. Having fun on the pitch adds to the great relationship we have off the pitch.

This is for you, Kayla Pohl. I love you.

Game Analysis: BGSU vs. Kansas MWRC 2012

Analysis of Bowling Green State University vs. Kansas University Midwest Regional 2012

     The game between BGSU and KU featured Mike Parr (Alum of Michigan State University) as the snitch, and Ben Ackland (Chaser for Michigan State) as the head ref. Right from ‘brooms up’ Ronell Sharp #3 from KU grabbing the quaffle, but BGSU’s beating core expectantly gain bludger control and managed to beat Ronell to stop an early goal from KU. Having the strength of beaters that BGSU has really helps eliminate an early first goal. The quaffle recovery of the Kansas chasers and bludger control by BGSU’s beaters was seen throughout most of the game.

A Breakdown of the Teams:

     In Figures 1 and 2, BGSU’s playing style is highlighted. BGSU utilize horizontal passing around half-pitch until a chaser was open near hoop level then passed to the chasers at hoop level. From there BGSU tried getting to the hoops primarily through passing. A lot of these second passes were higher lobbing passes. The film shows how Kansas’ quaffle players were able to guard the quaffle carrier tightly forcing the long passes which let them play solid defense despite not having bludger control most times. Great one-on-one guarding is largely responsible for this solid defense. The focus on passing over driving to the hoops is evident through the turnovers by quaffle play near the hoops, and that half of BG’s goals came from dunks off assists. The rest of the goals came from shots of wrist flicks in the keeper zone.

     Kansas played very aggressively on both offense and defense. On defense they did not let the BGSU keeper or star chaser, Daniel Daughtery, advance the ball much past the half pitch line for the majority of the game, forcing long passes. Including a turnover where Kansas beat an BGSU chaser at half pitch despite only being in possession of one bludger. On turnovers, Kansas pushed the quaffle in transition. Most of the Kansas goals came on transition including two when the seekers and snitch were on the pitch. BGSU was able to neutralize some of Kansas’ transition play with long goal saving beats (16:36, link is below).

     Kansas took a total of 5 shots from the keeper zone line or farther out. This statistic shows the Kansas quaffle players getting past the BGSU quaffle players and able to get into shooting range before the BGSU beaters got into beating range. It is important to note that only 2 of these 5 shots counted for goals, but this stat is still another sign of BGSU’s core being their blugders and Kansas’ core being physical chasers.

     When the snitch and seekers were on the pitch, the Kansas chaser and keeper play really shined. Kansas outscored BGSU 20 to 0(Figure 2) during this time. Kansas was able to use their more, as a group, athletic chasers to control quaffle play while beaters were splitting time between the quaffle and seekers. However, it wasn’t enough as BGSU continued to slow down quaffle play when they were on offense, and BGSU’s seeker caught the snitch before Kansas could get out of snitch range.

What to Look for in this Game:

     This was a great game to see how one position doesn’t control the game. It takes a team effort to pull out a win. BGSU’s beaters, especially their starting two, were able to dominate with bludgers both on offense and on defense. On one particular offensive possession, the BG beaters were able to beat two defending chasers and still occupy the opposing beater(s) (10:45 – 11:01, link is below). That possession ended in a aired pass being picked off exemplifying how the Kansas quaffle players were able to stick to chasers near the hoop, and how beaters and chaser need to work together to have successful team. This pattern of interception and loose quaffle recoveries was seen throughout the game (Figure 2).

     If you wanted to see fast paced transition play vs. patient offensive set play, this was the game to watch.It was obvious Kansas wanted to push the quaffle, and they did. However, after every score, and on most turnovers, BGSU would reach just past half pitch and slow the quaffle down. This allowed them to control the pace and keep within snitch catch range for their seeker who eventually did catch the snitch for the win (Table 1).

A Final Note:

     None of the above is to say that the BGSU chasers aren’t good nor that the Kansas beaters aren’t good either. There were some great beats by Kansas’ beaters, and two really great drives for goals by BGSU quaffle players. This is analysis of one game between these two teams. The best teams will have a bad game at some point, and the biggest underdogs can come together for a great game. In the end, BGSU won, Kansas lost, both teams played well, and this game featured a lot of fighting for a loose quaffle. BGSU featured a more patient style allowing their beaters to work and chasers to run around the hoops while Kansas tried driving the hoops with the quaffle carrier and had a style of increasing the pace of the game. I enjoyed watching and analyzing this game.

