Regardless of whether a denial or open stance is being used, defenders must always be able to see both the player they are guarding and the player with the ball. In a denial stance, this requires the defender to have their chin on the defender’s shoulder rather than looking directly at them.

In an open stance it is a little easier to do, but again requires the defender not to turn their head to look directly at their opponent but rather see them in their peripheral vision.

To improve this type of vision, players should be introduced to the “flat triangle” position, which summarises their position relative to their own player and the player with the ball.

In the diagrams below, each defender adopts a position, based upon how close their opponent is to the ball. The triangles represent the defender’s vision – being able to see both the player with the ball and their direct opponent. This can be further improved by having players that are in an open or floating stance point at both the player with the ball and their direct opponent.

Player 1 has the ball
Players 2 and 3 are one pass away
Player 4 is two passes away
Player 5 is three passes away

Player 2 has the ball
Players 1 and 5 are one pass away
Player 3 is two passes away
Player 4 is three passes away

Player 2 has the ball
Player 1 is one pass away
Players 3 and 5 are two passes away
Player 4 is three passes away

Keeping Vision

The importance of keeping vision of both the player being defended and the player that has the ball cannot be over emphasized. If a defender is not watching the player they are guarding, they are susceptible to being beaten on a cut.

Here X3 is looking directly at the ball, and is not aware of the cut made by their opponent.

If X3 instead keeps vision of their opponent, they can react to ensure that they do not get open to receive a pass.