Running Backwards

[Eastshire]

Originally Posted by bainsey

Hell, running backwards is encouraged in soccer! In fact, it's part of our physical test.

But, there are reasons why it's encouraged in one and not the other. In soccer, if you're 10-20 yards from the sideline, and the ball is coming toward you, you want your eyes on the field while your feet are moving in the necessary direction. In basketball, the space is 15 times smaller to cover, so backtracking just isn't necessary.

More than a few years ago, I volunteered for a Y girls' basketball game, so just to experiment, I thought I'd try backtracking, just to see what the big deal was all about. (I wasn't getting paid, so why not?) The experiment failed; it was one of my worst performances on the court.

Being a soccer guy, every once in a while I'll catch myself starting to run backwards since it comes naturally. Personally, I don't think it has anything to do with the space being covered. Frankly, your view running backwards is far superior to your view over your shoulder. Rather, I think it comes down to safety. The hazards to the official, primarily cheerleaders and people sitting in the front row, are too close for safety, which is not the case in football and soccer.