Kris Kelly
Know your foe.
There are lots of ways you can get the most out of your defensive matchups and
it starts with not only knowing your own players but also knowing your
opponents. The more familiar you are with the opposing team’s offensive
weapons ahead of time, the better you can prepare to counter them quickly and
effectively. Furthermore, as important as it is to recognize primary play
makers, it’s just as important to know how the rest of your roster compares
overall to the other team’s personnel.
When deciding what kind of matchup to assign your “best” defender, a
defender’s physical strengths, which offensive position(s) s/he is most adept
at defending, and the D-line’s competencies versus the opposition are all
factors. Ask yourself:
A. Does it make sense to put your best defender on a go-to player of similar
skill and stature in hopes of containing him/her, throwing off the offensive
flow, and then relying mainly on your other defenders to generate the D, or
B. Is it better in the situation at hand to give your best defender a mismatch
and have him/her bait and get a D while relying on the rest of your defenders
to challenge the other primary play maker(s)?
Making these distinctions is difficult without at least an idea of what your
competition brings to the field and how your whole team matches up to them.
Otherwise it’s likely that you will waste time with trial and error and
guesswork, which could make the difference between a win and a loss.
To sub or not to sub?
Who you consider your “best” defender to be might be someone different from
game to game depending on who the other team’s offensive weapons are and what
they do. However, there are some basic principles that can be applied
regardless of specifics.
1. If it’s not broken don’t fix it.
Sometimes it’ll take a few points for a defender to get a feel for what an
opponent’s go-to moves are and how to respond to them. Once that happens, if
the defender continues to be effective and take away those looks, it would
make sense to let that defender keep doing what s/he’s doing. A switch would
mean that someone new might also need a few points to figure out what someone
else already has and that might turn out to be a few points too many. With
that being said…
2. If you’re worried about wear and tear or predictability, don’t be afraid
to rotate.
The two big problems with having the same matchup for a whole game are the
risks of burning out your best defender and allowing the offense too much time
to read the defense and adjust. To avoid these situations, having 1-2
acceptable backups to switch off can be a good strategy. This way, you give
your primary defender an occasional rest, which will help him/her make it
through the tournament intact, and you keep the offense on their toes since no
two people defend exactly the same way. In order to help the learning curve
when putting in a new defender, the primary defender should also take a few
seconds to brief the backups on what s/he has already figured out so that it
hopefully takes less time to fill the role than it would have otherwise.
3. If it’s broken, fix it promptly.
A defense cannot afford to allow easy scores. Even if the defense gets scored
on eventually in a given point, one of their jobs is to make the other team’s
offense grind it out and get them tired. A tired offense gets sloppy and makes
mistakes, which leads to that break opportunity. Also, in situations where
your offense is working hard for their scores, it’s really important for the
defense to stay on the field to give them the time to recover so they can be
productive on the next offensive point.
If within 2 points, the opposition’s offense has scored without so much as a
contested throw, something has to change. It doesn’t have to be drastic since
those kinds of changes might take longer than a point or two formulate and
implement, but even something as slight as a few matchup switches or a force
change or throwing a zone could shake things up a little bit and make your
defense more effective.
Don’t forget about the big picture.
How you decide to use your “best” defender(s) from game to game requires
taking a big picture look at overall strategy for the tournament. What are
your goals for the tournament? Which are the games you have to win? Which
games (if any) can you afford to lose? Which are the games you would like to
win but don’t have to win? At what point do you consider a game to be a lost
cause (and is this even an acceptable thing to consider)? Answers to these
kinds of questions can help lead you in the right direction when thinking
about when and how much to use your defensive studs.
Kris Kelly
It can be easy to make excuses for not playing team defense in Mixed Ultimate,
especially in man-to-man set-ups. About half the people on the field you would
never choose to mark up on/cover prior to the pull, the people you want to set
up switches with may not be the closest people to you, and the person in the
best position to help you might not be the obvious choice given the situation.
