¶ Drill 10: Forcing out to a Side
Skill focussed:
- MARKING (THROWER): Forcing home/away (4.1.2.1)
- MARKING (NON-THROWER/Cutter): Person-to-person defence (4.2.2.1).and Body defense (4.2.2.2), Positioning pre-cut (4.2.4)
Other skills for which it can be used:
- MARKING THROWERS: Pressure Thrower (4.1.3), Call 'up' (4.1.4), Footblocks (4.1.5), Strategic Marking skills (4.1.6)
Concepts to know before doing the drill:
- Basic catching and throwing skills
- Basic cutting and marking skills
- Rules of ultimate
Drill Focus:
- Teaching the concept of force and why it is important
(When the marker is directly between the thrower and the receiver, the offense has an advantage: the thrower can choose either side to complete a pass. To counter this, defenders divide responsibilities: Marker shuts down one half of the field (e.g., the away side) Upfield defender shuts down the opposite half (e.g., the home side). This coordinated defensive strategy is called forcing.)
Set-up:
- Groups of 4-8 players.
- Mark out a small endzone (≈15×8 meters).
- Position: Thrower (experienced) with marker: 5–10 meters outside the endzone.
Runner with upfield defender: inside the endzone.
Drill-Flow:
- The play starts when the marker begins the stall count: “Stalling one.”
- The offense tries to score by catching inside the endzone.
- The defense applies a force:
- Marker prevents throws to the away side.
- Upfield defender covers the home side.
- Rotation:
Marker → becomes next upfield defender.
Upfield defender → becomes next runner.
Runner → retrieves the disc, joins the waiting line.
First in line → becomes the new marker.
Coaching Points:
Common defensive errors:
- Upfield defender tries to cover both sides → leaves home side open.
- Marker puts up a straight mark → easy around pass for the offense.”
Source: Page 13 Ultimate Trainers Manual