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Coaching - IFDA Clinics - Horizontal Stack

Horizontal Stack

The main points covered in this clinic were:

  • Clearing the open lane
  • Cutting from breakside
  • Options when receiving the disk coming under
  • Keep deep space free
  • Re-evaluating your position after each disc movement

Clearing open lane
It is extremely difficult to get open to receive a disc when you start in a position directly in front of the thrower. So if you find yourself in this position, in front of the disk, clear to the breakside, this leaves a large open space in front of the thrower.

This first cut breakside is a valid cut and you should be ready to receive. If you don’t receive it, turn and move down field either to receive a later pass, or take up a vacant position.

Cutting from breakside
The best position to start a cut is from the breakside, drifting across the pitch and then cutting into the space in front of the thrower (left by the cutter described in the paragraph above) or by going deep into open space.

Options when receiving the disk coming under
If you receive the disc coming under, the order of choices should be:

  1. Offload to an overlapping handler
  2. Turn, look upfield and throw an open pass if it is on
  3. Turn and dump

Keep deep space free
The deep space has to be kept free. This means recognising early that your long cut isn’t on, and clearing that space to allow another player to cut unobstructed into that space.

Re-evaluating your position after each disc movement
After each completed pass or each cut, you need to re-evaluate what position you are occupying on the pitch, so whether you are now in front of the disc and have to clear that space (like in point 1 above), or are you now in a breakside position that you can cut from.

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