The 50-50 5bar D is a basic defensive philosophy, predominantly executed on the defender's topside, to battle the opposing forward's standard, or nearside, passing series. It is even more important on the defender's nearside, against forwards who favor the less common topside passing series.
Most beginners and rookies try to emulate better players, by moving or shaking the 5bar vigorously from end to end. This method, if done with high energy, actually can work, discouraging quick "poke" passes the first couple of seconds, but otherwise, the "Shake" only works against opposing forwards with no real wall or brush series. Real series' have at least two(2) options coming from identical motions.
More experienced passing forwards only have to wait for the defender's "Shake" frequency & length to die down or peter out, well before the 4 second mark of the passer's 10 second time limit. There are three main lanes on either the topside and nearside areas. And most beginners and rookies will have their defense fizzle and end up at the worst possible of these 3 lanes:
PASSING LANES:
- Middle, "Idiot", or "No Man's Land" lane: defined by the inside edge of the outside 5bar player nearest the wall, roughly 1 1/2 balls wide, inwards. This is where most "Shake" defenses peter out as the opposing or passing forward takes more and more time, waiting to pass. Think "deer in the headlights."
- Wall lane: defined from the inside edge of the outside 5bar player nearest the wall, past the player foot, to the wall. This is one of two favorite lanes for both click-passing(square mini-pullkick)& brush-passing(stroke Down or Up) forwards. A ton of room for error, because the 3bar can be trained to trap both perfect wall passes & many mishit passes, successfully & reliably.
- "Up" or "Sweet Spot" lane: defined from the outside edge of the 54(opponent's std nearside pass) or 52 player (opponent's topside area pass) to about 1 1/2 balls wide, outwards to the wall. Second most favored lane by opposing forwards. This is the farthest lane from the wall, and is actually the most popular, by almost 90%, with experts and higher passers as the game or match goes on, because the defender will usually always have the fear of not being at the wall to cover.
Most beginner forwards can be said to have finally graduated to Rookie forward (sometimes just to Forward, period) level when they have practiced & executed enough to have at least two(2) options on either their nearside (std) or their topside passing series. For example, a click-passing near-side Rookie passer (std) will usually have developed the "Up" option with a bounce disguised as the usual "mini-pullkick" wall. A brush-passing near-side passer (std) will usually have developed the "Up" option brush, or even an "Up" angle with a cut, using the edge of the player foot. The more experienced the passer, the greater will be the angle of the brush, bounce pass or cut, ie, closer to the "Sweet Spot", or "Up" lane. The deadliest passers have almost no "tell" in whether they's going wall, or up. And their "Up" is designed to cross at the farthest distance from the wall, at that "Sweet Spot".
Note that foosball passing favors either the std nearside or the topside series, ATTACKING AWAY FROM THE CENTER. Why?
1. All wall passes have a natural forgiveness in being caught on the 3bar, because the ball can be trapped at any of a variety of angles at the wall. In addition, many blocked wall passes can be recovered by the passer as they rebound near the wall. They can be trapped, likewise, for another attempt. Higher reliability throughout.
2. All three lanes used in both series can be defended by ONLY ONE PLAYER, either the 55 (against a std series) or the 51 (against a topside series). With only one player to beat, the offensive series is simplified. This is vitally important, especially in late games or matches, when both sides are getting tired and have to rely more and more on body memory from practice.
DUFF FORWARDS:
Why do some forwards pass with ease against 5bar defenders of all levels, while some pass like a pro sometimes, but can't advance the ball against other defenders, even those at the same or weaker level ?? They can even get so wrought up that they begin smacking the ball & lose it to the opposing 3bar, or even worse, into their own goal.
1. These "Forever-Rookie" forwards almost always run their nearside or topside series by waiting, & then simply deciding what their pass will be. THEY PICK THE FIRST HOLE THEY LIKE. And they lock on a lane. Same as a quarterback locking eyes with his intended receiver in football, which is when it's prime time for an interception.
2. Any problem with scoring on their 3bar (mis-execution or getting bricked), perhaps one or more slop scores by the opponents, and they start hurrying to get the ball to the 3bar, instead of running their series to expose the 5bar defensive lanes. They lose patience & end up selecting the quickest lane to pass through, taking less and less time. Not good for that team.
