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Fast-break training is some of the best training. In one well thought out fast-break exercise you can train technical elements, tactical elements and physical elements - all at high speed and under pressure
Players develop their split vision by having to move at high speed whilst identifying opportunities in other areas of the court, their spacial awareness, and learn to assess decisions quickly. If training has the required quality and duration it will also be excellent fitness and conditioning training, which players always seem to enjoy.
I devote as much time as possible to fast-break work in every practice given that it ticks so many boxes and is highly enjoyable for players.
From a learning perspective, a goal scored on the fast-break is often labelled as a ‘cheap goal’. The scoring team uses very little energy this way compared to the time and energy used in working hard in the set attack to grind out a good scoring opportunity.
The fast-break is a balancing act whereby the risk of playing at high speed and potential for error must be measured against the equally attractive potential of scoring a cheap fast-break goal. The pre-requisite of being an affective counter attacking team is that players are good at executing quick decisions at high speed and often under pressure. If players do not have these competences then the counter attack game can easily become a wasteful or ineffective pursuit.
Waves, or phases of the fast-break
Though there are many definitions of the phases, I define them as the following:
The first wave
You can define this phase of a fast-break as the point at which the attacking team lose position of the ball by either shooting or losing the ball and the defensive team score in less than two passes. A goalkeeper saving a shot and passing immediately to the wing player who immediately scores a fast-break goal would, by definition be a first phase fast-break. Wingers or the pivot player normally have the best opportunity to score a first wave counter attack by beating the opponents return to defence.
The second wave
The second wave counter attack involves the whole counter attacking team, and happens immediately after assessing that the first wave is not possible.
The counter attacking team will try to exploit the fact that the defence do not have enough time to organise themselves appropriately around the goal area. Extra space exists between the defenders, who are still trying to settle back into their defence formation.
This phase may include specific counter attack combinations which aim to make it even harder for the defenders to establish a well organised defence.
The third wave
The third wave is purely a continuation of the 2nd wave whereby pressure is maintained against the defence. The defenders have managed to survive the first wave and the critical moments of disorganisation. It is at this point where the attack will either force the shot or begin to slow down and prepare for their stationary team attack.
The fourth wave – the fast restart
The fast-break is also possible after the defensive have conceded a goal. Immediately after the goal is scored the ball will be passed immediately to the center of the court and the counter attacking will look to start the game before the defending team have chance to organise their defence. After the throw off from the middle the fourth wave acts in the same wave as a normal second wave counter attack
Considerations for fast-break training
When i am preparing my fast-break training, I try to prioritise the skills that are essential during the fast-break phase which must be played at a high tempo with few technical errors. If players are to be effective counter attackers, players must be able to;
• Rapidly adapt from defence to the counter attack; every fraction of a second is crucial in winning extra meters of space.
• Maintain high technical quality even though the tempo is high and the player must orientate themselves in the space among team mates and opponents.
• Identify and make the correct decisions whilst on the move.
Developing passing technique within a counter attacking context is naturally different and somewhat more difficult than passing in isolation. Exercises should be structured so that young players first learn to master passing on the move without the additional pressures of a defence and many different decisions to make. Once players can pass efficiently with few technical errors in a secure environment, exercises can be progressed to the extent that they mimic game specific counter attack situations – with defenders, at full speed, and with extra decisions to make. Many counter attacking skills can also be trained in advance, like running and catching the ball at high speed, or how to outnumber the defence by pressing against the space and committing defenders to a fixed position.
To develop an effective and efficient fast-break game, I see it as my job to;
• Develop players who can orientate themselves before the ball arrives. It can save time and the use of a dribble if the player has an early idea of what to do next
• Ensure that players have the technical skill to pass at speed
• Ensure that players can adjust their own running speed in relation to the tempo of the counter attack. Tempo change is just as important in the counter attack as it is in the collective team attack. Sometimes the tempo must be lower in order to increase protection of the ball and avoid technical errors. Other times the tempo must be higher to evade defenders.
• Ensure the passing technique level of the ball carrier is high enough to ensure that passes is useful to the receiver.
• Ensure the passing technique level of the ball carrier is high enough to ensure that they have as many passing solutions as possible to choose from.
• Ensure the ball carrier can assess the run of play under pressure and effectively make decisions.
The player (or players) taking part in the counter attack phase without the ball can move properly in relation to the ball carrier and opponents to ensure that there are as many options available to the ball carrier as possible. Players without the ball should first ensure that they maintain good width of the court and open as much space as possible, and time their runs into the free space properly to provide passing opportunities for the ball carrier.
All of the players understand the importance of making themselves available for the next pass. Whenever the ball is passed on the counter attack all players must make sure that they find a new position where they are playable by the passer.
On one hand the player with the ball is always looking for their own chance to score, and in doing so force the defenders to focus their entire efforts on stopping the ball carrier. In seeking their own chance first, more space is awarded to the ball carriers team mates who have an increased chance of scoring. On the other hand the ball carrier must be able to put the right amount of pressure on the defence and move the ball at the right time if required.
Fast break training
When developing the fast-break with overly young, or inexperienced teams i find its important to start simple and include progressions in the exercises.
For example,
Consider, for instance. based on the following progression:
1. Player and ball.
These might be exercises which aim to develop dribbling at high speed up the court, receiving long passes (first phase), or running up the court with passes from static passers.
2. Player, ball, and a teammate.
These exercises might focus on the development of technical skills in the form of passing and catching at high speed whilst players orientate themselves correctly on the run. The coach can organise these exercises with two or more players, and with additional exercise objectives such as running paths, or a limited number of passes etc.
3. Player, ball, teammate, and an opponent.
As an additional progression the coach might add a (or several) defenders, which will increase the learning potential from technical training in isolation, to technical training with assessment and decision making requirements. This level of progression is potentially challenging, and should not be made too difficult early on. Coaches should only introduce additional barriers such as defenders when players are ready for it.