Figure 1. Total Game - Shots on Goal

Figure 2. Total Game - Turnovers

Figure 3. Snitch and Seekers on Pitch

(according to IQA video time clock; * = snitch catch)

video footage used: Click Here

Technique Workshop – Precision Passing and Shooting the Quaffle:

Passing is an essential part of every team sport. Passing gets the ball from one player to another, and is the fastest way to move the ball around the pitch. A quick look around at other popular sports, and you will find that with each new ball comes a modification in technique. Even within certain sports there is a dispute about techniques to use. This is extremely evident in baseball where there are many pitches, and many ways to deliver each pitch (submarine, side arm, three quarters, and the traditional over the top pitching) all of which are divided between the wind-up and the stretch starting positions. In basketball, you can bounce pass or chest pass, and deliver it from above your head, a pushing pass, or even move your arm out to your side to wrap the ball around the defender to complete your pass. This goes on for many sports. There is no one-size-fits all technique for every player in every situation.

Teaching proper technique of a young sport to another player is difficult. Difficult mostly because there is not yet a core set of experienced coaches who agree in teaching the same technique meaning that there is not a consensus among top players/coaches what the technique for passing/shooting should be. I have seen techniques ranging from pushing the quaffle, to a football throw, to a flick of the wrist, to (what I use) a dart throwing motion.

The Ball

The quaffle is very unique in its flatness. It is a partial deflated volleyball (some teams use soccer balls, and some water polo balls, but IQA official are volleyballs). The flatness of the ball is a big obstacle to overcome in ensuring a consistent trajectory. However, there is one advantage when throwing that comes from the flatness, and that is the importance of the laces or pattern of the ball being less than if the ball was fully inflated. With a good squeeze the ball can fit the shape of a passer's hand rather than the passer find where the pattern is to get a good push with the finger tips as seen with basketballs when shooting and footballs when passing. Once the ball has fit the shape of hand, the fingers can extend and push the ball no matter which part of the ball the fingers are touching.

Commonalities in Passing Techniques in Quidditch:

There are some common characteristics off all the techniques that work well to pass or throw the quaffle. The first is pushing off of the ground. This is where all the power comes from. This is the came in almost every sport (the exception being when, in team handball, someone jumps towards the goals and shoots in the air). Even in basketball the upward momentum of the ball comes largely from the jump on a jump shot. For a good pass in quidditch the back foot must be pushing against the ground during the pass. The second is a follow through. Whether this from a full arm motion, or from a quick wrist flick. After the ball has left the hand the arm, wrist, and hand continue in motion. This helps to ensure as much momentum was put into the ball as possible. The third and final characteristic is good timing on the pass. A good passer needs the ability to lead the receiver when he/she is on the run. Every working technique for passing in quidditch has this. This is best accomplished by good footwork, so you can put your back foot in line to where you want to throw the ball.

Examples of Different Techniques:

The most common technique I have seen is throwing the quaffle like a football. The arm comes over or just to the side of the shoulder. The index and middle fingers are propelling the ball, and there is a wrist flick at the apex of the throw to ensure maximum velocity. This technique involves rotation of the body and shoulders to give the ball additional velocity on top of moving the arm and flicking the wrist. Stepping into the throw is also very important here. The spin is normally spin at an oblique angle.

The way I pass is similar to how to throw a dart. The ball begins slightly in front of the body, and above the head when ready to pass. From there, step with the opposite foot of the throwing hand, and flick the ball using the elbow as a pivot point. I like the accuracy of the pass, but the power is less than that of a football-like throw. Unlike the football-like throw, this does not rotate the body allowing the passer to make passes to his/her side without sacrificing power. The spin that comes off the ball is similar to that of a free throw in basketball.

Because of the predictability of long throwing motions, a flick is all that is needed for shorter passes. It is still important to have a planted foot on the ground a flick to ensure that the passer's body is not moving away from the intended target. Mastering a good flick pass gives the passer the ability to make quick no-look passes over short distances.

