Mini Camp #4 - The Dump: Offense and Defense

Greetings campers,

We've missed you and can't wait to get back on the field Sunday night.  This week we're building on our previous lessons and introducing the other half of person-to-person defense and a critical part of any offense, the reset of the stall count otherwise known as a dump.

Drill #1 - Open-field defense

Description - Defending a cutter with the option to go deep or under

Detail - The defender starts in the middle of the playing space and the cutter starts at the sideline.  The cutter tries to get past the defender to receive a pass on the open-side, either deep or under.

Dump Handler Offense

A dump is needed in ultimate when the thrower, at the point of attack, is reaching a high number in the stall count and a reset of the stall count is needed through a short, simple, high percentage pass.  Often however, the shortest passes are not the easiest.  As a thrower in need or a handler cutting for a dump, it’s essential that you do several things to increase the chance of an easy reset.

1. Communicate the need to reset clearly.  Thrower should commit at stall 5 or 6 by pivoting towards and facing the dump.  They should not look upfield again.
2. As the dump, be ready for a pass the moment the thrower turns.  Then, make a decisive cut while maintaining space away from the thrower (the most common error is to cut too close to the thrower to bail them out).
1. Instead of running at the thrower, focus on options to run past them, with additional room for them to make an effective throw.
2. “Dancing” in place is a really great way to confuse the thrower, it is important to communicate with your body language exactly from which direction you are prepared to receive the pass.  Using your hands as targets is a great way to signal this.
3. If the cutter isn’t able to get open it is ok to clear the space and allow the other dump cutter to fill from the far side.
3. A truly effective cut is not just a reset of the disc, but a reset of field position, giving a clean cut that allows the thrower to throw to space in front of you yields the best result for your team.
4. The dump throw is often not an easy one and should be treated with the same level of focus and intention as a down-field pass (full pivot).
5. It is always better to have the disc on the break-side of the field (behind the mark) than on the trap-side, try not to throw into a trap if you can help it.

Dump Handler Defense:

Defending against resets is one part of the game easily overlooked as players are learning, allowing easy throws to reset the stall count, poaching off of handlers, and anticipating a turn to happen downfield.  Hassling the easy resets is an easy way to stop offensive flow and provide your team with opportunities to win.  After all, getting a turnover in the area of the handlers results in better field position than a down-field or deep D.  To do so, a few points are essential to master.

1. Footwork and body position is paramount as sprint speed makes little difference over 30-40 feet. Use position to take away their first option, forcing a higher stall count and lower-percentage opportunities.
2. Force the cutter into a less ideal position, such as directly behind the thrower, giving no gain in field positioning and no opportunities to move the disc across field.  This helps reset defensive positioning down-field.
3. If your cutter gets the disc, taking away the continuation pass is the next most important role. Against an up-line cut, this means a quick strike on the huck. It means taking away the swing if they received a cross field break.

Drill #2 - Dump, Swing drill

Description - Small groups walk and run through various dump cuts against defense

Detail - With the disc in the middle of the field and two dumps, the offense attempts to reset against defense. They do this by progressing through a series of possible throws/cuts which will be demonstrated. Then, with the disc trapped against the sideline, the near dump attempts to get open by cutting up-line. If that is covered, cut back to the middle of the field to receive a swing pass. If that pass is completed they will continue the motion by swinging the disc to the far handler.

Captain's Clinic

We have some special guests joining us this week, An-Chi Tsou and Greg Marliave, the long-time captains of Polar Bears, one of the most successful mixed ultimate teams in the country. They will be leading a clinic on best practices for being a leader on an ultimate team, including game-day prep and management, planning and facilitating a practice, and what it takes to lead both men and women towards the same goal. Anyone interested in getting this advice will be taken aside by them around 8:15. We'll try to wrap it up in time to allow everyone to play a few points before 9.

This is our last night of Mini Camp.  Next week we will be proposing summer playing opportunities to everyone who has registered for our Club Summer Academy.  It has been a lot of fun getting to know you all and enjoying the super positive atmosphere we've created together.  We'll be celebrating ourselves at Pyramid immediately post-game.  We really want as many people to come as possible (especially because we're going to spend some of your money when we get there and you should come enjoy it).