The Hourglass

Obj: Narrow-wide-narrow progression shape — build compact, travel wide, finish compact: the hourglass the model's attacks actually draw. Field: 45×35yd in three horizontal bands: build band (narrow play), middle band (wide play), final band (narrow again). Equip: Cones, ball, bibs, pug goals/target players. Org: 8v7 end-to-end. Band rules: in the build band, all passes ≤15yd (tight combination exit — the press-resistant huddle); crossing the middle band requires using a wide channel (the field opens — switches and touchline runs); the final band scores only via central combinations or cutback-style entries (narrow again — the box is a phone booth). The shape breathes: tight, wide, tight. CP: (1) Build band: bodies close, angles sharp, third-man chains (traffic is safety when you're the one combining); (2) middle band: SPRINT into width — the transition between bands is where time is won; (3) final band: back to intimacy — slide passes and arrivals, not crosses into crowds. Prog: Defenders press the build band hard (the tight exit under fire); band boundaries shift per round (adaptability). Reg: 8v5; band rules softened to bonuses. Mist: P: playing one width everywhere (each band's geometry is its own country); C: not naming the hourglass — the image organizes everything. Time: 16 min. Out: Band-appropriate shape shifting; the breathe-rhythm visible end-to-end. Var: Reverse hourglass round (wide-narrow-wide — for teams facing low blocks who must go around, 15's E-28 counterpart). Diag: Field in three bands drawn as an hourglass silhouette: narrow pass web low, wide arrows middle, narrow combination high.