Game strategy is having a game "plan." Playing a match without employing a game plan is like five newbies running to the same bunker on the break - totally Stupid! Planning how to "win" each game is strategy. Figure out what works against your opponents. If taking a lot of ground wins the game then do it. Some opponents will come out aggressive on the break. Well, if this is the case then come out shooting the "lanes" and pick a few of them off as they try to take too much ground on your team. If you know the opponent team is likely to try to shoot the lanes then employ a "go to safe bunker strategy" on the break. Always "change a losing strategy." If you have a winning strategy make the other team beat you before you change it.
Staying positive throughout a tournament is a skill as important as learning how to shoot your marker left handed. It is easy to become discouraged over a loss of a game or when one of your team mates makes a "newbie" type mistake. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by arguing, complaining, criticizing, or becoming negative. Focus on the positive and analyze how you can do things more effectively. Reserve your judgment for a later date. Avoid the pitfall of falling apart because your team lost a match. All teams lose matches. What is important is how each of you react to the loss! React by figuring out why your team loss and implement prevention methods instead of any type of blaming. Remember you Win and you Lose as a "TEAM."
Learn from your losses. As stated previously don't get discouraged or negative from losing a game. Losses help you learn valuable information not only about your team but about your opponents. Analyze what your opponents did right and how you could have countered or changed your play to win. If you don't learn anything from a loss then you haven't done your homework to improve your game or your team.
Learn from your wins. Rarely have I ever seen a team analyze and learn from their wins. Mostly they are talking about how they all got the job done and patting themselves on the back. This may come back to haunt them since the team they beat are busy figuring out how to win the next time they play each other. Don't over estimate your opponents and forget to analyze your win. Take the time to improve the win. If you don't continually improve you won't continually win.
Know the dead box count. Time and again teams do not keep track of alive and eliminated opponents. When a opponent player is eliminated call it out and make sure everyone on your team knows the alive and dead count. Losing count of the dead box count generally loses games. If you don't know the dead box count "ASK!" There is nothing more embarrassing than being eliminated because you lost count of those in the dead box. This may sound simple but you may be surprised to see how often this simple rule is forgotten in the heat of battle. Who says "dead men" can't kill you?
Throughout a tournament there are many things to consider and there are many distractions. Winning, losing, not playing up to your potential, making mistakes, etc. can all contribute to losing your focus. There is really only one thing you and your team must do and that is to "stay focused" on winning. Don't fall into the trap of letting all kinds of stimuli enter into your consciousness. Those who can stay focused on the goal of winning are the ones who will ultimately "win" the tournament!
The "Break" is another word for the start of a game. This is when all team members break out of the starting bunker and run to their respective bunkers. Effective "breaks" are planned and don't consist of "every man" for himself. Before the start of the game there must be a plan of action. This plan of action will specify where each player will go on the break and why. For example, in a 5 on 5 game the plan on the "break" may be to have three players shoot the "lanes" while two players run to the tape lines. The goal being to get a least one eliminate on the "break." Another example of a "break" plan is to send two players to the 50 yard line, one up the middle, and have the two back players go to the left and right back bunkers. This type of "break" is very aggressive and can be risky but it can also "stuff" the opponent. "Stuff" means to get into a positional advantage at the start of the game whereby your opponent doesn't have many options to move. The point here is to plan the "break" and if it doesn't work do another type of break the next time around.
The "Tape Line" - your flanks - the left and right boundaries of the playing field must be covered at all times. Since most eliminates are derived from getting an angle on an opponent it is absolutely necessary to cover both "tape lines" with players. As opponents move up your tape line they get the "angle" on you. Vice versa, as your players move up the "tape line" on your opponents you will enjoy the advantage of getting an "angle" on them. If one of your players, who is playing the "tape line," gets eliminated then someone else must cover of fill this spot. Failure to cover the tape lines will provide your opponents will amble opportunities to move into positions unfavorable to your team. Keep your tape lines covered at all costs!
When to shoot over the "bunker." Generally, it is never a good idea to shoot over the top of the bunker. Why? Well, you are exposed for 360 degrees and a "BIG" target. Tournament players just don't do it except on certain occasions which require such a feat. If you want to be eliminated in a hurry just shoot over the top a few times and you will be in the "dead" box. When is it a good idea to shoot over the top? Generally, the time to shoot over the top is when you are in a 1 on 1 or 1 on 2 situation. When are fewer players shooting at you there is more occasions to shoot over the top. With a 1 on 1 match up shooting over the top is less risky then when there are more players. It is still more risky than coming out of the side of the bunker but there is only one other player shooting at you. Looking over the top of a bunker and staying alive can be tricky but it can be done. The technique which I have seen used effectively is what I have termed "half moon." The "half moon" approach is to rise up and as you are rising up start to move from your left to your right (or your right to your left) so you are creating a semi-circle and not popping up like a mushroom (as you move from left to right you go up and then start down so when you get to your right you are back behind the bunker). This method makes it much more difficult for your opponent to hit you while you are taking a look over the top of a bunker. You are not just "popping up" over the top and going back down. You are going side to side while looking over the top. As your opponent is pulling the trigger your movement is not just "going down" but moving up/down and side to side all at the same time. Always think of it as drawing a semi-circle with your head.
There is no substitute for practice, practice, practice. No team wins or stays on top without constant and continuous practice. Practice does not mean "once in a while." It means to continuously do it. The teams which stay on top practice the most to improve their skills. Skills come with practice. Those skills then become habits. Those habits are those skills used in game play. If you don't have good habits you don't have good skills to use in a game. If you want to make Winning a habit then you have to practice, practice, practice. There are no shortcuts!
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