MÜS

Throwing While Marked

 

The most difficult skill in ultimate is throwing a complete pass while covered by a marker. You have about 8 seconds (the average stall count) to choose a receiver, fake the marker, and deliver the disc. To do all this you must remain calm and get control of the situation.

 

As a general strategy, your goals as a thrower should change as the stall count increases. Between "stall" and "six", you should look to gain yardage or continue the flow of the offense. Above "six", you should be looking for a sure pass close by that will reset the count. Between nine and ten, you need to be delivering the sure pass that you focused on for the past several seconds or be throwing a pass downfield to an area where a teammate has a chance to catch it. Always be aware of the count and DO NOT GET STALLED.

 

When delivering a pass, look for three things: an open throwing area, an accelerating receiver, and non-closing separation between the defender and cutter. One reason 'come-back' cuts are often defended is because the thrower has a hard time determining the separation and relative speed of O and D players. As the pass enters the throwing area, it should be at a catchable height and speed, as well as providing the receiver a choice of locations to catch it. A bullet pass that intersects the receivers cut at a right angle has only one point in time and space where it could be caught. As such it is rarely a good pass.

 

When you recognize a throw you want to deliver, first decide if the marker is hindering you. If not, deliver the pass. But if the marker is in position and hampering your delivery you must first FACE THE MARKER. This gives you a minimum of three throwing options: forehand, backhand, and hammer. This is important because you need to force the marker to respond to fakes to get him out of position.

 

The same kind of concept used in cutting, breakpoints, are involved with your fakes. The object is to get the marker moving in onedirection while you are setting up to move the other way. Once the marker falls behind, you control the situation. In order for fakes to be effective, your pivots need to be clean, fast, and powerful. To accomplish this you need to keep your steps short and be able to switch grips quickly. As you pivot into a fake, your arm should be moving in a natural throwing motion. When you push back the other way with your just planted foot, the throwing motion should continue to completion. This will hold the marker even as you move back in the other direction. Allow the disc to roll into the other grip at the end of your 'arm fake' and you are ready to throw to the other side in the blink of an eye. You should only extend past the marker on a pivot when they are out of position and you plan to deliver the pass. This step toward, and past, the marker will seal them from the throw.

 

One of the best tools for beating the marker is to communicate with the receiver. If you are starting with a dead disc, simple, disguised hand signals are the best way to communicate. My favorite is the 'elbow point' because everyone puts their hands on their hips anyway. It is never noticed as a signal at all! A simple field map will let you call out a player to a location. This will alert other players to clear that space for a throwing area. A critical, non-verbal, way is to use your fakes in conjunction with a receivers cut. If the receiver is breaking into a throwing area while covered, fake to him while maintaining eye-contact. Both the marker and the defender will react. A good receiver will use your fake as a breakpoint and cut directly to an alternate throwing area. Your fake on the marker will be effective for two reasons: first, you know it is a fake and are already pushing off to the other side, and second, markers are often aware of the activity behind them through peripheral vision or hearing and will make an extra effort if they detect the cutter.

 

Focus, fatigue, and skill are the three biggest factors in throwing errors. Careful attention to your technique will allow you to complete passes in difficult situations. This is crucial when fatigued. Remember that if you are tired, so is your opponent. The one that is able to remain focused on fundamentals will prevail. Casual throws that don't have a history of practice are often turnovers. Don't use a throw that you can't complete consistently (98+%) uncovered. One way to measure your skill is to throw the same pass 20 or 30 times in a row. What is your completion percentage? Probably not as high as you think!

 

One skill that is becoming more important is the ability to deliver a pass to the dead zone (break mark). This ability takes away the strengths of force defenses where the marker has one assignment. and downfield defenders another. This is where strong pivoting, stepping past the marker and high releases come into play. Strong pivoting forces the marker to react until he's out of position and the previous dead-zone lays exposed to a free throw. Stepping past the marker gets your release point beyond his body and provides a free throw to anywhere on the field. High releases use the fact that the disc is past the marker before he can react.