University of Pacific Head Men's and Women's Water Polo Coach,
2013 Men's National Coach of the Year; 2013 National Runners-Up (men), Head of Water Polo Analytics Group
Zone defense is an excellent way to defend against quick opponents. National Coach of the Year (2013) James Graham shows how his team uses various drills and strategies to slow and limit an opposing offense's chances by using a zone defense.
Drills
To implement the skills needed for an effective zone defense, Coach Graham demonstrates five drifting drills that improve leg strength and correct defensive body position. Adopting these drills will improve the speed and reaction time of your players on defense and disrupt the flow of the opponent's offense by quickly switching from a zone to applying pressure. Also included is a shot blocking drill that will teach players to keep proper form as they attempt to field-block shots on goal.
If you have a strong center defender on your team, you can force an offense into taking poor outside shots. Coach Graham shows three drills that will keep your center defender in proper position for denying, disrupting or stealing the ball from the center.
You'll also learn a drill focused on defending the drive that will teach players to keep the driver off balance while continuing to protect the goal and deflect passes.
Strategy
Coach Graham highlights a critical aspect of zone defense: drive help. With white board discussion and in-pool demonstration, he shows how double teaming and switching out of the zone can stop drivers from getting open to shoot. You will also learn how to defend double post situations in the zone. If teammates help each other while defending, it makes everyone's job easier.
Staying in the pool, Coach Graham covers tips and strategies for blocking a line shot. You'll learn how a zone defense can stop a strong shot from a player further from the goal. By being in the correct position, a defender can deny the pass into the center and field-block a shot on goal while remaining in the zone defense.
In the final section of the video, Coach Graham shows how a zone defense works in typical game situations. Switching, helping and proper defensive positioning may not stop an opponent, but it will slow and disrupt their flow to keep you in a game.
This video will aid beginning players and advanced players by teaching proper technique for the zone defense, which is a great strategy for any team looking to slow down an opponent's offense.
64 minutes. 2015.