Fast breaks can take different shapes. There are uneven breaks: 4-on-3, 5-on-4, 5-on-3 (and 6-on-3 if you’re playing the Atlas). In these scenarios, the offense outnumbers the defense; the advantages of that are obvious. Then there are even strength breaks: 4-on-4 and 5-on-5. Although the offense lacks an apparent advantage, these even strength breaks can be sneakily dangerous.

With fewer players on the field, the extra space makes it difficult for defenses to contain playmakers. Slides are long. Second slides are longer. The most readily available help defender is often (*gasp*) an offensive midfielder. Even strength breaks are the perfect time for one of the game’s most dangerous actions: A pass down pick down.

Pass down pick downs in transition pit a defensive midfielder’s offensive ability against an offensive midfielder’s defensive ability. The catch? The offensive player is asked to do much, much more defensively than the SSDM needs to do. After clearing, the SSDM needs to find an attackman, hit him with a pass, and set a pick. The offensive midfielder – who is at the end of his shift, by the way – needs to position himself to defend the pick. Should he sit on the picker’s hip so that he can chip the ball-carrier? Or should he drop to give his teammate room to fight through? Too late! Matt Rambo’s already inside the hash marks.