Advanced Man-to-Man Defence
Switching
If used correctly, switching is a good method of shutting down a good cut. If used poorly, it is a good way of leaving a man completely open. Switching requires good timing and understanding. There are two main sorts of switch.

The first is the lazy switch, where two players are simply switching because the other’s receiver is closer, or the receivers cutting into each other’s space. This is often the case when one receiver is cutting long and the other short and can prevent a dangerous situation. As with all switches, both defenders need to know who their new receiver is. They should also be careful not to create a defensive mismatch by switching, as this might be self-defeating.

The second is a switch on to a cutter. The player calling the switch (switcher) will usually be near the one end of the stack and will see a cutter coming from the other end. He should wait as long as possible to call the switch, and at the last minute change receivers. This allows the other defender time run to the switcher’s old position and pick up their man, without giving the free man too much time to plan a cut. The switcher must call out the name of the free player, and/or point to them, to make sure there is no confusion.

Once players have played together for a while, they may be able to switch just by glancing at each other and nodding, or something similar. Switching is not recommended for beginners, as it teaches bad habits.

Poaching
Poaching is generally looked down upon in ultimate as “a bad thing”, mostly because it is a sign of laziness in defence. If used wisely and sparingly it can be remarkably effective, but it leaves free men around the field and can result in large yardage gains for the offensive team if punished. There are a number of different ways of poaching.

The first is a straight out zone poach, where the poacher takes up a position in the main cutting lane and basically ignores his own receiver. This is only effective when either the thrower or receiver is weak, so that the chance of a pass from one to the other is small. In any case, this should not be attempted for more than 2 or 3 seconds.

The second is a temporary switch, where the poacher sees a cutter coming from deep and switches for long enough to discourage the thrower from throwing to the cutter, before switching back to his own receiver. The switch can involve actual marking, or just a flaring out into the cutting lane but has the same effect.

A third type of poach is an active attempt to get a block. The poacher sees somebody else’s receiver in a position to receive a pass, but where the pass if thrown could still be intercepted. The poacher hopes that by not watching the disc, the thrower will think the pass is on, and hence throw it. The poacher has to guess when the pass will be thrown, and then turn around hoping the disc will be there to intercept. This can be effective if the timing is right. Once the decision has been made to poach, the poacher must commit fully or they will be stuck in no-man’s land. Often, DP in a zone must make such decisions.

Recover from a bad poach by calling for a switch.

Marking off
The marker is allowed to stand one disc width from the thrower, but it is not always best to stand this close. Against strong throwers who enjoy throwing inside-out passes, it is often best to drop back a metre or two. This makes it easier to throw wide throws (also on the break side), but pretty much cuts out the inside throws. It also makes the likelihood of a point block greater, and eliminates foul calls by the thrower.

Strike
This is a similar call to the “No out” call.
A “Strike” is called by a defender to the marker if the receiver is quite free on the open side. The marker responds by switching the force for about two seconds, enough time for the thrower to have to look off the cut, and then switches the force back. If used well, this makes it much harder to make any throw to a cutter, since all good open side cuts suddenly become break side cuts temporarily. The marker needs to be aware to put this call into action straight away.