General comment

When performing the defense base position (or press base position) the most important thing to bear in mind is to place the hips up and maintain them. Knees open and hands sculling with intensity to provide balance and keep the head out of the water to pay attention to the game situation.

Tip by Quim Colet

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General comment

We start with a defense base position (horizontal), keeping the hips up. We have to switch the position and orientation of the body as required by the defensive situation, normally depending on where the ball is. It is important to rotate with a freestyle stroke and moving over the hips as quickly as possible. 

Tip by Quim Colet

Every time there is a change of position we can see the importance of moving over the hips. It is key to keep the hips high and the knees open to work the kick to its maximum extension.

General comment

In this case, we have to keep the base defense position while we move our body following 4 different directions. It's important to maintain a good horizontal position with the hips up, fast sculling with the hands, using the hands and legs to keep the balance and move in the 4 directions: front, backwards and to both laterals.

Tip by Quim Colet

When we move laterally is very important that the front leg –the one that propels and leads our body – is more open and a little higher than the other leg, in order to move faster while keeping the hips up.

General comment

Our objective here is to defend and intercept the ball. In a semi-vertical position, we perform a forward jumping lunge trying to get the maximum extension upwards, together with a strong breaststroke kick and then another kick to reach the ball. When using eggbeater instead of breaststroke kick, we have to keep a more vertical position and bring the arms out of the surface faster to avoid fouling. 

Tip by Quim Colet

Here we can see the importance of the leg work in all defensive situations, the frequency and recovery of the knees to have a position as stable as possible.

General comment

This is a move that we use to press the attacker and try to steal the ball with no foul, that's why we keep the two hands out of the water. We go forwards or backwards with constant breaststroke kick stretching the arms at the moment of maximum speed and leg extension to try to get to the ball.

Tip by Quim Colet

Here we do not have the support of our hands during the move, thus the abdominal work is very important to recover the base position with our knees high and be ready to perform another breaststroke kick.

General comment

We use a press base position with the body horizontal to guard the opponent that is holding ball, placing one hand on the attacker's shoulder and the other hand extended out of the water to block a pass or shot.

Tip by Quim Colet

There is an instant when the hip can go down to try to get a little more elevation and block a potential pass or shot, but if the opponent keeps possession of the ball it is important to get the hip back up again with abdominal work.

General comment

With the press base position that we saw in the previous video, guarding the attacker with one hand, we perform a jump right after a breaststroke kick extending the arm trying to reach the ball to steal or put it under the water.

Tip by Quim Colet

In case of not reaching the ball because the attacker protects it well, we must get back fast to the defensive position with a backstroke and a turn. 

General comment

Again, press base position guarding the attacker and lunge with a breaststroke kick extending our arm to get to the ball. If we don't steal, we have to get back to the previous position using the hand on the defender and keeping the hips up.

Tip by Quim Colet

We have to pay close attention to the recovery of the base position with the hips high and the knees open and as close to the abdomen as possible to be able to perform any other action that the game requires.

General comment

In this situation we keep an horizontal body position with the hips facing the ball to control the passing lane and be able to intercept the ball. We guard the defender keeping one hand on top and the other out of the water denying a potential pass. Of course, as the ball will be constantly moving, we must change our position to orient the hips towards the ball side.

Tip by Quim Colet

How fast we change the position is of great importance here. As we have been insisting: over the hips and knees high, open and as close to the abdomen as possible.

General comment

We will see different technical moves that a center defender can use to mark the center jumping side to side. We start with an horizontal body position and the hips away from the center to push the center with eggbeater kick. Also, we have to use the inside hand to guard the center and the outside hand to block the passing lane. 

In order to change sides, we have to move over the hips placing the legs on the other side and using the center for support with our hands.

Tip by Quim Colet

It is important to place the hips and legs properly before blocking the passing lane with the arm. Sometimes moving over the hips will not be enough and we will need the arm to row or even do a stroke to reach the passing lane.

General comment

Following the same initial instructions of the previous video, here instead of leaning on the center to move over the hips and go to the other side, we have to perform an explosive breaststroke kick to jump fast to the other side. Right after finishing the jump we must move over the hips and place the legs to return to the defensive position and block the passing lane.

Tip by Quim Colet

We can perfect the technique of jumping putting both hands out of the water to defend cleaner.

General comment

Again the situation is the same as in the two previous cases, but the we change sides with an explosive freestyle stroke. Depending on the situation of the game, we can separate ourselves a little from the center and get the position with swimming.

Tip by Quim Colet

Always when reaching the side and guarding the buoy with one hand we must move over the hips and place the legs properly to get an ideal horizontal position to defend. 

General comment

Starting again from a defensive position in the passing lane, we have to jump side to side with a spin move. Usually we use this technique to get away from a grabbing or holding of the center. We will perform this turn with a breaststroke kick to cover more space and finally place the hips up and defend the passing lane.

Tip by Quim Colet

This move is usually made when the buoy grabs or holds the defender and doesn't allow him to move. With the turn, we usually get the center to release us.

General comment

If we want to front the center we have to be in horizontal position and gain ball side placing the hips and legs toward the ball while the offense players are passing on the outside. The defender needs to be mobile, on balance and aware of where the ball is at all times

Tip by Quim Colet

It is key to master this type of defense to control big and very strong centers to avoid getting caught behind and allow the teammates to keep pressing.