Moving the disc does one of three things:
- Gains ground (i.e. attacks)
- Moves you to a better place from which to attack
- Maintains possession
Because there is less room, the sideline can often be a harder place from which to do 2 and 3. But if you can make space for your teammates, it can also be an ideal place from which to attack.
As always, personnel and approach determines much of what you do. A dominant handler who can always get the disc makes the liability of going to other players on the sideline less risky. A team that wants to send it often better know how to get a few attacking looks once there. A team that likes to work the disc or does not have a lot of downfield offense should spend less time on the sideline and have a clear system for moving the disc back to the middle and across the field.
In practice, do lots of starts from the sideline. After a turn in a scrimmage just stop for a second, throw the disc to the side and start again. If you are comfortable on the sideline—attacking or moving off it—your team will excel.
Back to Issue