Back Alignment
27 Oct 2006
The biggest problem I see with backlines at college level in this country is the alignment that teams use.
Teams are often very deep and players are spread to far apart. The objective for a backline should be to get over the advantage line to create ‘Go Forward’. The forwards would rather move across the field and forward as opposed to running back 15 meters to get to the breakdown.
When the back alignment is deep and players have too much width the ball tends to be heaved along the line as opposed to being passed crisply. If the ball is to slow from passer to receiver it gives the opposition a great opportunity to advance on the attacking line and shut the attack down behind the advantage line.
Most college players don’t have the ability to throw long spiraling passes that will hit the mark 9 times out of 10.
The depth should be flatter and the width between players much shorter. This will create short crisp handling and the ball will get to the wingers quicker. The speed of the ball will always beat the man. The idea should be for the 10, 12 and 13 to create space for the fast guys on the team which will be the wingers. What’s the point of having them there if they don’t get the ball quick enough and don’t have any room to move?
The backline should not be to close, however, because you don’t want to give a defender the opportunity to mark up on two players. The width should be wide enough to allow crisp passing.
The alignment varies on what the team is trying to achieve. If the backline wants to set the ball up with penetration in the midfield then the alignment should be very flat so the team has a better opportunity of getting over the advantage line. If the team wants to get over the advantage line with penetration out wide the alignment should be a little deeper so the inside backs have time to get their passes away.
International backlines are spread across the field and that’s because they have the theory of wanting players to use as much space as possible. However, players at that level have the ability to do that because they train everyday and most of them have been playing for over 10 years and have the ability to pass the ball over a wider space
quickly.
Backlines at college level will be better off if the alignment is a little flatter and has less width.
