Defence Session 2

Warm up and throw in pairs.

Recap of key points from session 1:

• THINK
• Anticipate what's going to happen next
• Where CAN my player get the disc?
• Where does my player WANT the disc?
• Where can the thrower THROW the disc?
• See what your opponent is doing or trying to do and don't allow them

Outline structure of session:

• Focuse more on individual semantics of playing D
• Awareness of your players position on the pitch and what positions you can take as a result
• Body positioning and balance when covering a cutter

Drills:

1. Shuttle runs
2. 1-on-1 cutting
3. Team pull reaction from session 1

Shuttle Runs:

• Offence and defence work for 25 seconds within a 20 meter lane.
• Offence makes cuts and runs within the lane.
• Defence has to cover.

On defence:

• Stay tight and anticipate.
• The longer a player goes in a straight line, the more likely they are to make a cut.
• Know that when they have gone to far, they HAVE TO COME BACK so be ready for them.
• NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON THE CUTTER. Always turn your hips towards the O player so you can always see them.
• Anticipate their cuts but don't commit to a change of direction until they have committed.
• Stay balanced.
• An O player can fake with their eyes, their heads, their arms and their shoulders. Some may even try fake with their legs. They CAN NOT FAKE with their hips so when they commit their hips to a direction, they are going that direction.

Each player worked once on offence and once on defence.

1-on-1 cutting:
Using the exact same principals as above, O player was given time to make 2 or 3 cuts with defence aiming to cover them.
Defence aimed to do the same things as above.

Common errors included:

• Chasing the O player as they went deep only to get caught out when they cut back under.
• Anticipating the cut back under but being flat footed and thus allowing the O player to run past.
• Over commiting to cover a player in one direction only to be caught out in the other direction.

Pull Reaction:
Offence told to set up in an obvious formation (too deep, too shallow, too far on the break side, too far on the open side).
Defence forced to react to the offence and encouraged to communicate what they see.
Defence encouraged to take up position so as to deny the offence what they are looking for.

Games:
Open play with offensive errors unpunished. Defence had to get an intelligent block in order to get poseesion.
Time outs were called to point out good or bad positioning by defence with regard covering the offences positioning.
Throughout play, players were reminded to think about what was going to happen next:

• Where can my player get the disc?
• Where does my player want it?
• Where can the thrower throw it?

Conclusion:
Everyone was reminded that they would only improve as a defender if they apply themselves to it. Our comments are intended as pointers on things that can be done better, it is up to the players to put them in to practise.