Defensive/Offensive Field Positioning

The sport of Ultimate Frisbee is played with seven players on the field for each team. Three of them are usually "Handlers", and the other four are usually "Cutters". This may differ from team to team depending on how they choose to play, but this is what is most commonly seen. The Handlers are your more experienced players with better throws and Ultimate knowledge. The Cutters are your athletic players or younger team members who run around downfield to get open for a Handler to throw to. This set up is the same defensively as well, three Handlers and four Cutters. It is set up this way so if the offense turns over the disk, by dropping it or throwing it away, the defense then takes over as offense with the same set up they would if they had started the point on offense.

These seven players can be arranged a number of ways on the field. This also depends on the style of play a team wants to run or it can vary depending on the weather. When on offense, there are two basic ways to set up on the field.



A Horizontal Stack (Left) is set up as seen in the photo, with three Handlers controlling the disk and four Cutters downfield in a horizontal line across the field. A Vertical Stack (Right) is set up with one of the Handlers moving downfield to set the front of the vertical line. The Cutters then fill in behind the third Handler with the other two Handlers still controlling the disk.

On defense, there are also two basic ways to set up on the field. There is Man Defense and Zone Defense. Man Defense is set up by just placing a player to guard every offensive player on the field, anyway the offense sets up. This type of defensive is successful mainly by running hard with the player you are guarding and trying to make a big play. Zone defense, which can be run differently based on the team, is most commonly seen as bellow. This defense is normally used when the weather is bad and there is either rain or wind. It forces the offense to make tough throws which become even tougher in the weather that it is normally played in. Instead of guarding just one player, the defense is spread out to guard certain areas and any player that runs into the area.



There can be seen three defensive players, in red, around the Handler with the disk, forcing him to throw in one direction. These players follow the disk and hold the same shape on which ever offensive player has the frisbee. There are two wing players who cover the sidelines they are placed on, a deep defender who watches any longer throws and a point man, who fills in any gaps in the three man "wall" preventing an throws from going through them. Playing a Zone Defense forces the offense to change their play slightly but that tactic is a little too complicated for this beginners blog.