How do you score in pushball?

[Konoko]

After our most recent game where we lost 3 - 0, I have one small question:

How the heck do you even come close to moving the ball to the opponent's goal?

The other team didn't seem to have much of a problem doing it. It was pretty much on our side of the field for the whole game. I think we only had 1 real shot on goal and then one other time where we did get the ball in their end.

They didn't seem to have much of a problem moving the ball.

Are there some pushball tricks that I don't know?

One thing I noticed is that they seemed to be lined up behind each other quite a bit and this seemed to have an affect on which way the ball went. Say we hit it south and then it bounces off them and jumps over me to the north. Is this because there were 2 of them and only 1 of me so the ball will go to whichever side had less people lined up?

Make sense? I don't know if I'm describing it well though.

I definitely would like to learn more about the ways (physics?) of the pushball...

[Lilly]

I am still trying to master how to move the ball myself, but here is what ive learned so far:

1) Each person has a "zone of ball" repulsion around them. If you come close to the ball, no matter what speed, when it hits this zone, the ball will start to move. When the ball comes close to another "zone of ball repulsion" (be it a wall, or another exile) then those fields begin to collapse, and thats how you can get right next to the ball. The slower you walk, the slower that field collapses (so if you walk very slowly, you will be able to manipulate the ball easier and be in less danger of having it flip behind you) If you stand still, your field is very difficult to make collapse-its a goo way of guarding.

2) if a moving exile comes into contact with the ball, it will be as if that person used the "pull" command on it, and flip behind them.

3) the ball can be passed along a great distance almost instantly by lining up any players, and having one person touch the ball like i saoid above. the ball will come into contact with each of those people, and bounce over them until it lands roughly behind the whole group.

4) Field position is extremely important. snce everyone's "field" affects the ball (be it team member or opponent) having a large number of our players all over the ball is not as important as it may initially seem. I think we should designate a goalie, 1 defender, 1 offense, and 2 wings.The wings go anywhere after the ball, the defense stays in our territory, and the offense stays in their territory, or the middle of the field waiting for the ball to spwan from an out of bounds play. Dont be afraid to stand in one place if anoter of your team mates has the ball, or to parralell them instead of going right after the ball-then you cover behind them incase they lose the ball, and dont influence them negatively when they try to move the ball-and they can pass to you by flipping the ball backwards in your direction.

Thats all i can think of for now. I am still new to this too, so some of it may be inaccurate.

Lilly

[Konoko]

That's all pretty helpful! Thanks Lai!

As you suggest with player positions, I think we need more strategy and stuff...

I know at times during yesterday's game I was causing more harm than good sometimes.

To have the ball flip behind you when you're on a break away as you try and go around a staionary defender is quite maddening!!!