Topic: Central Zone Defense

[jkhFoos]

I'll describe it as I understand it.  Killah seems the resident expert but if this is wrong, anyone please correct. Ball is in opponent's goalie area.  Job of 3b is to catch,block back, or stuff anything coming out be it a pass,bank, straight shot sprayed or squared,pull or push,short or long... anything. Regardless of singles or doubles, the 5b,2b, & goalie bar should be positioned as follows just before or WHEN the goalie shoots from his/her goal: 5b,player#53,centered,ie,on a line which could be drawn from the center of 1 goal mouth to the other. Players 21 or 22 positioned between own team's 53 & 52 OR 54 with the goalie positioned between own team's 53 & 52 OR 54, whichever hole 1 of the 2b figures doesn't cover. WHEN or just after the goalie shoots, be disciplined & hold your positions, OR, if obviously necessary, quickly reposition accordingly.

[foozkillah]

That's pretty close, JKH.. although....
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1. It's a game of adjustments.. your team should "center" where the opponent or opposing team can get natural, quickset sprays or square type shots almost immediately on goal.
-- a. Adjust the 5 (at the instance of the shot .. it can be moving you know, if the forward can be disciplined enough to snap to your Central Zone center consistently) .. if forward is correctly doing the 3bar shuffle end-to-end.. then any quickset (square or spray) from the opposing goalkeeper should hit your 52-53-54 figures or the G or 2bar figures more than half the time.
-- b. If quickset or quickrelease shots/clears from the opposing G keep hitting your backwall or make it to their forward's 3.. ADJUST the CENTER!
-- c. The CZD 3bar shuffle's philosophy is to cover where the opposing G's short shot or pass lanes are, ESPECIALLY against quicksets, leaving the G to cover the middle and long holes.  Anything else is ridiculous in today's modern doubles game where anyone not covering the near walls (because the Gkeeper can only cover the shot, and not any near banks, near wall or near lane passes) means a pass or clear paradise for most logical and experienced Goalkeepers with the ball.

2. Any correct zone is a  percentage play.. You have to be willing to accept a pass or shot through from an excellent and perfectly executed shot.  You can usually only brick or shut down the opponents Gkeeper with the ball if he or she is slightly or quite weaker than your team.  What you cannot accept is quickset/quickrelease shots and passes thru the lanes you're supposed to be covering.. this is how a lot of stronger teams overwhelm weaker undisciplined opponents.. releasing to the 3bar or goal before the weaker team has any chance. Lots of free passes, lots of free points.
-- a. Any opposing player or team will ALWAYS HAVE THEIR FAVORITE LANES.. Of course you adjust your CZD to stop these.  Everytime you force the other team to set and well-execute almost every pass or shot from the G area... that's taking the fastbreak and a lot of slop points or passes that demoralizes your team from the getgo.  They may still win, but at least you didn't allow any "duhhh" or "oops" points or passes.

3. BTW.. the CZD is really an elongated version of the 50-50 5bar D... albeit the 50-50 is quite a bit harder because it takes soooo much discipline to do it.  Not for me or most natural lefties, tho... LOLOLOLOL!
-- a. Continually surprises me how righties never really figure out why some shuffles work or don't work.
-- b. A big part is the grip on the 5bar rod... 

[jkhFoos]

Killah, Read your reply several times & think I get the nuance/jist. Greatly appreciated. 50-50 5bar D sounds interesting-especially if more effective. I don't mind the discipline aspect & love to use a loose lefty.

[foozkillah]

Good to hear... One thing that most who have difficulty with a central type zone never get is the philosophy behind it.
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First and foremost is the systematic protection against QUICKSET or QUICK-RELEASE passes or shots from the opposing goal area. Why? to force the game into one where the opponents wait and settle down, and force themselves to execute all clears, passes and shots from the Gkeeper (often very hard to do, since foosball is such an emotional and confidence-dependent game) It's actually set to trap those quick shots and dink or sharp lane passes that catches many sleeping.  It has to be practiced, however, so that very solid CZD must be set up within a split second of the opposing Gkeeper getting possession.  At the very least, for the first 1 to 3 seconds of the opposing Gkeeper having controlled the ball in their G area.  Baiting, trapping and faking lanes should be done after one's sure that the Gkeeper has settled for a set or rolling series.
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Of course the opponent/s can execute perfectly and beat you, but then it becomes a game, like it's supposed to be.  A CZD system allows you or your team to:

1. Use a simple, logical system: with high-percentage lanes closed off and defensive shuffles can be almost mindless.. NO WASTE OF CONCENTRATION ON EXECUTION you can use elsewhere in the game.

2. Stop worrying about possesion: Realize that any shot into the Gfigure and 2bar figure set is almost certainly a LOSS OF POSSESSION to you or your team, like a punt in football, an icing in hockey, or a failed/intercepted assist in basketball.  FORGET THE SUPERHERO NEED TO stuff the ball or steal it at the 3bar.

