Positioning

Remember when you were little and you pestered the big kids in the neighborhood to play catch? Often times, instead of a friendly, happy, non-competitive ball tossing adventure, it became a teasing game of keep away. If you tried to keep your eyes on the thrower, the receiver would simply move to another spot to catch the ball. If you focused on the receiver, the thrower would taunt you by whizzing the ball inches past your head as the receiver remained motionless until it was too late for you to react. When a third neighborhood kid joined the action, they would soon have you running around in circles, always a step behind, until finally you would either give up in frustrated exhaustion or else one of the kids would get too cocky and throw it right at you. Cruel as these kids may have been, they were simply using positional advantages. Proper positioning is a key element central to nearly every facet of ultimate. Laziness is the enemy here, since good positioning requires planning and effort.

DEFENSE

The most obvious area where positioning is important is covering cutters. A good defender will anticipate where the offensive player wants to go to and will constantly repositioning himself to make the cutter’s task more difficult. The toughest cut to make is when there is only one available and everyone expects it. In that case, the smart defender puts himself in between the cutter and the open spot. In a game situation when more options are open, the defender needs to position himself to cause problems no matter where the offense cuts. In Figure 1, the marker is forcing forehand, and the handler wishes to cut from the front of the stack. For the cut to the force side (1), the cutter has to go through the defender. For the "away cut" (2), the defender maintains a 2-3 yard cushion as he runs with the cutter. It is important that the defender keep his balance and not allow himself to overcommit to that cut, since the offense will realize that and cut back in (2A) as the defender runs by. Any time that the defender has reached full speed, or any time that he has turned his shoulders, he has committed to stopping one particular cut, and any change in momentum by the offensive player will allow him to get open. For the inside out cut (3), the defender is close enough to shut off the throwing angle, but again does not overcommit to stopping that cut, since the offense can again simply reverse directions and get open to the force side. He must trust that the marker will not allow an easy break pass. Defense is a game of percentages, and players shouldn’t try to stop every conceivable option. If the other team requires perfect throws to beat the defense, the defense will win out most of the time. If a team is good enough to complete 45 yard hammers to covered receivers, they are probably good enough to beat you four other ways, too.

A useful conceptual tool for the defender is to imagine himself at one corner of a triangle, with the thrower and the cutter being at the other corners. The defender should be able to see both of them, or at the very least should be aware of the thrower’s location while watching the cutter. As the disc moves around, the defender has to adjust the triangle. If the cutter is far downfield or near the sideline after a failed cut, the defender can leave more space between him and the cutter and relax the triangle. Figure 2 shows some of the triangle situations. Note how the relative positions change as the disc moves downfield.

Balance is important to throwing and marking. Effective marking is done with the legs, not the arms. Many broken marks happen when the marker goes for the inside out fake by bending at the waist and reaching with the arms, thus allowing the thrower to pivot back around the marker. A similar problem occurs if the marker is tired and is standing flat-footed when the thrower pivots. Either the marker will reach clumsily with his arms and foul the thrower, or else he will stand there and allow the easy break pass. (Note: I am not condoning intentional fouls, but this is how it happens on the field.) The proper stance can help prevent these mistakes. Bend your legs at the knees, and keep your back straight. The arms too should be bent slightly at the elbows, not straight and sticking forward around the marker. Keep your weight on the balls of your feet, not the heels, so that you can step with the thrower as he pivots. (Note to editor: I couldn’t decide whether to make these sentences commands or to use "you" or what. Help.) Remember, the primary job of the marker is to stop the break mark throw (or at least make it more difficult), not to stop all throws. This fact dictates that you position yourself to the break side, usually at a 45 degree angle, instead of directly in front of the thrower. Figure 4 shows some good and bad marking positions. The good markers can adjust to the thrower’s fakes and shut off more breaking options, whereas the bad markers are too firmly planted and can be broken with just a little effort and skill by the thrower.

