A default is the way a team plays a round when it has no special plan. It is mostly used about the attacking side: instead of running onto one site as a group of five, players spread out across the map, take key areas and slowly put pressure on the defence while gathering information. Where to commit is decided later, based on what they have learned.
How a default works
A default usually includes:
- a standard setup: someone takes mid, someone checks the approaches to the sites, someone watches the flank;
- the usual grenades in the first seconds — smokes and flashes that help take positions safely;
- gathering information: how many defenders are on each site, where they are standing, which grenades they have already used;
- a late decision: once the picture is clear, the team groups up and hits wherever the defence is weaker.
How it differs from a rush and a set play
A rush is a fast hit on one site by the whole team without scouting. A set play (a strat) is a rehearsed plan with specific grenades and roles. A default sits between them: it is flexible, slower than a rush and does not require learning a separate plan for every round. That is why many teams play most rounds from a default and mix in rushes and strats so the opponent does not get used to one rhythm.
Downsides
A default takes time: if the team spends too long gathering information, fewer seconds are left for the actual hit. A defence that knows its opponent well can also wait for the usual timings and punish them. So teams vary their default from round to round — different players take different areas, and the grenades go in a different order.
Where the word comes from
The word comes from the English "default" — the standard setting used when nothing else is specified. It also appears in "default position", the spot a player takes at the start of a round when there are no special instructions.