Ultimate Frisbee - Horizontal Stack

* in a ho stack, the team is split into handlers and cutters. the handler/cutter split is less about skill level than it is about specialization, kind of like forwards/defense in hockey. in general, however, handlers as a group tend to be better throwers than cutters; if you're fast/tall, you're better served as a cutter. in the diagram, the cutters are the group of 4, the handlers are the group of 3, and the disc is with the middle handler, going up.

* the point of both the vertical and horizontal stack is to create empty green space that everyone on the offense is aware of. in the case of the diagram, when everyone is set-up but before they've started their cuts, there are three spaces:

1. 12/15 yards in front of the disc, between the cutters and the handlers, from sideline to sideline;
2. 30/40+ yards behind the cutters to the back of the scoring end-zone, from sideline to sideline;
3. the space behind the handlers to the defensive end-zone, from sideline to sideline.

* the horizontal stack works best when the disc is in the middle of the field, where the handler has the most angles for throws. if you visualize the disc in the rightmost handler's hands in the diagram, you can see right away how little space is available to throw upfield. therefore we can conclude that when the disc gets to the sideline, our team goal should be to recenter the disc.

* lots of teams use the lingo 'dump' or 'reset' to refer to the throws that go backwards to a handler. but the problem is those words carry a negative connotation, as if the thrower's goal was to throw upfield and failed. on my touring team, we refer to that throw as a 'flowmaker'. i like it, because i think that's the point: when the disc is in your hands, your primary goal should be to create flow. the higher level of ultimate that you play, the less value is placed on yardage: we're mostly concerned with creating space in the middle of the field instead of jamming the disc up the sideline 5 yards at a time. thus, especially for cutters, often the best offensive move you can make is a quick look upfield and then a pass to a handler - not because you're not capable of making a throw, but because it's in the team's best interest to create flow and to put the disc in the hands of the team's best throwers. if the disc stagnates for too long, teammates have a tendency to panic and cut to similar spaces, creating clogging.

to explain the diagram, which is a typical set-up after a dead disc (i.e. a pull that's gone out of bounds).

* the primary targets are the middle two cutters (cutters are numbered #1-4 from left to right). when they're setting up, #2 and #3 make eye contact and determine which one of them is the primary cut. let's say here it's #3. #3 initiates by cutting hard towards the disc, to the breakside. #2, having seen #3 cut in, mirrors #3's cut by cutting out. for the handler, both #3's in cut and #2's out/deep cut are valid looks.

* let's assume both cutters have made hard cuts in their respective directions, but neither are open. this is the time to plant and reverse the cut. #2 knows that #3 has vacated the space and that he has 15/20 yards of open field in front of him; #3 knows that #2 has vacated the space and that he can strike deep for a bomb. #1 and #4 know they aren't primary options and are doing their best to keep their defenders busy so the defenders don't poach in the throwing lane.

* in the case that #2's out and then in cut is open, then the middle handler has the chance for a successful pass. let's assume he takes it. cutter #4 has timed his cut out at the same time that #2 is coming in to catch the disc; after a few steps, he can plant and turn so #2 has an easy, no hesitation up-field throw in flow. cutter #1, having watched this play develop and seeing that cutter #2 is going to catch the disc, fakes his man in a few steps before taking off for the end-zone. cutter #2 has two valid up-field options: #4 coming in and #1 going long. cutter #3, who made a great clearing cut for his teammates, is not an option. he wants to reset to the stack and prepare himself to make a cut if #2 doesn't make either of the throws available.

* in this case, the handler throws it to #2 on his in cut. he looks upfield after the catch and sees #4 planting and turning hard towards him; #2 throws to #4. #4 catches, looks upfield and sees #1 continuing his deep cut straight up the middle of the field. he bombs it, and #1 catches it on the run, 3 or 4 steps in front of his defender. that, my friends, is perfect flow.

what happens if #2's in-cut is covered and the handler can't throw upfield? stay tuned for next time.