Long Step Pass from De La Riva Guard

Long Step Pass from De La Riva Guard is a passing sequence that clears the legs built around a handful of repeatable controls. Top player is at mid or far distance against a De La Riva guard and needs to close distance and clear the DLR hook before passing. Another common starting shape: top player has long-stepped across the partner and is tripoded over the far shoulder with hips elevated and weight on the head and the back foot. It is worth attempting once opponent has DLR hook on the far leg and comfortable with: Tripod pressure for long-step finish. The ideas that hold it together are distance change, step-over timing, and head control.

The long step pass chain is a sequence of small controls, not one athletic burst. Use the long-step as a distance closer when the opponent retains guard at range, not only as a finisher up close. Step over the DLR hook with a small, controlled jump rather than a big committed step that lands stacked on the opponent. After clearing the hook, drop the near knee, control the collar, and pull the trapped leg to set up the finish. Drop the hips only after the angle past the partner has been established. Trap the near arm or shoulder so the partner cannot turn in. Walk the back leg toward the partner's head to lock side control. Pin the bottom player's far leg or knee down with a hand or shoulder so it cannot retract. Step the lead leg deep across the partner's body toward the far hip rather than alongside the body. Top player has stepped over the DLR hook with a controlled jump, dropped the inside knee, controlled the head, and arrived in a long-step finishing posture close to the opponent.

Later in the long step pass, pressure comes from the chest and head, not from sitting on the hips, finish to the far side, never the near side, and cross the body line rather than settling parallel tend to decide whether the position stays on track. Watch for these mistakes: Jumping too big and ending up sitting on the opponent in a stacked, off-balance position. Failing to control the head after closing distance, which lets the opponent re-extend the legs. Dropping the hips before clearing the far leg, which gives the bottom player space to recover. Letting the head drift away from the partner, losing the pressure connection. The high-percentage version of long step pass from de la riva guard is the one you can still chain when the bottom player recovers a hook.