3. Easily CHANGE & CONTROL the TEMPO of the game, especially against superior or more experienced opponents, who will naturally try to speed up or misdirect you and catch you off-guard, even more so if they're behind, or it's a tight game.  NO CHEAP POINTS.

[jkhFoos]

Yes-get positioned quickly! I too like every possible comparison with other sports. SOOooo, be prepared for the fast break or run & gun and also shut down the no huddle &/or snap on quick count. Will for sure be practicing this CZD.

[crazy8]

Excellent posts Killah.. All the more reason goalies need to take their time.  They, more than the forward, control the tempo of the game.  Whether quick shooting or sitting on the ball for the full time allotment, the goalie decides whether the ball is flying around the table at the speed of light or is under control and, hopefully, in possession of one team at a time.  I don't think there are many experienced, touring goalies that play a game where the object is to get rid of the ball as soon as possible.

My game changed when, at a Huntsville, Ala. DYP, my forward refused to raise his 5-bar until I had the ball stopped and set-up - and he was ready.  We won that - my first win in any type of event.  Paul

 

[jkhFoos]

Trying to understand "adjusting the center". If the ball is first recognized in their goalie area right in the center front of their goal, THEN bars 5,2, & our goalie quickly snap into CENTER(as I described above before reply #1). HOWEVER, If the ball is first seen near their far wall pending a quick release via figure 22 THEN our bars 5,2, & goalie might better shift as a unit (say 1 figure's foot width) toward our near wall. Likewise to quickly defend against a quick release by their 21 THEN our bars 5,2,& goalie might better shift as a unit away from our near wall. ?

Reminds me of a little league game.  Big pull hitter comes to the plate, nobody on base, so the manager tells/gestures for the right fielder to shade toward center field.

Reminds me of 2 right handed opponents in Tennis. I hit a shot deep cross court corner.  I might as well "adjust my center" to go to the net to my LEFT as he runs to his right & if he gets his racket on the ball at all , percentage wise it will be weak & up the line.

[foozkillah]

Trying to understand "adjusting the center". If the ball is first recognized in their goalie area right in the center front of their goal, THEN bars 5,2, & our goalie quickly snap into CENTER(as I described above before reply #1). HOWEVER, If the ball is first seen near their far wall pending a quick release via figure 22 THEN our bars 5,2, & goalie might better shift as a unit (say 1 figure's foot width) toward our near wall. Likewise to quickly defend against a quick release by their 21 THEN our bars 5,2,& goalie might better shift as a unit away from our near wall. ?

Reminds me of a little league game.  Big pull hitter comes to the plate, nobody on base, so the manager tells/gestures for the right fielder to shade toward center field.

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Yes you would shift.. although with the goalkeeper able to vary the release and ANGLE of release (spray, square, cutback), the idea is to shut down quickreleases in a percentage way.. and this is where the forward 3bar shuffle is paramount, EVEN IF JUST for the first 3 or 4 seconds of the opposing gkeeper's possession. You have to identify all the basic lanes from wherever the ball is currently sitting or hopefully where you know the gkeeper likes to release.
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1.  Forward must identify the most commonsense and easiest lines to both your own goal's short and long holes are.
(easy to identify assuming fwd has discipline to snap to the same spot with the 5bar.. put a penlight at the opponents area where the ball would be.. and keep cutting the lines/lanes through that 5bar with your 3bar.. No attempt to snag or stuff the ball with the 3bar.. any sensible gkeeper just about HAS TO GO THRU THOSE LANES ...  or teleport through ur 5bar.)
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2.  Fwd has to trust the gkeeper to keep either the 52-53 or the 53-54 lane totally shut down.  Splitting the goal figs between the two lanes is silly, conceding open holes and angles  through either lane.  Not that hard for an alert defending gkeeper to move the 3/4 inch between the two center lanes.  Splitting the G and 2bar between 2 center lanes only works if you know the opponent well enough to know, for ex., that there won't be cutback or pullkick/pushkick through what should be a completely shut down lane.  Like leaving a missing man in the classic "holding-hands" soccer defense line, when defending against a direct free kick ..  If that cutback (from a tic tac shot, for example) is the only shot the offensive gkeeper can do, the it would be tragic for your team.
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3.  Shading to near or far, depending on the opposing gkeeper's preferences is important, as it can also deter a brushdown pass or any pass through the lanes near the wall..  Remember that the 3bar shuffle, guarding the only openings through a set 5bar position (whether stationary or snapped-to) is THE ONLY WAY TO DEFEND AGAINST lane and brushdown passes, those nasty near-wall banks to the short,  and uses a percentage zone to force the opposing gkeeper to execute perfectly. 
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*NOTE* The CONCEPT: opposing gkeeper uses DUH SAME LANES/LINES DUH to the short for passing, and clearing and banking .....  defending gkeeper has no chance at this, EVER, unless your team gets a third rod up front that the gkeeper can hold! So why block the idiot short? Block the 2 middle Center Zone lanes and let the forward take care of all the shots/passes/clears/banks on either side of those lanes.  Anyone else on the team that can do this?  Some invisible friend? This concept is also easier for the usually weaker or less-experienced gkeeper on a foos team.  How hard is, "Don't just move or do something, SIT THERE!"
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*NOTE2* What about shots from near the center of the table by the gkeeper?  Well .. then that's when the forward has to center and shuffle between the two obvious lanes on either side of the 53 with the 3bar..  Defending gkeeper picks either Center Zone lane and is ready to do that HUMONGOUS LONG 1/2 to 3/4 inch snap move (sarcastic,, if one hasn't taken all the DUMB*SS out of ones zone yet, and don't realize this...) oohh so strenous.... 
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*NOTE3" BTW.. if you thought about it, the glaring majority of non-nearwall banks (standard from somewhere near the center?) Go through the Center Zone lanes ... DUH DUHH DUHHHH.. it all figures...  even if the opposing gkeeper tic tacs end to end, but still banks inside the big rectangle.  The percentage play for the gkeeper is to be in the center.. ready to move,  no SHUFFLING end to end.. that's for a good forward to do at the 3bar, and for an inexperienced (DUMB*SS) gkeeper, or maybe just a nervous pumped-up-too-much gkeeper, to do in the goal area.
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This is what I teach.. "HOW TO TAKE THE DUMB*SS OUT OF YOUR CENTER ZONE GAME..."  The forward's final 5bar position, and the gkeeper's complete shutdown of a Center Zone lane (forcing shots around either side only, which are all logically lower percentage) are the STATIONARY (at least at the moment the offensive gkeeper shoots) while the forward's 3to4 SECOND 3bar SHUFFLE is waiting to snag, steal or at least break up a pass or extreme long or short shot.
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Reminds me of 2 right handed opponents in Tennis. I hit a shot deep cross court corner.  I might as well "adjust my center" to go to the net to my LEFT as he runs to his right & if he gets his racket on the ball at all , percentage wise it will be weak & up the line.

