Running Backwards

[CMHCoachNRef]

Originally Posted by Eastshire

I agree that it's not the right mechanic for basketball, but it has nothing to do with the view it gives.

I, too, am a soccer guy. Easthire, I agree with just about every comment you have made in this thread.

I was at a basketball camp a couple years ago and they ask us to sprint up the court and back pedal back twice in each direction. I got my two trips before many got in one trip. Of course, the purpose of the activity was to show why back pedaling was a bad idea.

Truth is, you CLEARLY get a better view of the floor and your primary when backing up as opposed to looking over your shoulder. If you know you are beyond all players and have some sense as to where the wall is and where the cheerleaders are (basketball courts have numerous markings on them to make this task much easier), looking straight ahead provides a better field of view (court of view, if you prefer).

The ONLY reason in my mind to not back pedal in these situations is for safety reasons -- broken wrists are a pain!!! This presents a pretty compelling reason NOT to go backwards...

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by CMHCoachNRef

The ONLY reason in my mind to not back pedal in these situations is for safety reasons -- broken wrists are a pain!!! This presents a pretty compelling reason NOT to go backwards...

How would many like to be hospitalized for a concussion or some other head trauma when your head hits on a very hard floor. Not all floors are good wood floors either. As I said before I know a couple of people carried off the floor for hitting their head while losing their balance while moving backwards. Not all of us are young, very athletic or in great shape to fall properly and not get hurt.

Peace

[Adam]

Originally Posted by CMHCoachNRef

I, too, am a soccer guy. Easthire, I agree with just about every comment you have made in this thread.

I was at a basketball camp a couple years ago and they ask us to sprint up the court and back pedal back twice in each direction. I got my two trips before many got in one trip. Of course, the purpose of the activity was to show why back pedaling was a bad idea.

Truth is, you CLEARLY get a better view of the floor and your primary when backing up as opposed to looking over your shoulder. If you know you are beyond all players and have some sense as to where the wall is and where the cheerleaders are (basketball courts have numerous markings on them to make this task much easier), looking straight ahead provides a better field of view (court of view, if you prefer).

The ONLY reason in my mind to not back pedal in these situations is for safety reasons -- broken wrists are a pain!!! This presents a pretty compelling reason NOT to go backwards...

I don't work soccer, nor football, but for me the risks far outweigh any benefit to backpedaling. Last weekend, when I tripped, I wasn't backpedaling. If I had been, the damage would have been a lot worse (possibly a head injury). Instead of tripping and falling on my knee and wrist (my wrist is still sore), I wouldn't have seen him in the corner of my eye and had time to adjust.

Looking over my shoulder, I can see the players well enough to know if there's a matchup I need to stop to focus on.

If I find myself stopped at about the FT line, and know I'm the only one back, I might back up (in a walk) the rest of the way. But only rarely and I don't know why I do it. I notice I do it more in 3 man when there's a press with a BC throw in.

[Eastshire]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

I don't work soccer, nor football, but for me the risks far outweigh any benefit to backpedaling. Last weekend, when I tripped, I wasn't backpedaling. If I had been, the damage would have been a lot worse (possibly a head injury). Instead of tripping and falling on my knee and wrist (my wrist is still sore), I wouldn't have seen him in the corner of my eye and had time to adjust.

Looking over my shoulder, I can see the players well enough to know if there's a matchup I need to stop to focus on.

If I find myself stopped at about the FT line, and know I'm the only one back, I might back up (in a walk) the rest of the way. But only rarely and I don't know why I do it. I notice I do it more in 3 man when there's a press with a BC throw in.

As Rut has said, the risk of injury from falling is less in soccer and football as it is ostensibly a softer surface. That being said, I'd much rather take a fall backwards or to the side than be tripped going forward. There's a much greater temptation to try to catch yourself falling forward (which is what breaks wrists) and it's far harder to both protect your head from the ground (the neck doesn't bend back as far as it bends forward) and I find slapping out with the arms to be easier and more instinctive when falling backwards.

Some of that may be that in my self-defense class, we are almost always thrown onto our back or sides so I just have more experience in it.

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by Eastshire

I'd much rather take a fall backwards or to the side than be tripped going forward.

I don't know about that. The only time I've fallen in soccer was going forward. A small hill caught me by surprise, and I just rolled through the fall and popped right back up. It happened right in front of the visiting bench, too.

After the game, the visiting coach warned me to watch for snipers.