It is important to remember that defensive positioning is not a static thing. You should dynamically adjust your position based on stall count, wind, disc position, game situation, thrower ability, fatigue, knowledge of the other team’s strategies and habits, and even hunches. At a high stall count, it often pays for the marker to back off the thrower, and for a downfield defender to take a chance and poach since the thrower might not have time to find the open man. The upwind long throw is more difficult, so defenders can front the receivers more confidently, while if the offense is going downwind the defender must give more respect to the long cut. As you get further away from the disc, you can move a little further away from your opponent. In the critical stages of a game against a good rival, you might need to play tighter on the defender to lessen the chance of an easy goal, as you must do with good throwers, who can thread passes into narrow openings (it might even be useful for your sideline to let you know when an exceptionally talented thrower has the disc and is looking for the big pass). When you are tired, you must make more of an effort to get yourself in the proper position, but only because you won’t be able to outrun the receiver for a block, but also because you might be able to dissuade the receiver from cutting. If you know another player lies to throw a particular pass, for example the low inside-out forehand, you can change your mark by either getting lower or by backing up a bit.; Finally, if you have a feeling a certain cut is coming (perhaps you stole the other team’s playbook), by all means act on it. All these things indicate that there is no single proper position for all situations, and you have to call upon your experience to determine what exactly is best for a particular set of circumstances.

[note to editor: the above paragraph might be better in the mag if each of the sentences in the middle is a bullet in a sidebar, and the paragraph would then consist of the first two sentences and the final sentence.]

OFFENSE

As with marking, a proper stance is critical to throwing. Stay on the balls of your feet, and keep the back straight. It is rarely a good idea to throw without first aligning your body. Make the extra effort to step around first and square up your shoulders before releasing. Many beginners make the mistake of stepping forward on the forehand throw without moving the shoulder and elbow forward, too, and end up twisting their bodies and releasing poor throws. It is usually a better idea anyway to step sideways instead of forward to get around the marker. Proper alignment makes the thrower’s job easier, also. One common situation where trouble arises is when the disc is on the forehand sideline and the defense is trapping. Often, the thrower unnecessarily limits his options by facing straight downfield, cutting off some of the throwing lanes and allowing the marker to encroach upon his space. Instead, the thrower should square up with the marker and face perpendicular to the sideline. This opens up the whole field and makes the dump throw easier. (Note: if your team’s offense likes to pass straight down the line in this situation, by all means face downfield for a few seconds, then square up if no good downfield cut is open.)

Cutting involves anticipation and positioning, too. Many a good cut starts several seconds before any running is actually done. As a receiver, I try to set up the situation where I know where the disc is but the defender does not. For this to happen, I have to keep his attention focused on me instead of on the offensive flow, so I am always moving him around, usually in the opposite direction of the flow. This usually doesn’t require more than a slow walk or shuffle, just enough so that he is unable to set up that triangle for very long. I must also be ready to take off to an open space if I sense him watching the frisbee instead of me.

Figure 3 displays several examples of good offensive positioning during a set play off the pull. As the disc is being walked in, the first cutter (1) drifts slowly away from the disc, making his defender come with him. The disc is put into play, and still #1 drifts backward, making it appear less likely that he is the first cutter, since most teams usually have the first cut come from the front of the stack. A second later, just as his defender has taken another step towards him, 1 cuts inside the defender to the open side. Meanwhile, 2 has positioned himself at the back of the stack, so his defender will usually be standing behind him. 2 also can drift slowly backward, causing his defender to back up, freeing up even more room until the open side cut is available. 3 is also busy here. When 1 is cutting, 3 can be moving his man forward and to the break side. As 2 cuts in, 3 knows that he is now the last player in the stack, and the scoring cut will soon be open. 3 can then continue moving forward a little more quickly, edging towards the force side, as if he is ready to make a hard comeback cut to the disc. Finally, as 2 is in position to catch the disc, 3 makes one or two hard steps in, enough to convince the defender that he is cutting back. If the fake is done well, the defender will either be backing up or even turning his body to get ready to sprint back to the disc. At this point, the goal is practically scored, as long as 3’s defender is focusing on him and expects him to cut back. The positional advantage can disappear in a second, though, if the defender becomes aware in the change in the disc position. All three of these cuts require the player to set up the defender before any running takes place, and once the real cut starts, it is too late for the defender to do anything but hope for a bad pass.