3. Weak forwards end up totally giving up or quitting any normal passing series against a good D, trying to ram a low percentage 5bar that just turns into another loss of possession or a hard shot that gets stuffed backwards.
REAL FORWARDS:
The relaxed, patient, effective Rookie or better forwards, on the other hand, both practice and execute at gametime one or more series with a PHILOSOPHY:
1. These forwards use a back and forth series with a PURPOSE, whether with a 2 or 3 player dribble or tic tac, perhaps with a wall bounce or two, to fake the D. Or a slow back & forth motion, keeping the ball near the wall, threatening to brush down or brush up, OR accelerate into a fast wall or bounce-"Up".
2. They rarely take the FIRST HOLE, realizing that even though a beginner defender can't keep up jumping to a hole, the defending newbie will usually be able to at least jump in front of the first hole. And more experienced defenders will even bait that FIRST HOLE, before they close it.
3. These enlightened passers develop a very consistent accelerating brush down or a smooth square click pass, so only a defending 55 or 51 (for the topsiders)ABSOLUTELY on the WALL and NOT GIVING ANY DAYLIGHT will stop the wall pass from going through.
4. They ALSO continue to practice the other OPTION on the same series to:
a. Always pass the OPTION through the "Sweet Spot" to force the outside 55 or 51 defender at or near the wall to make the maximum lateral jump to block.
b. Hide the use of the bounce-UP or brush-UP Option (or even a quick stick pass through the Sweet Spot) with the series, to keep the defense at the Wall, or to freeze the D, while it's guessing.
c. Not be lazy, and STAY AWAY from releasing an up or a stick pass through the Middle, or "Idiot" lane, because a quick jerk from the 55 or 51 can still get to that lane and block or steal the ball.
50-50 Defensive Philosophy
The 50-50 is not a "shutdown" philosophy, but a percentage-style philosophy. It is most useful against forwards that the defender does not play often enough (as in superregional or national events drawing many different players) to be able to "profile" or at least remember the forward's favored passing lanes, especially that forward's "automatic" pass where it could be a quickset, a sudden blinding wallpass or an extreme Up with no warning.
Note that this philosophy is almost required for beginners, who usually have no concept of which lanes the opposing forward is working on to pass, no matter how many times they meet. This philosophy can be in contrast to the most common, and natural "DENY" philosophy, which is the subject of another 5bar tutorial. Switching and mixing between the two is the best for any tournament play, of course.
GRIP:
Hold the 5bar handle firmly to prevent any slipping when moving laterally, but not so firmly that when you have to jump to the wall or the Sweet Spot end, the grip will not slip to absorb the shock, but bounce off instead. A hammer(square) grip with the fingers almost if not exactly wrapped around is recommended, with the elbows as parallel to the side of the table as possible. Note that this almost mirrors the opposing forward's own grip and forearm configuration, except that the opponent has initiative, of course. This separates the motion into two parts: A rigid upper arm ending at the elbow servers aa a base for the forearm, forcing the forearm to now be COMPLETELY responsible for the lateral motion of the 5bar. Hardly if any addition from the left upper arm, wrist or fingers, which are only used for sudden jerks or quick bursts of lateral speed.
MIDDLE 5bar D:
While the opposing forward is moving the ball to either his/her nearside for a standard passing series, or his/her topside, as happens now everytime from a USTSA or ITSF serve from the center circle, DO NOT START THE D YET!! The defender is still primarily responsible to prevent shots on goal, and the lanes between the 54 and 52 can easily turn from passing to shooting lanes with little or no warning! Defender must try to ignore the player positions and always have the nearest defending 5bar player in front of the ball at all times. Even beginning with a shake, defender must stay within a ball and a half lateral motion, keeping the closest 5bar player to the ball always in front of the opponent's moving ball.
The 50-50:
Once the opposing forward has established the ball to either side, threatening a standard or a topside passing series, the 50-50 D must now start.
1. STAY AWAY FROM "FANNING" or a WIDE SHAKE: Defender must not just go back and forth continuosly between the wall and away from the wall, especially any "shake" or "fan" end-to-end motion (remember, though, that these CAN BE USED effectively in a "DENY" D philosophy, which can work if the defender is very familiar or has studied the opposing forward - but suicide for a beginner or newbie Rookie against any decent passing series). Defender can use the "fan" for a split second to wake up the left hand muscles, but must go into 50-50 as soon as the opposing forward goes into their series.
