How to practice modern guard retention system

I'd probably split Stage 0 and Stage 1 into two separate games at first, because they’re teaching slightly different problems.

For Stage 0, I’d start with the passer directly on the “headlights”, so both feet are in front of them. The passer’s goal is to win an angle, get to the outside of the legs, or force an entry inside the guard player’s knee line. The guard player’s goal is not “play guard” yet, it’s to keep their feet/knees pointing at the passer and deny that first angle.

So the win conditions could be:

Passer wins if they get to Stage 1, roughly 45 degrees, or get inside the legs with meaningful control.

Guard player wins if they keep the passer in front for a set time, or recover their feet/knees back to the passer after the passer starts to angle off.

For Stage 1, I’d start the passer already at about 45 degrees. Now the guard player’s job is to square back up, reinsert a knee/foot frame, or connect to a guard. The passer’s goal is to turn that angle into a real pass: pin the legs, beat the knee line, get chest-to-chest, leg drag, etc.

So I’d reset Stage 1 when either:

1. The guard player recovers back to Stage 0, with their feet/knees back on the passer.

2. The guard player makes a genuine guard connection.

3. The passer beats the knee line or gets into a clear passing position.

The big thing I’d avoid is making the guard player’s goal “retain guard” too broadly. At those early stages, I think the goal should be much more specific: keep the passer on your headlights, deny the angle, then recover the angle when it’s lost.

Basically: Stage 0 teaches “don’t let them get off-line.” Stage 1 teaches “they got off-line, now recover before it becomes a pass.”