How to Have a Large Defensive Presence as a Small Player
By Kennedy Murphy
Chicago Prowl Head Coach
The theme for Women’s History Month in 2024 is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.” Keeping with the theme, MLQ spoke to Chicago Prowl Head Coach Kennedy Murphy, a veteran quadball athlete and advocate for female representation in sports, about how she became and teaches others to be an effective defensive threat.
My identity as a quadball player centers on defense, specifically as a point defender. Tackling is my favorite part of the sport, but it took me years—and a rule change—to figure out how to execute it.
Most short players are women, and most women are short compared to the majority; we comprise a significant portion of the quadball population. However, a two-factor issue prevents many small women from reaching their full defensive potential: 1) a lack of coaches with experience being a smaller player and 2) a lack of women with experience playing a tackle sport before quadball.
Neither is an excuse for preventing teaching or learning how to tackle and becoming a defensive threat. I have no idea what it is like to jump two feet above a defender and alley-oop on the middle hoop—that doesn't mean I don't know how to coach it. My primary sports were volleyball and softball—that doesn't mean I set a limit on how physical I could become as a quadball player.
If you're ready to step up your game, here are five tips on how to have a large defensive presence as a small player:
Lateral quickness: It's more important to keep the ball carrier in front of you than to attempt a tackle. Before incorporating quadball's rugby elements, you have to learn how to play basketball. Focus on their core, not their eyes, feet, or the ball—they're not going anywhere without their waist. Practice your shuffling and drop step; ladders and cones will become your BFFs while bettering your footwork.
Stay low: Hey, that's easier for you than for tall people! The best arm placement for tackling is around your opponent's waist or hips. Speed is critical, so eliminate the additional movement of squatting down before wrapping by keeping your knees bent and butt to the ground. Your movement from tracking to wrapping should be instantaneous, giving your opponent less time to evade you.
Lock in: Once close enough to your opponent, you must simultaneously wrap them with both arms and transfer your broom control to your legs. If you can reach your other hand or arm, grab onto it. If your wrap can engulf one or both of their arms, do it. Your mission is to lock your opponent into your arms while locking the broom between your legs.
The Yoink™️: In the split second between the wrap and the takedown, I teach my players to do what I call the yoink™️. It's a hard jerk of the arms in the same direction the body is falling. It often catches your opponent off guard and off balance, making it easier for you to use their size and momentum against them. It also helps you place yourself on the side of the opposing player when you bring them down—no one wants another person landing directly on top of them.
Active feet: Most of your power comes from your legs, so use them to drive your opponent to the ground. If they are moving, follow their momentum with your feet. If they are stagnant, turn your body and walk them backward. Combining their momentum, your feet's guidance, and your body weight can allow you to take down opponents much larger than yourself.
Put that all together, and it should look like this.
A taller player can use these same principles to improve their defensive skills. Compared to football-style tackling, this type is more effective, reduces cards, and creates a safer environment for the tackler and the tackled, regardless of size.
With that, I’ll leave you with this final piece of advice: it is important for defenders of all sizes to recognize their strength and adjust their force according to their opponent's size—putting the same hit on a smaller opponent that you would a larger one doesn’t prove defensive prowess. Making smart, calculated plays is the real key to being a great defender.
Want to hear more from Murphy? Check out other quadball content featuring her.
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All advice in this article is strictly based on Murphy’s experience. Murphy spent five years as a key on-field piece for the Chicago Prowl. In 2023, she underwent ACL reconstruction and moved her efforts to head coaching the storied franchise. She shot into the spotlight last season as the first female head coach to make a Benepe Cup final. And while Murphy plans to return to the pitch this summer, she will continue to lead the Prowl.