Home : Education : Raise Your Game! : May 2004

RAISE YOUR GAME!

Launched in March 2004, this regular column promotes the sharing of good practice, spirited play, strategies, and other Ultimate-related knowledge among players wishing to sharpen their skills.

The 1-3-3 Defensive Zone
[2004, No. 6]

Last week Raise Your Game explained the basics of the zone defense (both running it and playing offense against it). This week we take a brief look at a variation of the defensive zone, the 1-3-3 format.

Introduction

The goal of this zone is to force the offense to throw difficult throws into crowded spaces.  Positioning involves a point person ("the one"), and two walls of three people (the front wall and back wall).  The "one", the "front middle", and the "back middle" are the vertical center of the zone.

The "One" (No, Not Neo)

This person is always marking the disc, like a one-person cup.  The key to this position is that s/he is marking *away from the closest throw*.  This means the mark shifts over the course of the 10 count, and the marker must move in relation to the closest receiver.  Note that the closest receiver will probably be different people over the course of the count.

Sides of the Wall

The key to performing well in these four positions (left front, right front, left back, right back) is to play smart and adapt your play to the side of the field you are on. As a general rule, when you are on the weak side (the disc is on the other side of the field from you), you can play more aggressively and cheat toward the middle.  But when you are on the strong side (the disc is on your side), you need to back up a step and play more conservatively.

Front Middle

The person playing in this position must prevent easy throws up the middle of the field. When the disc is on the left side, s/he shifts left, and vice versa for the right side.  The FM should have her/his head on a swivel to be aware of incoming receivers. S/he should also be talking to sides of front wall.  The FM should expect to lay out often.

Back Middle

This individual in this position serves as the last line of defense, and should NEVER get beaten deep.  S/he must play more conservatively than those in other positions because of this major responsibility. The BM should be talking to sides of back wall.

Final Notes

- Always be aware of receivers in your zone.
- Communicate to ask for (or offer) help.
- Try to keep your hands up as much as possible.
- Be aggressive when the position demands it, but if you're in the back wall, don't get beat deep.

This week's column was submitted by Adam Ross (shown here in possession of the disc), former captain of the Harvard University Ultimate Club. When not at his job with a nonprofit organization, Adam serves as on-field captain of the Shanghai Club team, Hu-wa. He is known around the Southeast Asian Ultimate circuit for his lightning-quick cuts, lightning bolt haircut, precision throws, coolness under pressure, and ability to out-chug all comers at tournament parties. He is fascinated by small, shiny objects. To comment on the column above, or suggest a topic for a future article, write to raiseyourgame@mailasia.com.

RAISE YOUR GAME!

Launched in March 2004, this regular column promotes the sharing of good practice, spirited play, strategies, and other Ultimate-related knowledge among players wishing to sharpen their skills.

Defense – Da FENCE

[2004, No. 7]

Ultimate is about possession.  For those teams that maintain possession 100% of the time, the most important moment in the game is the disc toss at the beginning to determine who gets possession first, such as Fury vs. Godiva - US Womens Nationals in 2002.  While most of us will never achieve quite that pinnacle of the game, Ultimate’s various strategies revolve around this central idea. 

So the job of the defense is to deny that possession at every step. Defense is often overlooked because, let's face it, we often see teams that turn over the disc without our help. However, as teams get better, what separates the great from the merely good is the ability to play defense. A good defensive play can motivate and excite (fire up!) your team. 

Good defense starts with the desire to deny the opponent possession, to contest or challenge every throw and every catch.  When applied by all members of the team, this is pressure defense.  The starting point for good defense is to have everyone on your team following these concepts and everyone should be on the same specific defense:

A) The person on the mark - you, the "marker" must maintain the force - block the "inside out", the "high release" and the around your body throws by maintaining agility on your toes.  The marker should move around and keep arms moving and usually positioned low.  You may want to take a couple of steps back in order to avoid the risk of the disc-holder throwing over or under your arms. Your goal is to force the player to throw to a specific area of the field, and therefore to control their options. 

