Do you have quizzers who need to develop more confidence? Are they lacking the aggressive nature that is critical to winning close games? The Offense/Defense Drill may be just what you need to get them where they need to be.
The purpose of this drill is to force quizzers to hit by simulating difficult game conditions in practice. Creating different scenarios that require quizzers to hit quickly, answer efficiently, and quiz aggressively prepares them for the tough matches.
To run the Offense/Defense Drill you must first split your team into offense and defense. Try to mix it up, but focus on having the quizzer who needs the most help at being aggressive by putting them on offense. Often this is your second or third chair. Also, remember that it doesn’t have to be a fair fight. Sometimes, it can be good to have the defense go 3-on-1 against the offense.
Next, set up the scenario. There are four questions left, and the offense needs three of them to win. Everyone on offense has two wrong, and an error out loses the game. This means the offense has to get three out of four correct without missing any. For the defense to win, they need to get two correct or hope the offense misses one.
Play the game. This drill is great to use several times in succession. Switch up the offense and the defense, and rearrange quizzers in between. Save time by not bothering to finish. When the offense loses, it’s over. Go on to the next scenario.
Also, mix up the scenarios, and make them progressively tougher. If you get to the point where the offense can hit six in a row and get them all, you’re doing very well. Remember to adjust the personnel on offense and defense as necessary to make it tough on the offense. This is a drill should be stacked, sometimes heavily, against the offense.
My experience has been that quizzers like this drill because it tests their skills in a very tangible way. Surprisingly, quizzers like being on offense, because they know that they have to be pretty much perfect to win. Push your quizzers to take their game to the next level.
You know what they say: “The best defense is a good offense.”