However, with practice and communication, there’s no reason why skills such as
poaching, switching, and being heads-up in general can’t be incorporated into
a defense’s repertoire.
Unfortunately, there are no strict rules for teaching these skills since the
configuration of genders on the field is so unpredictable and ever-changing;
also, a person’s thinking will often have to shift from moment to moment
between guarding one’s person, guarding one’s gender, and knowing when to help
out regardless of gender. It can be a lot to process and therefore becomes
more a function of being able to react dynamically, which is, in larger part,
based on a person’s/D-team’s experiences. Therefore, while theoretical
explanation can help foster understanding of the basics, honing the skills is
best done via real or simulated game situations.
A LITTLE THEORY…
Low Risk/High Reward Poaching
One of the easier poaching strategies to master in Mixed is a woman poach in
the lane off of the woman handler. Often times, this offensive position will
stay behind or around the disc and so a poach will never be too far from
putting a mark on. The biggest advantage to this poach is that, if done
properly, she can cut off the in-cuts, which means that the downfield
defenders can back a little, thus the out-cuts are also covered. Then when the
disc goes to the woman handler, the downfield defense can adjust to covering
the in-cuts since this is generally the more dangerous part of the field at
that point. The challenge for the poacher is to position herself so that she
can see where the cuts are coming in while also keeping track of where the
thrower is looking. Sideline talk can help her be in the right place at the
right time. This D can be especially effective given adverse weather
conditions and can be a way to switch up the D from zone to man so that the
offense doesn’t get too comfortable with one particular look.
Prepare for Switching to Make the D’s Job Easier
Switching can take several different directions in Mixed. Although there are
times when there is switching between genders, it is usually out of momentary
necessity (i.e. zone O to man D transition) and looks to be resolved as
quickly as possible since those are probably not the match-ups you are hoping
for. However, switching within a gender leads to more equitable match-ups, can
be planned for, and can be used to make defense easier and help save your legs
a bit.
Being able to prepare for switches with players of your own gender depends on
how the offense sets up and how quickly they get going. If there are two
people of your gender in the stack, one defender could cover the in-cut and
one could cover the out-cut. If there are three people of your gender in the
stack, you could set up an in/out/middle or an in/out/break (this one is great
around the endzone where there is less field to cover on the force side and a
break side throw could lead to an easy score). The thing to remember is that
the genders are probably spaced out in different places in the stack and so
you have to keep an eye on what all the cutters of your gender are doing and
continue to communicate with your teammate(s) when your wo/men start making
their moves.
Switches become slightly trickier when the offense is in a split or ho stack.
With the split stack, unless two of your gender are set up on one side of the
field (in which case you could set up in/out), preparing for switches probably
isn’t possible. And with ho stack, the spacing between offensive players is
probably greater than with a straight stack so, again, unless two of one
gender are next to each other to provide an in/out set up opportunity,
switching could prove to be more trouble than it’s worth (although it might be
worth a try anyway to see for yourself—defensive points are the times to take
chances). What it comes down to is being aware of where the genders are set-
up, what opportunities for switching, if any, that provides, and then
communicating intensions with your teammates.
Be Heads Up and Go Get It If You Can
One mentality that needs to be avoided in Mixed is the one where a defender
thinks s/he should only go for a disc that is meant for someone of his/her own
gender. If you are in a position to make a bid on a disc, do it. This means
knowing where the disc is, where the intended pass is going, and gauging the
risk of leaving your person relatively undefended (if the situation calls for
it). Probably the most advantageous places on the field for one to be heads up
are the front of the stack, last in the stack, and as the person clearing out
of the lane. The first person in the stack can keep an eye out for the quick,
straight pass up the middle; the last person has to be aware of the deep shot;
the defender clearing out of the lane can see the next cut coming in and can
intercept the pass to that cut if the timing is right. I’ve found that one of
the more fun things about being a woman in Mixed Ultimate is being
underestimated. Sometimes you can make that work for you and get your team
turns in the process.
