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Defense
- Changing Your Defensive Set
Mixing up different defensive sets can put teams
off their game; Unforced errors follow. If your team tries this strategy,
you may later hear statements from your opponent like "we just didn't play
that well against them", "our O didn't click", "we forced it". Quotes like
these come after successful defensive strategies are employed. One thing to
remember is that you can't expect a defense to get blocks every point. Using
one defense may simply be a set-up, making the next defense more effective.
Remember, tournaments are long, legs are to be saved. Junk defense saves legs.
Here is a brief description of the defenses:
(note: Forget straight-up player... you're giving
the thrower both throws, not smart! Even force-middle seems like a gift to
a good offensive team.) Force two finger gives more teams trouble than any
other player on player D. Why? Because most players can't throw a two finger
more than 30-40 yards, so you've cut the field way down. In addition, most
teams have tunnel vision when trapped against the sideline, always looking
to ram throws directly down field into the teeth of the defense. Strong marking
on the throw is critical.
This D augments the force two finger. Break it
out after a team has gotten used to your force flick. The BIG risk of the
force backhand is that you leave the backhand huck wide open (last player
back has to be aware).
Here's a good D to throw in after you've been
playing a lot of force two finger (remember that the clam only works on a
force two-finger mark). Your opponent thinks player D, but you're actually
in a match-up zone (when you stop and think about it, the clam is just a high
risk match-up zone). I'm always surprised at how teams panic when their first
cutter, open all game so far, is suddenly shut down. Use the clam once the
opponent has established it's offensive rhythm.
Clam to zone is another good D to follow successive points of player on player.
It looks like a player D, kind of, gives you a few shots at a block early
and then settles into a zone.
Note:
Clam only works off a stoppage of play, so you have to throw the pull OB.
Someone may change the rules to keep teams from doing this, but until they
do??? (I think that an OB pull should be heavily penalized for this reason,
say start the O from the back of the end zone... that would keep the discs
inbounds.)
This can be a real surprise. You're playing force
two-finger and there's a stoppage of play (foul, pick, travel). Every one
on your team KNOWS that it's clam for three passes starting NOW. If the opponent
lasts three passes you're simply back in the force two finger. Use an audible
later to call it off; they think clam, you play player... perfect!
The use of audibles during all aspects of Ultimate is imperative. Even if
what your calling is code for stay in the same D, it helps your team focus
and it makes your opponent think that you have many different sets. Learn
to hide your defenses. Don't be lazy, don't telegraph what you're up to.
The risk with the clam in general is that it wreaks havoc on your defensive
match-ups, lots-o-switching going on. Cribber may very well find himself covered
by Lenny... not good!
This is the oldest zone in the game, but played
differently depending on who's teaching. In short, it should be match-up for
the wings and the deeps while the cup forces certain throws. 'Flexing' this
zone during a point can work as well (take away the dump at high stall counts
after your opponent gets dependent on that pass).
Note: 'Flex' defenses will be the thing of the future.
Here's one D that NEVER works -- well, kind of.
Why use it then? Sometimes we're not sure. However, because this zone has
but one marking chase, the O can throw all the sort passes it wants, giving
them the sense that they are zone killers. Next time down, you play a tight
2-3-2, taking the dump away at high counts and bingo they're putting up hail
Mary passes.
The 1-3-3 is also great for transitions into clam for one pass (on a stoppage
of some kind) followed by force two-finger. The opposition thinks easy zone,
suddenly you front the close passes and the thrower has nothing as his down
field players are standing in their zone O positions.
The 1-3-3 is a good zone to player for stopping plays off the pull since most
of the zone stays relatively deep.
Oldest transition D in the book, but essential
to use against teams with strong plays off the pull. Many times, teams will
turn it over before you even change to player. Risk of this D is bad match-ups
and your team has to be able to count. During the transition from zone to
player, you are very weak.
This is a force two-finger player D, but with
defenders around the thrower fronting their player, and defenders down field
looking to poach. Sideline must talk, calling out 'last player back' as the
position will naturally keep changing. The concept here is to cut off the
short pass, forcing the throw up-field to where others and last player back
can poach. An important part of this D is the switching that should occur
as a handler heads down field while another cutter is streaking in. The defenders
can easily switch since, ideally the defender near the disc sees the incoming
cutter (remember he's fronting so he ain't even looking at the thrower) and
the defender down field sees the handler coming (since he's set to poach and
therefore looking at the thrower). The risk with this D is that is can become
very loose, with too much switching and poaching, leaving everyone open.
Also, in the endzones use localized side-to-side (two defenders 'share' their
assignments: "you got left out of the stack, I got right"). 90% of all goals
are thrown to the corners.
1.
All of these defenses work best in combinations. Play force two-finger for
a while, then come down in something that looks like force two-finger, but
is zone or clam. Play zone for a while and then come down in zone-to-man or
zone-to-clam. DON'T BE PREDICTABLE. Many opponents see only one or two players
deep, thinking that if you are in a player D around the disc, then it mut
be player D all the way. Change it!
2. Don't try to RUN with your opposition -- it exhausts you. Tournaments
are long endurance battles, not one-game championships. If you have the best
shut-down player defense, use it at key times to break your opponent's heart
and confidence. Many of the defenses described above involve LESS running
than a straight player D. If your opponent scores in two passes, but the second
pass is hotly contested by your deep-deep, then you have done your job. Next
time, make the block.
3. Predictably, offense begins with the short pass. You can't shut
it down ALL DAY, but you can dictate when your opponent will complete this
pass easily and when it will be difficult. Don't let the O dictate the flow
of the game. It is surprising how FEW teams have offenses that begin with
something other than a short pass to a handler lined up at the front of the
stack. Since you know this fact, dictate that your opponent MUST try something
else. You will find that if they haven't practiced alternatives, turn-overs
will be forthcoming.
4. Your entire team must be on the same page. None of these D's are
individual, and they suck when people aren't working together, focused. Call
the D on the line before the pull. Have the transition O be VERY SIMPLE. Don't
risk having too much to remember.
5. Your sideline is a HUGE part of all of these strategies (telling
defenders where to cover/look/force). As well as yelling audibles for changes
during a point.
6. Move the defense towards more risk taking. Position your players
accordingly, with high flying defenders down field and stingy shut down defenders
around the disc. Get your opponent to put up lower percentage passes. Hey,
no need to block bad throws. Force the O to throw marginal passes into areas
where your team is strongest.
7. Have your O capable of playing a few of these junk defenses. Zone
off a turnover often works as your opponent will likely not have good zone
O players in the game. Clam on stoppages of play can also be very effective
since defensive teams don't have as many composed handlers.
8. Whether player or zone, great defense begins with an aggressive
mark on the thrower. A solid force one way or the other will allow down field
defenders the luxury of only having to cover half the field (down field defenders
can't totally ignore the weak side, but...).
So what does all this mean? Sometimes the object is not just to make sick
blocks (though if you're single this may be your only hope of finding a date),
but to make your opponent's offense have to THINK. Thinking and playing at
the same time is very difficult. By the time the final game rolls around,
teams want to use the same strategy that has gotten them into that game. Thinking,
changing, adjusting are all difficult, especially without real coaches.
But, each defense takes time to learn. Showing up at practice and simply playing
games to 21 is not enough. This stuff has to be drilled, 'cause athletes are
notoriously dense.'
References
moonee@aol.com
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