¶ Drill 16: M Drill or In-field Cutter Defense
Skills Focused:
MARKING: Person to Person for Cutters (4.2.2.1) & Body Defence (4.2.2.2)
Other skills for which it can be used:
CUTTING: Timing (3.3), In-cut (3.1), Deep-cut (3.2)
Concepts to know before doing the drill:
- Basic marking technique
- Concept of force
- Basic Cutting technique
- Basic catching and throwing
Drill focus:
Marking Cutter:
- Distance from the cutter
- Body posture and positioining
- Movement while tracking (Position yourself on the open side, 1–2 meters away from the offensive player. Maintain this margin throughout the cut. Adjust your movement: Use low side-steps when the cutter moves slowly. Turn and sprint when the cutter accelerates to full speed.)
- The drill trains defenders to stay low, keep the correct margin, and mirror the cutter’s movement efficiently.
Set-up:
- Groups of 6–10 players.
- Cones arranged in a zig-zag pattern, 10 meters wide, with each cone placed 2 meters ahead of the previous one.
- One offensive player runs the pattern as if cutting for a throw.
- The defender follows on the open side, always 1–2 meters away.
Drill-Flow:
- Phase 1 – Controlled Jogging
Offensive player jogs through the zig-zag.
Defender follows with low side-steps, keeping the margin.
- Phase 2 – Mixed Speed Cuts
Offensive player jogs one direction, sprints the other.
Defender must switch between side-steps and sprinting while staying low.
- Phase 3 – Full-Speed Cuts
Offensive player sprints in both directions.
Defender mirrors at full speed, using small steps for direction changes.
Coaching Points:
- Stay low during all movements—no standing upright during transitions.
- Use multiple small steps to change direction; avoid planting and pivoting sharply.
- Never turn your back on the offensive player. Rotate 270° to keep eyes on the cutter rather than spinning quickly and losing sight.
- Keep constant awareness of positioning relative to the open side.
Progression/Regression:
- Allow the offensive player to cut freely (in or deep) to make the defender react dynamically.
- Vary defender’s starting position according to cutter's strength:
Slightly behind against strong deep cutters.
Slightly in front against strong in-cutters/throwers.
Source: Page 38 & 39 Ultimate Trainers Manual