The Beauty of Defense

Somehow, people’s interpretations of offense and defense are that these things are mutually exclusive. I do not know how many times I have been asked the question ”Is your favorite result 10-9?”. My answer is always: ”No, I would rather win by 15-0.”

Sure, on purpose I talk more offense then defense. Mainly because I love winning games, and I think a big part in winning games in the defensive minded team sport business is making sure you use time to work on your offense, giving you a chance to jump ahead of your opponents with a small amount of work. But that does not make me naive enough not to care about defense. I love this sport enough to love defense as well. I just wish that Moses stone tablets would have had an eleventh commandment saying:  ”hey, defender…once you have won that ball, be so kind do run towards the opponent’s net instead of taking cover behind your own”. There is a lot of offense hidden in defense. Treating offense and defense as mutual exclusive things will make your team end up losing more than you are winning.

The beauties of defense? Here they are.

1. Tactical geniality
Honestly – who did not get a good feeling from ruining someone else’s sand castle during summer as a child? And who has not dreamed about going berserk in a hotel room like a Rockstar on mushrooms? Defense can be such a rewarding and fun thing. People sometimes forget, but last year with Pixbo we were two goals away from being the team conceding the least amount of goals in the entire SSL, despite being known as an offensive team. Once again, not mutually exclusive.

2. Unpredictability
As coaches in floorball, we are given a pretty exciting toolbox of weapons. And – compared to other sports where everything seems to be explored – there is still room for experimentation. Who thought that a floorball team could actually play 1-2-2 without being exposed a couple of years ago? So far, there is not a lot of rights and wrongs in our sport: just a lot of different ways to do it. The difference between a passive 2-1-2 and a full court pressing man-man-team is remarkable, and lovely for the dynamics of our sport.

3. Players sacrificing themselves for their teams
I enjoy a defender blocking a shot with his throat, and who can withstand the beauty of an on paper weaker team playing a heroic game against a huge favorite? Often a wicked goalie save is the talk of the day in the stands, despite a guy scoring a hat trick. There is something romantic about defense. While playing I once won the Swedish university championships with a shorthanded team of overweight players, without winning one playoff game in regular time. We had a great goalie, lots of good penalty shooters, a tight 2-2-1 defense…and in the end of the tournament the entire sportscenter in Karlstad as our fans. Everybody loves an underdog, right?

—

Not mutually exclusive…
Looking at the big teams in international competition and in SSL and NLA over the last decade, it is a not overly detailed defensive structure with options for pressing and staying back, combined with an offense that can outplay the opponents that has been the combination for winning. Sweden and Finland internationally, Storvreta, Falun and Wiler Ersigen in the national competitions. It is hard to tell how far down the road this is for our Swiss men’s team, but I love having this barrier-breaking goal for this amazing country in my head. Efficient and intense work on different heights of defense, and teaching offense through decision making and athleticism is going to be key for us. That gives me so much energy in my job with our national team, as well as the U18 and U21 Labelteams in Switzerland.

--

_{David Jansson}

The Author:
David Jansson (1980) has been the Coach of the Swiss National team since June 2015. Already as a 17-year old, he debuted in the SSL (Swedish highest division) and between years 1995-2005 he had played for 3 different clubs  - Jönköpings, Älvstranden and Pixbo. His coaching career includes two years as head coach of the swiss club Floorball Köniz (2009-2011) as well as four years by Pixbo Wallenstam. He had also worked as the sports teacher at the floorball gymnasium in Gothenburg. He lives in Kloten.