¶ Drill 17: Box of Death
Skills Focussed:
MARKING (NON-THROWER): Cutter: Person-to-person (4.2.2.1) & Body Defense (4.2.2.2)
- Positioning pre-cut (4.2.4)
Other skills for which it can be used:
CUTTING: In-cut (3.1), Deep-cut (3.2)
Concepts to know before doing the drill:
- Basic rules of marking
- Fundamentals of cutting
Drill Focus:
- Defensive positioning
- Offense creativity
Set-up:
- Players per group: 6–10
- Field Layout: A rectangle: 4m wide x 8m long (cutting area) A thrower’s cone: 8m in front of the rectangle A deep cone: 3m past the rectangle
- Roles per rep: 1 Offensive Player (O) 1 Defensive Player (D) 1 Thrower (T) at the front cone with a disc
- Rotation: After each rep: Offense → Thrower → Defense → Back to offense line”
Drill-Flow:
- Start:O and D begin inside the rectangle, with D marking O.
- Offense Objective:
Option 1 (In-Cut): Create separation and receive a pass inside the rectangle.
Option 2 (Deep Cut): Sprint past the rectangle to reach the back cone before the defender exits the rectangle (gaining a lead of >3m).
No actual deep throw is made to keep the drill moving.
- Defense Objective: Stay balanced and prevent O from getting open.
Use footwork and body positioning (without fouling) to deny the in-cut and react to deep cuts.
- Finish: If O succeeds with either scoring option, the rep is complete. Players rotate as per the setup.
Coaching Points:
For Offense:
- Make long, explosive cuts to force D to accelerate fully.
- Change direction decisively to create space.
- Mix between in-cuts and deep cuts to stay unpredictable.
For Defense:
- Stay low, balanced, ready to react, and always keep eye
- Use body positioning to block cutting lanes without initiating contact.
- Avoid defensive fouls by not using arms or jumping into O’s path.
Progression/Regression:
P: Body Positioning Drill: Teach D to use lateral movement to keep their body between O and the disc, making in-cuts harder.
- Field Size Adjustments: Make the rectangle wider → easier for O to break through. Make the rectangle longer → more room for O to build speed and break D’s balance.
- Two cutters with defenders and a mark: This extension can be done by making the rectangle bigger. (6 by 12) The defense can try person defense (which will be hard) or switch defense. Offense can try different motions like piston motion with one going for in-cut and other for deep. After few reps, the deep throw can also be included with the farthest cone being removed. Rule can then be that if a cutter goes out of the rectangle from the deep side, the deep throw has to be made.
Source: Page 101 & 102 UTM