In the first article on Bearball(TM) Offensive Strategies, we looked at the meowing chasers. This time we will review some things about ball control from the point of view of the offensive team, called “Bears”. As you may remember, when a team acts as defense, they take their positions as “Chasers”. Control of the ball by the offense is important to maximize scoring potential. For those unfamiliar with Bearball(TM), capitalized words are defined in the rulebook.
One of the main jobs of the Ursa Major (UM) is to put the ball, called a Stone, into play from the Den within thirty seconds of the Keeper saying “Hunt”. This is known as a “release” in the official Bearball(TM) rule book. Release can be accomplished by simply placing the ball on the ground outside of the Den or also by kicking, rolling, throwing, or bouncing the Stone. Each of these can be for a specific purpose. Both bears in the trees and hunters should note that if the stone is placed on the ground, it is not considered “released” until the UM has removed his hand or foot from the ball. If a bear leaves a tree before the ball is intact, it will be designated as bagged. Similarly, a Hunter cannot enter the Hill until the Stone is technically released.
Stone placement on the ground should be facing the equator on the Bearball(TM) field, not on the south side of the den. This can be done to force the hunters to come and get the ball from off the hill, allowing a fast running bear in a tree moment to get to the lake and swim. Once there, Ursa Minor (Um) can indicate Hibernation after waiting at least three seconds. After Hibernation has been called, Um will have to return to a tree after a Ranger tells them to. As you will recall from the rules, the Um does not have to swim again before returning to the Den and scoring a point after the next Live Rock.
Watch carefully the positioning of the Hunters. As a general rule, don’t kick the Stone into the middle of the field. Inexperienced hunters frequently congregate in the lake region and leave wide open areas rather than play in their post positions, especially “ball hoarders”. Consequently, the Big Dipper should take note of the most unprotected places in the Meadow and try to kick or throw the Stone to that place. This can be done not only when they are initially going to drop the ball from the Den, but also as the Stalk advances and they are lucky enough to get the ball back again.
As soon as the Big Dipper has dropped the ball from the Lair, they can “Walk” back and forth along the Equator in hopes of getting a loose Rock that was thrown by a Hunter. This can be an effective maneuver, as Hunters tend not to back each other up when throwing the Stone at a bear. Note, however, that if the UM fumbles when he tries to pick it up or fumbles while trying to catch it, the player will be considered bagged.
Another thing the Big Dipper can do if he gets the Stone again is hold on to the ball until all the Um’s have reached the Lair and scored, if they haven’t already claimed Hibernation or been Bagged. This must be accomplished from inside the den or a tree. The lake must be left open if an Ursa Minor needs to perform the required swim.
After the Ums have reached the Den, the UM with the ball has two options. One is to try to Maul Hunter and the other is Hibernate. With this Hibernation, the game will be stopped, a Dead Stone, and the UM can safely exit the field.
Another tactic is to fake a throw or kick so that the hunters start to commit to one direction and then throw away from them, or make them easier to attack. However, remember that the UM can only kick from within the Den or a Bagged Bear will result.
Some players have difficulty trying to retrieve bouncing balls as well as catching one that is rolling fast across the ground. So if the Chasers are lined up just outside the edge of the Hill, the ball can either bounce high over their heads or kick hard across the ground to pass between the Chasers.
You may remember that, as a general rule, you should keep the ball away from the lake when it is first put into play. However, if both bears in the trees have already swum, the ball can be kicked as high as possible to give a long “hang time” and allow the Ums to try to score. This location can be run towards the center of the play area for three reasons. Firstly, this can encourage the Chasers to crowd the box and therefore make it more difficult for them to secure the ball. Second, you need to avoid Foresting the Stone and trigger a Bagged Bear. And also, remember that bears do not have to run directly into the den from the trees. They can take any route to achieve a score.
Hopefully this information will help you and your players understand some offensive approaches to ball control. Coaches and teams should develop their own signals to send a quick message to the bears and tell the UM when to pace, leave the field, where to place the ball when released from the den, or perform some other maneuver.
