¶ Drill 38: Crash Calling
Skills Focussed:
Concepts to know before doing the drill:
- Basic catching and throwing
- Rules of Ultimate
- Basics of zone cup
Drill Focus:
- Concept of 'crash' and how to react to it defensively
Set-up:
- Players: 7, 1 Thrower, 3 Cup Defenders, 1 Sideline Caller, 2 Offensive Runners-
- Field: Use a central thrower with a defensive cup. Runners jog around the thrower in a circle (6+ meters radius).
Drill-Flow:
- Runners circle around the thrower, occasionally cutting into the cup (~once every 8 seconds).
- Sideline player must anticipate the cut and yell “Crash!” early.
- The farthest cup defender immediately steps up as a second marker, legally blocking the pass.
- If the pass is prevented, the runner clears and the defender falls back into the cup.
- If the pass succeeds, the new thrower tries to dump back, and the primary marker must stop it.
- Rotate roles after ~8 crash attempts
Coaching Points:
- Effective Second Mark: The crasher defender should not chase the runner; instead, put immediate pressure on the thrower by marking close and confusing them.
- Double Team Awareness: Second marker must stay within 3 meters of an offensive player to avoid violations.
- Crash Timing: Crashes must be unexpected; runners should not overuse them.
- Sideline Communication: Crash calls must be early and loud to give defenders time to react.
- Game Realism: Even though the middle cup defender does little in this drill, they should act as if present (for realism)
Progression/regression:
- Cup Movement Integration: Combine with Confining Cup or Trap Cup drills (with active swings and poppers) while allowing runners to crash.
- Multiple Crashers: Add more offensive runners to increase unpredictability
Source: Page 145 & 146 UTM