**NOTE** Why? - because any passing forward with reasonable control, such as a tic tac or back & forth motion, can just time when the 55 or 51 player is reversing direction and leaving the Wall lane or the Sweet Spot lane on the other side. The passer can then just naturally release the ball at either end of the series. This is the immediate and automatic choice available to a simple tic tac or back & forth series, so it's silly to allow the natural release lanes to be open. But then, most newbies ARE silly. The finest soldiers, weapons, and tools or gadgets without a Philosophy and Purpose behind them are just that, TOOLS.
2. COMMIT to blocking either ALL WALLS or ALL UPS, NOT BOTH at the same time: Defender, who is giving away initiative, of course, to the opposing forward, must COMMIT alternatingly to blocking either extreme lane, Walls or Ups, and stay away from being caught in the Middle, or "Idiot" lane. Commitment means switching between shutting down either all Walls or all passes through the Sweet Spot. If Defender is at the Wall and a wall pass goes through, or is at the Sweet Spot and the Up pass goes through, Defender should take up poker, doomed to remaining a super-Beginner for 20 years until they befriend and ride the coattails of an A player to get past Beginner, let alone Rookie level.
**NOTE** Why? -This is exactly analogous to when tennis singles player find themselves halfway to the net, straddling the middle service line, in what is called "No Man's Land". They have to COMMIT to jumping to one or the other side, making sure if they chose right, and the opposing player has already begun their motion for a passing shot to either side, they are in position to block that half of the court. Thus the term "50-50". Again to use a tennis example, this time with a baseline play: if the player is drawn wide off-court, the player must still run back to at least the nearest side, hoping that the opponent did not have enough time to adjust to hit a winner to the far side, and be ready to return any shot sent too close to that near side. Lack of commitment means getting passed on either side of the "Idiot" lane, or being caught sleeping while leaving the Wall or Sweet Spot lanes, allowing a simple "poke" or release to come through.
3. Defender alternates between having a player (either the 55, or the 51 against topside series) at the Wall or at the other end, the "Sweet Spot". Defending the Wall means staying to show the opposing forward that the Wall lane IS SHUT DOWN, not near the wall, not slightly off the wall, not shaking a ball and a half wide by the wall, but AT THE WALL. Otherwise the opposing forward will likely have a natural hanging brush that accelerates through the wall, or worse, a tic tac click-wallpass with spin, just waiting for the slightest opening. This is the nature of wall pass D. Whichever, brush or click, pass hurts you most, that's what the opposing forward you are beginning to really detest, will have as an "automatic". You know who these are. Probably your best friends. You hate them. You would pee on their car in the parking lot. (also because you're out and they're still playing).
4. The other part is defending the "Sweet Spot", the lane about a ball and a half wide inside the edge of either the 54 (against std passing Ups) or the 52. (against topside reverse Ups) This can either be an abrupt "Shake" or a more deliberate moving coverage of the lane. The idea is to SHOW the opposing forward that the Up, or reverse Up in the case of a topside series, is SHUT DOWN. Defender must remember that a wider "shake" or "fan" wider than a ball and a half is blocking too much of the Middle or "Idiot" lane. This may work against weak or shallow Up passes, but not against any practiced Up through the Sweet Spot, especially those who "chip" or cut the Up.
**NOTE** Why? - The Wall and the Up/Reverse Up lanes are what any good passer practices - and the more they're practiced, the more strict these lanes are. Defender that spends too much time defending lanes that the opponent will pass through once a match or once a week, will result in the Defender playing the role of a practice or sparring partner, encouraging the opponent to annihilate the 5bar D. This is the same as simulating 5bar D against your friend. Your friend gets a lot of passes through. You never win those practice sessions. You will never win those sessions in a real match, either.
