So watching college football today the announcers always make a statement like “That drive took 10 minutes so the defense got a good rest”. How is that rest only beneficial to the defense and not for the opposing offense?
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Defense is reactionary so it’s harder to play as opposed to offense. Also offense controls pace so it essentially can go as fast or slow as it wants. Offense gets to just go while defense has to chase offense and then exert energy to tackle offensive players. Oh plus on defense, your back peddling or laterally moving side to side
Think of the defensive positions and their job.
Defensive line has to try to overtake the offensive line by pushing and running around them. While the offensive line is just trying to hold their position.
Linebackers have to cover a lot of ground and attack runners, sometimes cover, and sometimes spy QBs.
D backs are and always on edge trying to cover because they never know when a wr is going to make a break.
Just overall, compared to the offensive equivalency positions, the defense has to work harder to have success. And it can be very tiring to be on the field doing that over and over.
The defense has to put in full effort on every play. You don’t know where the play is going so each defender has to do their best in case they are the key to stopping the play. Once you get tired in the defense, the consequences are quite high.
On the offence only a couple of players need to put in full effort for each play. They know if there is a possibility they are getting a ball and can act accordingly.
Linemen of course are always working hard but so is the opposing line so it kinda cancels out.
Offense controls what is happening on the field.
They can run plays that target fresh players and give tired players a bit of a break. They can sub players in an out based on how fresh they are.
The defense reacts to the offense. If their defensive backs are winded, the offense isn’t going to call a run play to give them a break. They will keep attacking the secondary. If a defensive player is a little banged up, the offense will target that player.
Sure, the defense can also substitute players, but only to an extent. If the offense comes out with five receivers and is throwing the ball deep, the defense needs to react accordingly.
Offense is active. Defense is reactive.
It’s more tiring physically and psychologically to have to keep up with somebody who knows what they’re doing and you don’t. The defense’s actions are dictated by what they see offense do, while the offensive players know their job and exactly how much energy to exert. The defense has to go 100% just to keep up.
As a microcosm of this, think of the battle between a WR and a CB every play. Put yourself in both their shoes. Who do you think is getting tired out more?
In addition to the reactionary point, offensive players exert way less energy blocking someone than Dliners do trying to fight through blocks
Let’s zoom in and look at a specific match-up between a Wide reciever and a corner back.
WR is tired and loses a step against the CB. He still has the element of surprise and can use any number of routes to force an opening and make a play.
CB is tired and loses a step against the WR. Reciver and QB pick up on this and go deep and it’s 6 points on the board.
Two things… one is the offense controls the action. If someone on offense is a bit tired they can take a play sort of easy and the only consequence is the ball won’t be thrown/handed to them. It will go to someone else. The defense if you’re tired and take a play easy they are going to throw the ball to you and it’s gonna be a touchdown cause you tried to take it easy. It’s basically if you’re the offense and you take it easy then they just go with someone else on offense. If you’re on the defense and you take it easy they are gonna go for you and expose that.
Also after every play the offense controls when the ball is snapped… so on D you have to haul ass back into position so they can’t snap it while you’re out of position. On offense they can see you’re not in position and just wait till you are to snap it. So even after the play the defense has to run faster to get back first.
There’s also positional things like if you’re blitzing you’re running toward the QB and trying to fight people off… if you’re a blocker you just stand still and try not to move when they are trying to push past. Try it with a friend and see which is harder and takes more out of you.
In general, defense is more tiring than offense. Since the defense is more tired out, they benefit more from the rest.
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