Blocking - 5 Powerful Strategies To Free Up Players and Create Favourable Match Ups

SUMMARY: Blocking has been around for decades in the game of basketball where it has evolved into a fine art form. It has recently been introduced into the game of Australian rules football and is now commonly used in the AFL, particularly at stoppages and in the forward line to free up key attacking players.

This article examines the art blocking and how it can be used in a football context. It will hopefully show players to use it to its full potential. Includes 5 blocking strategies which can be used to great effect.

Background:

During the pre-season of the 2006 AFL season, Richmond player Nathan Brown was playing his first game since breaking his leg in 2005. Brown had lost a bit of pace (compared to his 2005 version) and was playing in the forward line against the Western Bulldogs.

In one passage of play, Brown was in the forward line and lead up the ground to a team mate who had just been given with a free kick. The lead was ignored so Brown lead back quickly towards his goal, followed tightly by a defender.

Brown spied the Richmond ruckman in the corner of his eye and ran towards him. Brown then changed direction and is if by telepathy, the Richmond ruckman stood still while Brown ran his defender into him. The defender was stopped in his tracks and Brown took an easy chest mark approximately 30 metres in front of goal.

Many in the crowd probably thought that Brown’s defender had played him too loose. But in reality, it was the clever use of the block that freed Brown up for the easy mark.

Blocking has been around for decades in the game of basketball where it has evolved into a fine art form. It has recently been introduced into the game of Australian rules football and is now commonly used in the AFL, particularly at stoppages and in the forward line to free up key attacking players.

In fact, Wildcats Coach Scott Fisher has been known to provide tips to West Coast Eagles players on this fine art.

Because it has proven to be such an effective method in creating space, we predict it will become even more common place in the AFL and amateur leagues as the years go on. However, we also would like to make comment that it is a skill that most players have yet to master, even in AFL circles.

One only has to examine two-on-two plays in basketball to see that blocking is so much more than just standing in the path of a defender while a team-mate runs past – something most players have yet to realise.

The purpose of this article is to examine the art blocking and how it can be used in a football context. It will hopefully show players to use it to its full potential.

The Biggest Mistake In Blocking

In basketball, they call it the ‘pick (or block) and roll’. The blocking player will not just put a block on a defender, he will also prepare to run off as a second option in case the defenders over compensate to defend his team-mate.

This is one common error we see in footy. Instead of creating a second option, players tend to put on a block and that is it. This one dimensional style of footy is predictable and easily defended against.

What should happen is that both the runner and blocker should anticipate the movements of their defenders and act accordingly. There are several ways in which this can happen and these are outlined in the following strategies.

Blocking Strategy # 1 – Runner Runs The Defender Into The Blocker

The first and most obvious strategy in blocking is for the runner to run his defender into a block. If this is executed correctly, it can delay the defender a half second, which should be enough to open up a 3-4 meter head start for the runner. This is more than enough for a player to get an uncontested lead or run into space.

1. Player 2 runs to set a block for Player 1.	2. Player 1 runs his defender into the block.
3. Player 1 then runs into open space while his defender is left behind.

Blocking Strategy # 2 – Runner Uses Blocker As a Decoy

The second strategy should be used when the defender anticipates the block and moves around the block too early to get around it. In this case, the runner simply stops and leads the other way. Because the defender is already ahead of the runner and not expecting the turn, the runner can enjoy up to a 3-4 metres head start on the defender. The blocker can even apply a slight (but legal) bump on the defender to give the runner a few metres more.

Same as above, except this time, Player 1's opponent anticipates the block and commits too early to get around it. Player 1 in this case, simply turns and leads the other way. 

1. The blocker comes in as before and player 1 is preparing to run right of screen.	2. However, the defender in this case has predicted the block and tried to move around it early. Player 1 reacts by leading in the opposite direction (left of screen) while his defender is left off-balance.

Blocking Strategy # 3 – Blocker ‘Rolls’ Off After The Block

One thing becomes obvious when blocking is used in a game of footy. The two defenders playing on the runner and blocker will often ‘switch’ opponents to defend against the block. In basketball, you’ll see this happen with smooth precision – defenders will switch opponents quickly and in such a way that the runner and blocker gain no advantage.