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ABSOLUTELY DO NOT believe in that analogy, since the ball is in complete control of the opposing gkeeper..   More like going against a tennis doubles team and they have a floater or easy sit-up ball that either one can hit to anywhere.  And duhhh Yes....  your team has to take responsibility for either half, one poaching for easy returns or mis-hits, shuffling near the middle, (forward-style) and the other waiting for the long returns to either corner or for lobs.  If your team is caught both near the endlines, pretty STATIONARY .. DOING YER OWN THANGS... and scrapping just to get to the ball.. YOUR TEAM IS TOAST, too, anyway, SO WHY WORRY? ...

[jkhFoos]

Thank you for the points of clarification. I'm getting used to the 3-4 second 3bar shuffle & staggering 3 & 5 bars. Seems like a solid 15 sec. theory I'll look forward to more practice with a goalie.

[Buckshot]

You guys are great, this is a very educational thread and I intend to re-read it a lot and improve my game.
  Crazy 8 has a good point about pro goalies not wanting to get rid of the ball quickly. However, I must say that the most successfull team I ever played on was when I played goalie rocket-ball style.  and my forward had a VERY slow, methodical style, our radically different playing paces really gave our opponents fits. I applied the martial arts concept of Block/Attack, which is block and then attack super fast, almost simultaniously. I usually cleared the ball out before the other team had any chance to adjust their defense, although sometime I would stop and set up a shot, depending on the situation. We beat some top pros with this system.

[foozkillah]

Note that a forward learning to just do a near side shuffle to cut down all the percentages from an opposing gkeeper, where it's like learning to tread water for 3-4 seconds the moment the gkeeper has the ball, is one of the best ways to defend against a good TWO-to-FIVE bar passer in SINGLES. (well.. Doubles, too, of course).  Mehhhh, heck! It miight be the only way if what one does is pretty much what a lot of foosers do... try to snag it, get burned down the center, or just give up and hope to stop the FIVE-to-THREE bar pass.
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If one can just cut down those near wall lines and brushes.. your percentages against good or even half-decent TWO-to-FIVE passers already go up.  IT HAS TO BE A PERCENTAGE PLAY again, though.  No bad feelings if it's perfectly executed and goes through.  Only if it's sloppy and still goes through. No concentration or peace-of-mind wasted.
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And if you really REALLY THINK ABOUT IT.. that's also the way you have to think and defend against really good top-side passers from FIVE-to-THREE.  Cut those damn lines, make sure no sloppy or half-azz passes get through... lose no sleep over any of them.
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Sure .. they can execute perfectly and own you on those two series,  but HOW MANY FOOSERS CAN DO THAT?  If they do, then they can beat or even dominate you, but REMEMBER: IT'S A GAME AGAIN,  no superweapons, no secret tecniques.. THEY EXECUTE, OR YOU EXECUTE.. whomever's better should win the majority.