What to Take Away

Proper technique will continue to develop in a growing young sport. No matter what the arm mechanics are, a good passer needs to be able to plant a foot, follow through with the pass, and be able to throw to players who are on the run. Gripping the ball firmly, so the fingers and hand make solid contact with the ball through the throw is important. A person's natural arm motion and strength will dictate specific throwing technique that works best for them. The important thing to do is to find a motion that is consistent for you.

Strategy Session – Beaters on Offense:

     Offensive beating refers to using beaters on the offensive end of the pitch. For the context of the following, offensive beating will refer to using at least one bludger on offense. This focuses on using bludgers offensively to score as opposed to attempting to regain or retain bludger control.

Roots in Dodgeball:

     The beater position is directly translated from dodgeball. The dynamics of distraction, anticipation on throws and catches, and positioning angles translate very well. The ability to make physical contact with the opposing team adds a new aspect for dodgeball players transitioning to quidditch, and requires modifications to strategies translated from dodgeball.

How it Benefits the Offense:

     Having a beater on offense gives the offense a greater ability to break down a defense in a couple different ways.

     This can be first accomplished by beating the point chaser the defender (see fig. 1). In the the situation of bludger control going into a set offense, I have depicted the defense with a beater who has been beaten. (With a slow enough pace of game play to get into an offense set and having bludger control, good beaters would have been able to beat the opposing unarmed beater before all the chasers were on the offensive side of the pitch.) The beater makes a soft beat on the defending chaser, so the bludger is easier to recover.This forces someone else on the defense to step-up to defend or risk giving up an open shot. When another player, either quaffle or bludger player, moves to defend the point chaser, passing and shooting lanes open up.

   figure. 1

     The second being the ability to occupy, distract, or beat an opposing beater. Beaters are the biggest nuisance to quaffle players. The majority of defensive stops come from a beat & loose ball recovery, or come from a rushed pass due to a beat. Taking away this weapon from the defense allows the offense to be more patient in running offenses, precise when passing, and take smarter shots on goal. As a beater on offense, there is no need to actually beat the opposing beaters (unless trying to regain bludger control). The threat to beat is enough for an offensive beater to effectively distract an opposing beater, and give the opportunity for a solid pass or shot to your quaffle players. Distraction, prevention from throwing, and/or forcing long beat attempts are all effective in dramatically improving an offense’s probability of scoring.(see fig. 2). This can be done by getting between the quaffle carrier and opposing beater, outflanking the opposing beater, or by any other means be a threat to making the opposing beater loose his/her bludger.

figure. 2

Taking Away from the Defense:

     Every player used on offense is a player less that can be used to prevent a transition score on defense. This goes for quaffle players and beaters. Watch film of games, and it becomes obvious that the rate of scoring against two bludgers is significantly lower than scoring against one bludger. With a bludger being used on offense, a fast break can effectively eliminate bludger control for a defense for one offensive play. This negative can be overcome by the increased scoring opportunities that having an offensive beater gives a team. Scoring gives the offense enough time to get the players to their defensive assignments.

Defending Against an Offensive Beater (without bludger control):

     A great beater can break down a defense forcing it make fast adjustments, so it is important to have strategies to prevent an offensive beater from taking over the game (see fig. 3).

     The most obvious answer to stopping an offensive beater is have a beater who is phenomenal unarmed beater. A player with great speed, large catch radius, and strong ability to rip the bludger out of the arms of an opposing beater has all the physical abilities of a phenomenal unarmed beater. If an offensive beater must take time to get past an unarmed beater, said offensive beater’s effectiveness is neutralized, and the offensive beater served no purpose on offense.

     Great unarmed beaters are rare, and beaters that can out beat two beaters at the same time are even harder to find. Using both beaters (one with a bludger, one without) will decrease the amount of time it takes to beat an opposing beater. This is also a great way to get bludger control back. Combined with physical chaser play, two beaters can beat an opposing beater quickly then return to their defensive assignments to beat the quaffle carrier.

