Ruling the Red Zone

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Ruling the Red Zone
Words: Alex Cadalso, HK
Photos: Brandon Showers

The
middle of the field is both a killing ground and a chance for glory –
how can you make sure you’re the ones standing when the dust has
settled? By following our exclusive guide, of course...

Controlling
midfield real estate is essential to winning a game. Everything comes
to a head in the area between the 40 and the 60. I'll call this area
the red zone. During the 10-Man days, teams could sit back and play
defense, waiting for aggressive teams to fall into their remaining
players who will chop them up running through the lanes. Boy, times
have changed. With talk of TV deals, outside corporate sponsorship and
large stadiums, the leagues needed fields to play faster. As a result,
fields became smaller in length and width, with redesigned midfields
featuring a number of key bunkers, often large and heavily branded.
Making the center of the field chaotic causes more action-packed,
fan-friendly games. The NPPL even paints the central zone red now. This
means games are almost always won at the 50. The way fields play, a
single player can end the game in 12 seconds; dense bunkering in the
red zone allows players to make those sweeping movements across the
field that the cameras love.

Just getting into the red zone
doesn't win you the game; you still need to score. While you're
occupying the red zone your players need to be productive – getting
kills and moving past their bunkers into enemy territory. Fields are
also designed to be defendable – back line bunkers are generally large
and well protected. If the 50 bunkers were the end all-be all bunkers,
games wouldn't be interesting. Everyone would rush to the 50, bunker
each other out and the game would end. To win the game you'll have to
advance into enemy territory and close out the remaining defenders, but
you can't get there without going through the red zone first.

Walk it Out
Before
you play the field, you should walk it. I'm a student of the ‘best
offense is a good defense' school of thought. As a result, most of my
gameplay and theories are defense-minded. Your players aren't going to
succeed in the red zone without backup. Obviously this isn't a hard and
fast rule. Sure, they might get some kills, but why would you put your
best forward player on an island, up in the red zone all by himself?
You wouldn't, so don't plan from the 50; plan from your startbox and
work your way forward. There are always a few bunkers you know you're
taking – corners, back center, snake – the basics. As you get towards
the 50, think about how the field will play. Is it a fast-paced field?
Do you need to be super aggressive to win? Which 50 bunker should you
take? Do you need them all?

You walk the field to determine
which bunkers are a must have. If you see a bunker with great shots,
the ability to control all or part of the field or other key
advantages, you should take it. Be aware of bunkers the other team
could take that would interfere with your game plan. If a bunker
(bunkers) can destroy your game plan, you need to modify your game plan
to account for it. Example: you aren't pushing the snake side, but a
player in the snake has great shots at your guy on the other tape who's
attacking. If he gets in there, your game plan is shot. You'll need to
change your game plan to keep players out of the snake. It might take
repositioning a player, having someone watch the lane or more drastic
changes, but it has to be done. Be aware of your shortcomings and plan
accordingly.

who’s who
Consider the importance of these
bunkers. Do you need to keep players in the snake all game to win? If a
guy gets shot out of the aztec behind the snake do you need to fill it
to keep the other team out of the snake so you can win? If a bunker is
essential to your plan, have a hierarchy in place for filling that
bunker. Who's going to be the second guy in if the first man gets shot?
Who's going to be the third man in? Do you need a fourth? If a bunker
needs to be filled, have a plan for who and how to fill it. Walk the
field and find support bunkers near the key bunkers. It's a good idea
to stack players in these bunkers where they'll have easy access to the
bunkers they'll be inserting into.

Remember, the field doesn't
end at the 50. Don't be afraid to cross the 50 into enemy territory. It
will open up new shots and angles to help you secure the kills needed
to close out the game. Creeping toward the flag is safer than running
guys down, but players don't like doing it because it doesn't look as
cool. Maintaining communication is essential at this point; you don't
want to get chopped up and give the back line a short-handed victory.
Relay to your team mates who you're shooting at, who you have covered,
etc to keep any of the defenders from looking like heroes.

If you can't stand the heat
After
all the trouble of getting into the end zone you need a big payoff. You
need to be kicking ass and taking armbands. Of course, every rule has
exceptions. Sometimes, rarely, the 50 is a good lock down bunker or
will be used for other things, but, 99 times out of 100, it's all
offense. Get into the red zone, get those key eliminations you need to
win the game and stay alive as long as possible. Some players use
shooting a couple of guys as license to run down the field on a glory
drive only to get roasted and cost the team valuable points. If you
can, move across the 50 into enemy territory, but first make sure you
have enough coverage to live without being bunkered out immediately.

Recognize
when you have coverage and where you're protected. With experience and
time to gel with your back players you'll learn where you have
coverage. If you're in a key bunker, there's the ever-present threat of
being bunkered. You'll have to learn to identify threats – who can
shoot me, who's close enough to bunker me – and learn to keep yourself
alive when the coverage drops, like when your man has to reload or gets
shot out.

no easy task
Closing out a full back line – three
guys across the back – is never easy. Crossing the 50 puts extreme
pressure on the defense. This pressure opens up opportunities to leap
frog between bunkers, disappearing and reappearing in a new bunker.
Controlling the remaining players is the best way to win a game. By
keeping them covered you take away their gun and their eyes. Good
defenders will usually hide under pressure rather than risk losing a
gunfight. Things are too hot for him to take on any gunfights. If your
defender wants to battle, let him take control and work with your
teammates to eliminate him. This isn't the time to start gun fighting;
it's too risky. Take it slow and use your teammates for back-up.
Although the defender is under pressure he's probably in a more
defensible bunker and it only takes a couple kills to swing a game.
Unless time's running out there's no reason to start running around
like a chicken with your head cut off.

Controlling the red zone
is key to winning the game. You need to get in, get kills and get out.
Understanding how games unfold will help you develop winning game
plans. Of course, your players have to make plays while they're in
there. Getting to the snake isn't enough; we need production. Players
who reach their spot and get shot out only make it harder for your
offense to get going; wasting players filling bunkers without getting
eliminations is a surefire way to lose a game. It's going to be scary
in there, but with a good game plan and some quick thinking cooler
heads will prevail.

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