BC HIGH ULTIMATE DEFENSE
1.Man-to-Man: “The first step to defending in man-to-man is to think about where you want the offensive player to
run (and where you don't want the offensive player to run). Since the offensive player has the advantage in ultimate,
the best way to play defense is to try and take away something or force the cutter to run in one direction. So, a
defender should consider several questions. Where is the force? Am I a better defender on in-cuts or deep cuts? Is my
offensive assignment a better in-cutter or deep cutter? Where is my help from my other defenders? Is my offensive
assignment a strong thrower? All these things should go into consideration, but the bottom line is that you want to have
an idea in your head of where you want the offensive player to have to run.
Once you have that idea in your head, the second step is to establish an athletic defensive position that allows you to
move laterally to deny the offensive player the cut in the direction they want to go. For example, if the player is much
taller than you, line up downfield from him, and use your body to force him to make an in-cut without having to turn
your hips and run with him.
Once the offensive player has fully committed to their cut, all that is left is to lay your body on the line for the D. If you
can't get the D, the most important thing to focus on is to prevent the next throw from going where you do not want it
to go. This usually means backing off a little bit and rounding your route to your marking position to make sure that
there is not an easy huck or an easy break throw, depending on the situation.” –Coach Conner-
2. Zone defense tries to limit the easy, ground-gaining passing lanes.
Zone asks the offense to complete many more passes to gain the same amount of ground and counts
on weak or reckless throws made in response to defensive pressure. Passes backward and sideways
do little harm to a zone defense. Encouraged are tosses over the top, such as hammers and steep
knifing throws, because these are high-risk and have a greater chance of being dropped or knocked
down.
Zone defenses in Ultimate are very strong against long passes, but are not particularly effective against a short
pass team.
A. Cup Defense (Variation of Zone): When playing the Cup zone defense, three defenders form a semicircle across the length of the field. One defender marks the handler while the other two players play off
the handler and defend the open side. This formation prevents center and cross-field passes. The
remaining four defenders play downfield to prevent short passes directly over the Cup and to prevent the
long pass.
The goal of the Cup zone defense is to get the offense to make a lot of short passes around the Cup. The more
throws the offense makes, the better the opportunity for a turnover.
B. Puke Cup defense is 1-3-3 Cup. Basically, one defender runs back and forth between the multiple
handlers spread across the field. Due to the massive amount of running this defender will have to do,
this defender is called the “rabbit,” “chaser,” or “puke” (you can guess why that defender may be called
the “puke”).
The three defenders in the second zone of the Wall defense position themselves around the middle of the field
to prevent mid-range over the puke. Finally, the three defenders in the third zone of the Wall defense position
themselves further downfield to prevent the long pass. Good for windy days and a team with average throws.
Zone “Cup” Defense