Game Winning Strategies for Special Situations

with James Graham,
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

What happens when you don't have a full complement of players in the field or when you're down by one with only a few seconds left? James Graham addresses these special situations and more. He presents ideas on how to utilize your team's strengths in designing plays, keep all your players moving in the field, and design plays that address time constraints.

Time Management

Take control of the clock by incorporating time in the design of your plays. Graham shows you how to create scoring opportunities using less than 10 seconds of clock, allowing you to get one more play in to retake the lead.

Prevent your opponent from scoring with a few seconds left on the clock. With a steady press and a quick steal, put the ball in a position that eats up time to get the ball and prevents the goalie from putting it right back into play.

Special Situations

Preparing athletes for all situations is essential for success when it comes to game time. Graham shows a simple 5v5 setup in which movement can be cycled on alternating sides to create continuous scoring opportunities.

Explore over 10 different situations of score or player deficit while maintaining awareness of the time left on the clock. Each detailed explanation is followed by multiple demonstrations in the water. Plays include:

• After Goal Play with less than 15 seconds left
• After Goal Play with less than 10 seconds left
• Down by 1 with less than 10 seconds left without any timeouts
• 2-for-1 (Down by 1 late in the game)
• Defend Direct with Less than 5 Seconds Left
• Run Out the clock vs Goalie Press
• 5v5 Motion (double exclusion from the game)

Designing Your Own Plays

With clear plans on the white board and demonstrations in the water, Graham gives you insights into how he plans his plays. No need to reinvent the wheel, but you can custom tailor these plays to fit your team's strengths to be successful down the road.

This video is a must-have to better plan for unequal numbers and limited time so your team is better prepared when the situations arise!

50 minutes. 2017.