B) Line up on players between them and where you expect them to cut - this is positioning correctly.  This means occupying the space to which the mark is forcing the offense to throw.  If you are last in the stack on defense, you want to be even with the last player on offense, and maybe a little behind, depending on what kind of a deep threat they are.  Be between that person and where s/he wants to go.

C) When marking the offensive player, keep "your butt to the sideline", that is, the sideline that your team is forcing.  This makes you aware if your opponent is leading you around like a puppy dog.  If you maintain this angle on your opponent, you will prevent them from getting to the sideline before you.  That leaves only the high release, the inside out, and the around - all "break- the-mark" throws.   By the way, this sometimes requires fancy footwork, so warm up your stepping at the beginning of the game and practice back peddling and side stepping.

D) If a break throw occurs, the defense must react and get back on the mark with great determination to stop the continuation or next throw.  If you are not playing close enough to your player, a break throw can easily lead to another and another.  Get back on the mark immediately!!

E) Specific defenses are designed around how you are going to try to control the opponents' choices.  For example, you may 1) force "straight up" - meaning not to any one side but both sides equally and thus you prevent the huck (long throw).   2) You may have a particular defense to stop the dump and swing.  3) You may have a specific defense to switch coverage for the long cuts, denying them the fast deep break by always having the last person take the offensive player running deep.  4) You may put on a zone defense (see the past 2 issues of this column) for a few throws, and then switch to person-to-person, silently and without advertisement.  

Indeed, defensive strategies are often designed to confuse the offense. For example, you may apply one type of defense for one point, and then use a different one that appears to be the same for the next.  The offense tries to adjust to the defensive strategy and they end up playing the game that you, as the defense, want them to - one that is controlled by you. 

Defense is the key to denying possession and a very good way to distinguish your team from others.

James Dailey has been playing Ultimate for 13 years, competed at US Regionals with both Co-rec and men's teams, and played at Worlds 2002 in Hawaii with a Canadian masters team.  He has played in dozens of tournaments around the US, Canada, and Europe and has coached several beginning teams in Seattle. James currently plays on Hellfish, a co-rec league team in Seattle, and has also been known to join a pickup game when he travels to places like Manila. He has marked up against some of the fastest players in the US and Canada and usually gets beat. Ah, such is life! To comment on the column above, or suggest a topic for a future article, write to raiseyourgame@mailasia.com.

RAISE YOUR GAME!

The First Cut is Not Necessarily the Deepest

[2004, No. 8]

Sometimes the defining moment for an offense is the question of who should cut first, and how this should be done. The teams that do it well, excel, while those that don't often get frustrated, leaving the disc-toting handler with very few options.

The decision as to who cuts first is one that should be settled on the field prior to each pull. Along with calling positions (Handlers, Mids, Deeps), the on-the-field captain should also call out the first cutter.  It's not necessarily going to be the same person every time, but should be mixed up a bit so that the defense is taken by surprise.  In any case, in a set stack, the first cut should happen immediately when the disc is tapped in. There is no use in waiting as it only increases the stall count.

Once it is established who is going to go for the disc, a great first cut can come from the back of the stack, with the designated deep player cutting away from the handler - and towards the endzone - to take his/her defender along with them, before making a sharp turn back toward the disc, leaving the defender behind. This often ends up in a 20 to 30 yard gain.  WARNING:  If the rest of the stack doesn't know that the cut is coming from behind, then a cut by a Handler or Mid coming from the front of the stack can entirely nullify the deep cut by CLOGGING the passing lane.

Another great first cut can be a quick run to the break side (the unforced side of the mark).  For this to work, though, the person with the disc has to be comfortable with making that break-mark throw.  If you've got talented throwers, take advantage these assets and use the break-mark cut from time to time. The usefulness of this approach is enhanced by the fact that defenders will sometimes ease up on the potential receiver going to the break side, thinking that they are unlikely to get the disc. Further, the person-to-person defense is never ready to handle the break-mark pass. Of course, once the mark is broken, then you have one half of the field that's entirely undefended, just waiting for some up-the-field bombs from Mr. Huck-a-lot.

