To fill or not to fill, that is the question! What I'm talking about is a paradoxical decision you'll need to make. You're in a tournament when one of your teammates gets taken out from a position "in front of yours". Quick thinking and knowledge of the game will guide your movements, or lack thereof.
Your buddy's made the 50 and he's really in the thick of it. You're not too far behind and doing your best to keep him in the game. THWACK! Right in the lens. He's gone!
What is the right move for you? Whether you should fill his position depends on several things. The bad news is that if you are going to fill, then you need to fill immediately, since the other team now thinks they've opened up that position. You'll have a better chance of getting there if they don't have time to set up to sweetspot your running lane. You might even come up with a quick elimination if one of them isn't paying attention when you fill in his spot.
But should you do it? Well, was your buddy doing any good up there? Is it a center flag game and if so, is his spot key to pulling the flag, or defending against a flag pull attempt?
If he was just up there getting pummeled, and didn't have a decent lane to work with, then is it worth another possible elimination for you to further his effort?
If no real progress was being made by him being up there--whether due to tough field setup, or opponents having superior positions on him--then NO; stay where you're at or move laterally. A lateral move can be as much or more effective than moving up, in some cases. Ten feet to the right might pinch the guy in the Dorito just enough so he lets up on your teammates, and they can move.
If it is center flag and the flag is not yet pulled, then it nearly always is worth your effort to try for those points. Think of how many times you made or missed the finals cut by one flag pull. In most five-man formats, that's what one pull can mean, so don't forget!
Also, if your player's spot let him crank out paint, shut down a lane, and be in position to take out an opponent or two, his position might not have been all that bad. You might want to fill in under those conditions. Everyone gets hit, so his getting hit doesn't mean that he wasn't making a difference.
Filling in is a good thing to pay attention to in practice. There isn't much of a drill you can run to simulate it. Every time one of your guys gets eliminated in front of you, make your decision, even if you don't move an inch. Pay attention to how effective your teammates are, so if you have to decide whether to fill in you can act with some reasonable information. The right move can prove more valuable than an extra 1000psi. As soon as his hand goes up, snap into action and take control.
Power Tip of the Month You must reload without taking your eyes off the game. Top off when the heat is not on!
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