5. What about the Middle, or "Idiot" lane? The "Idiot" lane, by nature, can be jumped to by a simple finger or wrist jerk. Compared to the "Sweet Spot" or Wall pass, it is the only lane that can easily be covered by the outside defender from both the Wall and "Sweet Spot" positions. Even just grasping OR releasing the 5bar usually ends with the 55 or 51 at or near the Middle, "Idiot" lane. Defender can cover from the Wall position by using a natural finger-tightening snap of the recommended hammer grip, to jump just enough from the wall to the Middle lane. Defender can just as easily cover the Middle lane by snapping the wrist to towards the wall. The reverse applies against a topside passing series. In fact, if the Defender has chosen the wrong end of the 50-50, it is a good habit to practice these because the finger jerk and wrist snap can be extended to reach a slow, mishit or "wounded duck" kind of wall pass or Up on the other side. AND ALL THIS, WITHOUT JARRING - another reason the elbow, upper arm, shoulders and hands are taken out of the equation for lateral motion.
**NOTE** Why, then, for instance, does one see Pros and ProMasters practice a set mini-pullkick from a stop, through the Middle or "Idiot" lane? What most beginners and rookies see the Open players practice or warm up looks great, but they don't realize that it's a 3rd option, perhaps even a 4th. Especially since in high-level play, Experts, Pros & ProM's KNOW that the Wall and "Sweet Spot" Ups will be defended to the death by their opponents, as Pros & ProMasters are wont to do, forcing the passer to seek & develop a 3rd or 4th option from the same series. And as most impressionable beginners and rookies are wont to do, they will try and emulate and practice these 3rd and 4th option "F*ck You" passes for hours.
Beginners and rookies simply forget the thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of Wall and "Sweet Spot" Up passes that the Pros and ProMasters have practiced for years, not really needing to practice these at an event, except perhaps for a short warmup. I can't say how many times I've noted beginners and rookies fresh from a National or superRegional event come back to practice high-high level fancy multi-player series passes AND SHOTS, but these same players can't execute a decent series with a passable wall or Up. Or a straight! Just moronic. But also quite typical, because most newbies believe they can just emulate a ProMaster without the thousands of hours of fundamentals and shortcut their way to a Title. That's why they're newbies.
CONCLUSION:
Defender must remember that the 50-50 is a valid percentage D, not a shutdown D. The more experience the defender has, & the more scouting they have of the opposing forward's series, the more a natural "DENY" D works. The "DENY" D uses the same philosophy that the goalkeeper uses (assuming the goalkeeper is not in the Sears Craftsman category or a beginner), where the defender, A. memorizes the lanes most favored by the opponent, and B. remembers whether the forward has a "tell" or a series with timing built-in that results in either a wallpass or an Up/Reverse Up pass. The "DENY" D works pretty well, of course, against players you've played or observed. Defender has a good idea of which lanes the passer is working for. But against an unfamiliar forward, or a forward who's added an option or put in a new wrinkle since the last time you defended against that forward, the 50-50 allows "SURVIVAL". Especially with newbies who sometimes can't even remember which goal to protect, the 50-50 gives them a defense with a sound philosophy. Well-executed passes will still go through, but the pressure will be on the forward to execute perfectly against it, with both the forward and the defender having chances at the ball and possession. Not perfect, but then it MAKES IT A GAME. Better than a massacre, especially from the massacree's viewpoint. You know who you are.
50-50 takes much less of a toll on the limited concentration for each match that a human forward has, with the forward also having to concentrate on passing during THEIR possession and SCORING, which is dang hard enough. It is your basic, "I Dare Ya to Execute Me" D that is very useful when the defender is tired, is a newbie, or both. I have found, that most (NOT ALL) newbies have the body memory skill of a chicken with its head cut off, and the concentration of an amoeba. Don't get me wrong! Or as an elitist, because I myself, or ANY player below Pro, will probably be in the same condition or worse, after 16 hours on one's feet, 22 meatball games in a row, 44 drinks, with both eyes and both arms melting. The feet are usually numb by that time, too, right after your significant other calls to say your dog just peed and pooped all over your favorite chair & all over your CD & DVD collection. Thus, the 50-50 is perfect for correct mindless technique D, hoping that the opposing forward has also been leaning too far forward and his/her brain is now falling out. And at desperation time, when you have to jump to the nets, score or pass to the 3bar from there, and have your newbie partner try to fend off the opposing forward, making them do 50-50 is a lot more practical than reminding them the opponent usually but not always passes at 6.8 seconds of possession, or sets up for a brushdown by doing a double swing pump far off the wall, then slowing down while showing an Up for a fake.