One of my favorite first cuts is to run my defender into the forced sideline and then make a choice as to whether to take her/him deep or cut short.  Where I go depends on what the defender gives me.  It usually helps if you've got a Handler who is comfortable with throwing an outside-in (around the defender).

The other thing to think about in these situations is that more often than not that first cut serves as a sacrificial cut, opening up movement on the field, thereby allowing for a more suitable second cut that can capitalize on possible mistakes made by the defense in reacting to the initial cut.  This just makes it VERY important that the first cut happens as soon as possible so that you have more time and more options for the Handler. And, of course, the dump pass is always a legitimate throw, so don't hesitate to use it!

Spread the love...

This week's column was submitted by the towering Joel MeIanson, whose disc career began in Boston in 2000. After playing just one point, he was hooked on the game ("who doesn't believe in love at first huck?," asks Joel). A fast learner, Joel has already made his mark on the Southeast Asian Ultimate scene, where he has played with Hong Kong Junk since 2001. He was named one of the "Magnificent Seven" at Manila Spirits in November 2003, and the male MVP at the Bangkok Hat in February 2004.  To comment on the column above, or suggest a topic for a future article, write to raiseyourgame@mailasia.com.

RAISE YOUR GAME!

Ready, Set, Play!

[2004, No. 9]

If you are just getting into Ultimate and have not played sports in awhile, there are a few things you should keep in mind regarding the appropriate physical preparations. Following are a handful of tips to help you on your way.

READY…

Consult your doctor first!

Before engaging in any demanding physical activity, especially one that is as fast-paced as Ultimate, first find out if your body is ready for it. Check with your physician to determine if one or more of the following conditions apply to you, and if there are any special precautions that you should take:

• high blood pressure
• heart condition
• chest pain
• muscle/joint/bone pain 

Be especially careful if you have been living a mainly sedentary lifestyle, or if you used to be fit but stopped doing sports for a while because of previous injuries. If this latter situation applies, don’t worry -- there are many good exercise programs to rehabilitate you and get you back into sports.

SET…

Proper gear is important!

Grab yourself a pair of snug-fitting cleats, soccer boots, or football shoes. Running shoes are not the best since they are designed for running straight on a track, the paved road, or off-road -- but not for making lots of lateral movements on grass. Basketball shoes won’t do you good either because there isn’t enough traction to stop you from slipping, especially on wet turf.
The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine notes that the proper fitting of athletic footwear is critical for comfort, injury prevention, and performance. AAPSM also advises that for “Ultimate-like” sports, such as soccer, you should wear over-the-calf socks made of synthetic material and selected to match the shoes you will be wearing over them (see: http://www.aapsm.org/).

As for the rest of your clothing, I recommend avoiding cotton fabric shirts because cotton doesn’t allow your sweat to evaporate, making you lose water faster and dehydrate quicker.  For this reason, I tend to prefer light, polyester tops.

Before hitting the field, you should do some stretching, easy calisthenics, and light jogging. See the Health section of the Ultimate Handbook for specific guidance: http://www.ultimatehandbook.com/Webpages/Health/stretchwarm.html. The Handbook also provides good advice on nutrition, training, and injury avoidance and treatment. And don’t forget to bring a lot of water with you to the game.

GO!

Once you are properly warmed up, you are set to compete. Get out there and enjoy, remembering to drink lots of water during breaks in the action, and to protect yourself from the sun’s rays (or falling rain).

This week’s column was submitted by Mel Martinez, a Manila-based professional athletic trainer. Mel designs exercise programs for those seeking to get into shape or improve their conditioning, including actors and actresses, as well as amateur and professional athletes. One of the first players on the Philippine Ultimate scene, Mel began tossing a disc in 1998. He plays for the reigning club champions of Metro Manila, The Breakfast Club.  He loves the game because it develops his sense of sportsmanship (and gives him a chance to meet a lot of fit women). To comment on the column above, or suggest a topic for a future article, write to raiseyourgame@mailasia.com.