Tactics & strategy
The strategies and tactical ideas behind sport — what they are, when they are used and which sports use them.
Browse tactics
Each entry is cross-linked to the sports it belongs to and the terms around it.
Baseline play
A patient tennis style built around rallying from the back of the court and constructing points with groundstrokes.
Breakaway and peloton
The cycling tension between the main pack riding together and small groups that break clear to gain time.
Counter-attack
Winning the ball and moving forward at speed to attack before the opponent can reorganise their defence.
Court coverage and rotation
Volleyball positioning where players rotate through positions and cover the court as one coordinated unit.
Doubles formation
How a pair positions itself on court — one up, one back, or both at the net — to control space in doubles.
Drafting
Riding, running or swimming close behind another competitor to save energy in their slipstream.
Fast break
Pushing the ball up court at speed after a turnover or rebound to score before the defence sets up.
Full-court press
An aggressive basketball defence that pressures the ball across the whole court to force turnovers.
High press
A football tactic where a team hunts the ball high up the pitch to win it back close to the opponent’s goal.
Interval-training strategy
Structuring a workout as bursts of hard effort separated by recovery to build fitness efficiently.
Man-to-man marking
A defensive tactic where each defender is assigned a specific opponent to track and contain.
Negative split
A pacing tactic where an athlete covers the second half of a race faster than the first.
Net play
Controlling the point from close to the net with volleys, smashes and touch shots to cut down an opponent’s time.
Offside trap
A defensive football tactic where the back line steps up together to leave an attacker offside.
Pacing strategy
Planning how to distribute effort across a race so energy lasts the full distance without fading.
Pick and roll
A two-player basketball action where one player screens for the ball-handler, then rolls to the basket.
Possession play
A patient football style that keeps the ball through short passing to control the game and tire opponents.
Serve and volley
An attacking tennis tactic where the server follows their serve to the net to finish the point with a volley.
Serve-receive formation
How a volleyball team arranges its passers to receive the serve and set up a clean first attack.
Set-piece play
Rehearsed routines from a dead-ball situation such as a corner, free kick or throw-in used to create chances.
Wing play
Attacking down the flanks and crossing the ball into the box to stretch the defence and create chances.
Zone defence
A defensive system where each player guards an area of the court rather than a specific opponent.
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