Back Pass

The USWNT is in the World Cup championship game. They’re good, but can someone please tell them not to pass backwards next game?
The goal is forward.
Advance the ball.
Drive forward.
Move toward the goal, not away.

Soccer has found a way to measure the value of passing backward: Time of possession. Passing back retains the ball, creates space and spreads the defense, controls tempo, allows better vision, incorporates more players. Yes, passing forward is necessary to score, but passing backwards is often the best way to get there.

Goals determine the winner of a game, but time of possession often positively correlates with the outcome.

A back pass is an investment. Not directly in goals, but directly in time of possession. And with that time of possession, a cushion is created, and opportunities for goals increase.

Relentlessly driving forward may produce positive results immediately, but passing backward wins games.

This is true in soccer, in the spiritual journey, and in business.

If you keep the end-game in mind, investing in a cushion is never wasted.