     A third option takes more team coordination than the previous two. An armed beater has the advantage over most quaffle carriers. As such, freeing up the armed defensive beater will give him/her the chance to get a defensive stop. The chaser who is guarding the quaffle carrier can step in the way of the offensive beater. This will make the defensive beater a harder target to hit. Being harder to hit with a bludger will allow the defensive beater to get the beat on the quaffle carrier, and get the defensive stop.

figure. 3

To Sum:

     The beater is a very unique position to quidditch, and the strategic ways to use beaters are just as unique. How the beater is used, whether to beat chasers or occupy beaters and how, depends on the strengths and weaknesses of the offense as a whole. The way to defend against an offensive beater depends on the strengths and weaknesses of the defense as a whole. A beater can be a weapon to be used on offense to increase the probability of the offense scoring.

Strategy Session: The Pick and Roll

     The pick and roll refers to a player setting a screen for a ball carrier then, after the ball carrier uses the screen, becomes a passing option. The philosophy is to get the defending chaser who is guarding the screen player to step up on the quaffle carrier, and then make a pass to the screen player.

Roots in Basketball:

     The pick and roll has deep roots in basketball. A guard will dribble off a forward or center, nearly rubbing shoulders, and continue to dribble towards the hoop for a lay-up unless stopped by the defender that was guarding the big player(forward or center), if so, the ball handler will pass it to the big player for a lay-up. This translates to quidditch nearly step for step.

How it works:

     This play addition (play addition because it involves only two players) works because it forces the defense to communicate and react quickly. The pick and roll starts by the quaffle carrier positioning him/herself off to either the left or the right side of the pitch. Then the players will communicate the intention to run a pick and roll with each other. Many teams/players do this with some sort of hand signal. The player that is to set the screen will then do so. In quidditch, moving screens are allowed as well as stiff arming while screening so long as you do not stiff arm to the ground. This makes setting the screen easier and more reliable than a traditional pick and roll in basketball. The quaffle carrier then will run off the screening chaser shoulder to shoulder. After the quaffle carrier has ran a couple steps beyond the screen, the screening chaser will then pivot on the foot farthest from where the screen took place (the foot closest to the goal), and pivot toward the quaffle carrier. This is called opening up to the quaffle carrier. Running towards the hoops hard off the screen combined with the roll opens up a passing option in case: the defenders switch their defensive assignment(person they are covering), the zone defense rotates over to take the quaffle carrier, or a beater stepped up on the quaffle carrier.

Where it can fail:

     There are 4 key points that have to happen for the pick and roll to be effective.

     The first is a quaffle player that knows how to set screens. A screen setter needs a wide base, stay on their toes, and good body position.

     The second is a tight run, shoulder to shoulder, off the screen setter. The defending chaser must have to go around the bottom (goal side away from the quaffle carrier) to get around the screen. The pick and roll fails if the defending chaser fights over the top of the screen.

     The third is to have the quaffle carrier attack the hoops. After coming off the screen the quaffle carrier must make the chaser who was defending the screen setter step out onto him/her. If he/she does not attack the hoops then the original quaffle carrier defender will have time to recover.

     The final key point is the roll. It is so important that it is half of the name. The roll must be opening to the ball carrier. This will help to delay and seal off the defending chaser behind the screen setter allowing the screen setter to be open for a pass.

How to defend it:

     The way to defend a pick and roll is to break one of the 4 fundamental key points of a pick and roll. Play physically on the screen setter, so he/she cannot move close enough to the quaffle carrier to set the screen. Play tight on the quaffle carrier, so he/she cannot run tight off the shoulder of the screen. The defending chaser on the screen setter should step out onto the quaffle carrier forcing him/her to move laterally or be tackled and not attack the hoops. From here, the defending chasers may switch defensive assignments, or return to their assignments depending on the defense and personal. The final thing to break up the pick and roll is to play tight on the screen setter who is rolling, and prevent the pass. Any one of these things should do well to lessen the effectiveness of the pick and roll.

How to work it into an offense:

     The pick and roll is great because it can be worked into most offenses and most game situations, and it is able to be ran with many combinations of players. Pick and rolls are great for initiating movement on offense. They are also great for drawing a beater up high because of how successful pick and rolls are good at getting past defending chasers. Pick and rolls can be preformed in transition, making them a fall back play or play-addition for a team having trouble against a faster, more agile team.

To sum:

     The pick and roll is a play-addition. It can be run with virtually any player combination. There are four key points that make a good pick and roll. The pick and roll is a good way to create more motion on offense, and a good option to go to if a team is outmatched in speed and agility.