Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory

When it comes down to who wants to lose it more

“Players win games. Coaches lose games.” After watching D2 Playoffs at Wichita, let’s focus on that last part — call it good timing. BURN! Timing pun! That’s right, this post is about time management.

Coaches Lose Games

Oof, harsh. And true. Sure, the quality of gameplay on the track the rest of the 60–63:58 min matters, but the coach usually decides how that time is allocated, and to a large extent, how much. Occasionally, coaches gift time to their trailing opponents or fritter away time they could use to stop losing. Whoops a daisy.

In this post, I will focus specifically on time management for winning games, not gaming the spreadsheet, because playoffs are all about winning and the spreadsheet is lame.

Use this info when you’re comfortably up or uncomfortably down. When is that? Depends on the score and the time. It doesn’t matter that you’re down 10 points at the half, but down 10 points with 3 minutes to go is another story.

I think it was Forrest Gump who said, “I’m not a smart man, but I know how time works.” (It was something like that.) In short, if you are winning the game, you want there to be less of it, and if you are losing the game, you want there to be more time left for your comeback. Think about time in the game as time spent increasing or decreasing the differential.

Behold, your handy infographic. Feel free to print out a copy for bench use! The plus sign designates tips for the team that’s up. The minus sign shows advice for the team that is down.

There’s Hope

The good news is that even if you don’t have experience managing the clock in high pressure scenarios, you can learn, practice, and get the mistakes out before you coach a charter team at playoffs.

Thanks to The Apex for their special segment on Coaches Not Knowing How Time Works. Please read this post. I am not kidding; it is mandatory, especially if you don’t yet know how time works. Key point from the article:

Coaches and skaters have to be on the same page and run these scenarios together so that when the time comes there is no room for error.

As usual, they’re right on the money. Coaches and teams need to practice game-end scenarios to become well-oiled winning machines when the game is on the line. Making decisions while managing the stresses of a big game is much harder in the moment than as an armchair analyst or fan. Just like playing derby, coaching decisions on the fly are tougher than well-rehearsed strategies.

Here’s how you can do that. It’s aptly named the Five Minute Drill. This is a scenario-based drill, played exactly like the end of a game. The black team starts with 150–140 lead over white. Refs should announce time remaining after every jam and coaches will track score.

First, review what to do when you’re down vs up. Make sure everyone knows what strategies to use to maximize impact when you get lead and minimize damage when the other team gets out first (the usual stuff). Then play roller derby in accordance with your goals! WOO!

Coaches practice clock management and well, coaching. One team wins, talk it out, then try it again with white up and black down.

Never Again

Coaches, stop trying to lose games, especially at playoffs. Pledge it.

I will never call a time out to allow another jam at the end of the game when my team is winning.

I will never use my 2nd half official review as a time out when I have regular time outs remaining.

I will tell my lead jammer to run out the clock without committing a penalty when there are under two minutes left and we lead. I will not ask them to call the jam.

I will call a time out before time expires to gain two more minutes of point scoring time when my team is down.

I will never end a game we’re losing with time outs remaining.

I will call a time out before the clock ticks past 2 minutes if my team trails.

If I’m out of clock stoppages, have lead jammer, but need more points to win, my team will call the jam when more than 30 seconds remain on the game clock, to allow another jam.

I will call a time out immediately after a jam to maximize game clock when my team needs max points and time. I will not be that genius who waits to call time out till 29 seconds elapse between jams.

I will waste all kinds of roller derby time when I hold a lead.

I will never call a time out when I am losing by a million points at the end because I can’t win and odds are one more jam makes it worse.

I will never again drive Coach Dad, Lightning Slim, Andrew Marron, TrebleMaker, and the whole gang over at #talk2wftda to this point:

Th-th-th-that’s all, folks.

Practice makes permanent! Solid coaching separates the great from the almost great. Now go win those playoffs.