However, because footballers are not as drilled as they are in basketball, the switch is often very messy. What often results is that both defenders will defend the runner, leaving the blocker all by himself. In Australian rules football, this gives the blocker the perfect opportunity to lead away from the defenders to create a second option.

In this situation, the blocker will lay a block. If he sees that both his and the runner’s defender have committed to the runner, the blocker simply runs off (or rolls as it is called in basketball) to create a second option. With this strategy still new in footy, the blocker will often have 10-15 metres of space before the defence realises what has happened (particularly at the amateur football level).

In this case, both defenders have anticipated the block and moved to defend Player 1 (the runner). This is happening frequently in games due to a lack of defensive training to counter blocking. 

Player 2 (the blocker) simply turns and runs away from the defenders to exploit the mix up.

Blocking Strategy # 4 – Blocker ‘Rolls’ Before The Block

This is a similar strategy to # 3, except in this scenario, both defenders have anticipated the block and moved to defend before the block is even laid. This tends to occur when defenders have already fallen victim to a few blocks earlier in the game. When the blocker sees the defenders moving too early, he simply fakes a blocking stance, and runs off unexpectedly before the block is even laid.

1. The blocker comes in as before.	2. This time, the blocker sees both defenders are committing to player 1, so he (the blocker) runs off to make a lead before the block is executed, leaving both defenders behind guarding player 1.

Blocking Strategy # 5 – Blocker and Runner Switch Opponents

We predict that this strategy may be the final evolution of this ‘blocking’ movement in football. In this scenario, the blocker and runner will have different strengths. Let’s use the example of a tall big marking forward and a small running-type forward. In this case, the opposition coach will usually use a tall big marking defender and a small running-type defender as match ups.

In this scenario, the tall forward will block for the small forward. However, the defenders in this case are great communicators and quickly ‘switch’ opponents to defend against the block.

This creates two options. The first option is for the small forward to exploit his now taller but slower defender by continuing his sprint to the ball. In doing so, this creates the second option for the tall forward, who is now left in a one-on-one marking contest with the small defender.

So the player kicking the ball now has two favourable options to kick to.

This is why in basketball you will often see two-on-two blocking involving a guard and tall forward. Karl Malone (a tall power forward) and John Stockton (a small guard), both champion players for the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball League (NBA) in America, used this strategy to perfection regularly.

Stockton would start with the ball and run his defender into Malone’s block. The defensive switch would occur and suddenly Malone would be left with Stockton’s opponent (the opposing guard) while Stockton would be left with Malone’s opponent (the tall defender).

One of two things would then happen, depending on how the defence reacted. If the tall forward guarded Stockton, Stockton would move outside the 3 point line and pass to Malone who would be posting up close to the basket. Malone would then take on his shorter and weaker opponent and make an easy basket. If, on the other hand, the tall forward moved back to double team Malone, Stockton would be free and take an uncontested 3 point shot. This “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” combination continually took the Jazz all the way into the playoffs for more than a decade.

In this case, the defenders have executed the perfect switch. In other words, the defenders have both swapped opponents to defend against the block. 

This can be used to create a favourable match up. In this case, the shorter defender is now on the tall, strong, big marking player. 

Player 1 runs his opponent away and exploits the favourable match up Player 2 (the blocker) has with his new opponent.

1. The blocker comes in.	2. This time, the defenders switch opponents. Seeing the mis-match this has caused, player 1 takes the second defender away to allow his taller team-mate to exploit his height advantage.
3. The taller player 2 is now left with the shorter defender, allowing the kicking player to kick long to this contest.

More Blocking Tips

1. Blocking occurs when a player enters a space before another. In this case, the player who got there first can hold his ground.

Shepparding occurs when a player continually chases a defender to bump into him off the ball. When trying to free up players more than 5 metres off the ball, remember, only blocking is allowed - shepparding is not!

2. The runner should try to fake away from the block first, then back into it (instead of just running his opponent directly into the block). This will increase the chance of catching defenders off guard and ultimately improve the chances of success.

3. Blockers must be prepared to create the second option if the situation presents. We see this as the biggest mistake in blocking today. Without this second option, the block becomes predictable and is more easily defended.

4. Talk is very important. Crucial in fact, to making this work most effectively.

Quick Refence Sheet

To assist coaches at training, a training sheet has been developed for use as a quick reference guide. Click here to download.