Throw choice relies on the relative position of the receiver and defender. A pass can miss its mark by a lot and still be caught, if it is on the proper side of the receiver, away from the defender, while a pass that misses by only a little bit but on the wrong side can be blocked. This is extremely handy to remember on dump passes and some zone situations. Simply throwing a floating pass to the correct side of the receiver is usually enough for success. Dumps should usually be "thrower-directed," where the thrower chooses where the cut will go and the receiver moves there only after he is sure the pass is going to be thrown. In contrast, most downfield cuts are "receiver-directed," where the receiver chooses where to cut and the thrower must get the disc there. Ideally, you’d like to have both players thinking the same way so the pass is being thrown as the cut is being made. In American football, this is known as a timing cut, and as long as the defender only reacts to (instead of anticipating) the cut, it is impossible for him to block it. In each of the situations shown in Figure 5, the thrower looks to see what side of the receiver the defender is on, and throws it to the opposite side as the receiver breaks that way. As a dump receiver, you should try to keep an area open where you can run to after making eye contact with the thrower, then be ready to break there as soon as you feel convinced that the throw will be coming. If you’re behind the disc and see that the area to your left will be open at stall 7 for the dump, you should take a step or two to your right at stall 4 or 5 to open up a little more space and to get your defender moving in the wrong direction.

Finally, no article on positioning is complete without a discussion of perhaps the most important part of a frisbee tournament—the party. First, always be aware of where the beer and the bathrooms are (the two go hand in hand). Many a rookie waits patiently in line, only to find that he has been standing around for 10 minutes for a half-cup of cold vegetarian chili. Or, having just completed some furious dancing, she discovers that all of her fellow boogiers took this advice and have queued up for the ladies’ room. Second, align yourself so that you have one eye on the dance floor and the other on your favorite potential dance partner. This way, if that person’s number one song starts playing, you can be the first to move in. Lastly, when dancing, hold your cup at the top and be ready to tilt it so you don’t spill your beer.

Proper positioning beings with anticipating what is going to happen, and being disciplined enough to do the right thing. The hips and shoulders must be properly lined up at all times. On defense, commit to a motion only as much as you have to, and trust that your teammates are doing the same. Offensively, attempt to get the defense to try to stop one thing, then do the opposite. Always be ready to change your position to stay ahead of your opponent. It takes a little bit of work, but it’s well worth it.

FIGURE CAPTIONS

1. Defensive positioning against a cut by a handler. x’s (or +’s, or o’s, or whatever symbol) indicate a player locations at particular instants. In all cases here, the defender remains on the force side of the receiver. For the cutback (1), stay close and in front. For the cut away (2), stay several yards short of the cutter and avoid getting into a full sprint, or else the receiver can stop and come underneath, as in (2A). Similarly, with the break mark cut, go with the cutter, but keep a safe gap and don’t go full speed, or else the cutter can reverse his path and get open with the force.

2. Use of the "triangle" in establishing position. In general, the closer you are to the disc, the smaller the leg between you and the cutter. At first, the triangle is very compact, but grows downfield because you have more room to react and to play the angles.

3. Offensive positioning on a set play. All the receivers are moving around prior to their hard cuts, forcing the defenders to reposition themselves and commit to the wrong cut. (1) begins the play by drawing his defender away from the cutting area by walking or shuffling backwards, then cuts inside him to the open side. Meanwhile, (2) is also pushing his defender away before cutting back. (3) attempts to misdirect his defender, first to the break side and then back toward the disc before heading deep for the long pass.

4. Good and bad marking positions. The good marker has his weight on the balls of his feet, the knees and arms slightly flexed, and his back straight. He is able to move with the thrower’s fakes. The poor marker is standing flat-footed with knees locked. He is bent over at the waist, and his arms are lazily stuck straight forward high in the air. It is relatively easy for the thrower to break this mark.

5. Throw choice for dump cuts. Usually, it is best to have the passes be "thrower-directed," where the receiver breaks to where the throw is going, either as the disc is being released or just after. The thrower notes first where the defender is, and throws the disc where only the receiver can catch it.