AND A LOT OF PRACTICE
Provide Opportunities for Collective Learning
Team D is all about knowing each other and working together and for that you
mostly have to learn together. So your aim as a team should be to get your D
exposed to as many different situations and conditions as possible. In terms
of practice time, 10-pull or some variation of it is a great “drill” because
it lets the defense work together more intensely than a simple scrimmage
would. Controlled scrimmage, such as a game to 5 with play stoppage, can also
be valuable for real-time pointing out of where people are and where they
should be for more efficient and effective defense. Then of course it is also
extremely important to try some of these things out on people who don’t have
the inside track to what you’ve been working on. Worthwhile pre-series
tournaments, as many as you can get your team to, are imperative for D-team
development. A brief huddle after certain D points where the line can discuss
positives, negatives, and adjustments will help to increase their collective
learning.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!
Team D isn’t just about the 7 people on the field; it’s also about the other
10-20 on the sideline. True team D gets them involved as well. It is at times
impossible for a single defender to see everything s/he needs to see in order
to play the best D and so having another member of your team in your ear from
the sideline for the duration of the point is invaluable. From the line before
the pull, a defender should pick an available teammate from the sideline to
talk to him/her and it is that person’s responsibility to follow the defender
and let him/her know what is going on elsewhere on the field that would effect
how one plays D (i.e. who has the disc, where the disc is, where the thrower
is looking, where the cuts are going, etc.). Regardless of what kind of D you
are playing, communication on the field and from the sideline is a must. The
best communication comes from familiarity with each other’s voices, which is
why being vocally active in everything from a basic endzone drill to sideline
encouragement helps make sure that communication comes more naturally and will
be there when it matters most.
Kris Kelly
When thinking about cutting in the endzone, the first thing to consider is if
you even should cut. You have to assess where the space is and the convenience
of your angle to that space. You need to know who your thrower is and what
they are comfortable with (if you cut to where you intend to cut, will the
thrower have the throw to hit you accurately enough for it to be a score?).
You need to know how you fair with your match-up compared to others’ match-
ups. And of course you need to be aware of how many people are up field and
where and how they are set up, which is likely a function of the kind of play
just completed to get you within 5 yards of the endzone.
If after this split second assessment you decide that you should in fact cut,
your next job is to make it as easy as possible for both you and the thrower.
If a handler has possession of the disc, this probably makes your job easier
as a cutter because there are more options of places you can go and still be a
viable target. Number 1 easy cut: breakside, looking for a leading around
break or an inside break in the gut. Number 2 easy cut: from the front of the
stack, a few hard steps to the open side with a quick cut back to the center
of the field for a short throw right up the middle (this one requires a well
spread out stack so that the second person in the stack doesn’t find his/her
defender tempted to poach).
If a non-handler has the disc, you as a cutter will probably have to work a
little bit harder to make sure that the target you are providing is as
standard as it can be. This means beating your defender to the open side
outright. Run straight at your defender and erase their buffer as quickly as
possible, make one juke/stutter step, and sprint right past them on their
inside shoulder while they are on their heels. Getting rid of the buffer
quickly is really the key because the longer they are able to keep the buffer,
the less room you have until the end of your cutting lane and the less likely
it will be that you will be open or in the endzone once you are finished with
your cut.
In my experience, the overall best thing a team can do when it comes to cutter
set up in the redzone/endzone is get in a nice spread out, straight stack down
the middle of the field. From here, you have the most options for different
people to get open from various places in the stack and the person with the
disc can make the call of what s/he wants to see. And even if you want to make
it quick and painless to score, sometimes the best thing to do is still to
dump it, either because it puts the disc in better hands, because it can be
easier to cut from movement than stagnation, or because high stall counts can
force poor decisions and a reset helps maintain all-around composure.
Kris Kelly
A trap cup zone is a common and effective configuration in Mixed Ultimate. It
looks to create pressure and mismatches at the disc. The handlers, who touch
the disc most in zone offense, are depended upon by the rest of the team to be
consistent and unflappable when working a zone D. An aggressive trap cup can
serve to fluster and frustrate the handlers, whether it’s because they
themselves are having trouble moving the disc or because others are having
trouble getting them the disc. When the handlers become uncomfortable, the
rest of the offense snowballs along with them. Often a trap cup will focus on:
(1) forcing in the direction where the wind is making the swing throws easier
so that breaking the mark/cup back the other direction is very difficult and
(2) forcing the disc to the sideline where there is a female handler and/or a
weaker thrower (not necessarily a handler).
In the presented scenario where the wind is unpredictable, the D will probably
focus on (2). The idea is to put 1-2 people (usually men) in the cup who have
exceptional marks and are difficult to get around. The defense is hoping to
create hand and foot blocks (especially against female handlers where a
difference in physical size lends itself more easily to these types of blocks)
as well as force poor execution and/or decision-making that result in discs
either getting turfed or caught in the wind. In addition, while the mark is
making it tougher to get a throw off, the rest of the cup is creating even
more of a challenge by taking away typical go-to throws (the dump, the crash,
and the IO, for example). The first and most natural thing the offense will
want to do is get it around the mark or through the cup since going over the
top in these conditions would seemingly be a very low percentage choice. But
with so much pressure on the thrower as well as on the other bailout
positions, everyone crowds the disc, the field gets smaller, and then urgency
and panic lead to blocks and turns.
The downfield of this zone is usually set up with the men in the middle of the
field and women on the wings. This is because the defenders in the middle of
the field tend to have to cover more ground than the wings and men typically
can do this more effectively. Your deep-deep should be the guy with speed and
ups who can cover ground and pull high, floaty throws out of the air. Your
short-deep is preferably quick and squirrelly due to the fact that most teams
have their best cutter(s) popping; a highly reflexive layout trigger would
also be an advantage at short-deep since throws up the middle are usually
shorter and happen quickly, leaving little time to process and respond to
them. Wings need to have a lot of field awareness since they have to cover
their sideline as well as help out the short-deep and deep-deep depending on
where the disc is, where the offense is cutting, and how the genders are set
up. They have to communicate a lot with those defending the middle of the
field so that everyone knows what their defensive priority is.
As is obvious from the name of the configuration, the effectiveness of trap
cup zone D depends largely on the cup. When the cup is moving, it has to do so
as a unit to avoid opening up holes through it. There will almost always be
men and women in the cup; therefore the members of the cup face the challenge
of finding a happy medium in the pace that they run so they can both move
quickly across the field and stay together. Also, the cup has to communicate
effectively about when to put the trap on and who will be guarding what during
the trap. If either of these points is not coordinated, the zone is more
likely to fall apart. Getting the cup in sync takes practice, which is why
having a handful of players who specialize at running the cup together will
only help to make your zone stronger. But until this sort of oneness becomes
natural for the cup, it is vulnerable.
Depending on how the cup is being breached, a couple of things could need
adjusting:
1. The members of the cup might need to mark up differently on the
handler(s)/those closest to the disc in order to take away the throw or move
that is consistently breaking them. 2. The short-deep might need to
communicate better where the cuts are coming in, direct the cup where to go,
and plug whatever hole that might create. 3. The strong-side wing might
need to step up to help out the cup and/or short-deep, which means that the
deep-deep might need to drift to the strong-side to help out the wing, and the
weak-side wing might need to pull back and pinch into the center a bit more to
help out the deep-deep.
If there was time to talk to just one player during a time-out, it would be to
tell the mark what throw(s) from what player(s) are hurting us at the moment
and to shift the appropriate way to take it away, thus hopefully re-
establishing a feeling of discomfort and frustration at once again not
allowing them to throw what they want. All other adjustments on the field
domino from whatever the mark is doing. If you’ve prepared your zone well,
everyone else on the field should know what to do and where to be based on how
the mark positions himself.