The purpose of the stack is to create space on the field. By bringing all the receivers close together, the aim is to concentrate their defenders in one part of the field.

Obviously, you want to create space in the areas where you want to cut to, and try to stack in dead areas. The “dead area” depends on the nature of your offense and the position of the disc.
Since our aim is to always be attacking the end zone with deep cuts, we try to keep the stack away from the end zone. Also, the wings are looking to use the sidelines for up-down cuts, so they should also be clear.

Short Stack

Thus, our stack will start no further than 10-15m away from the disc (very close), and finish no more than 30m from the disc. These distances may vary with wind conditions (ie, closer in strong wind).

The stack will generally be in the middle of the field. An exception is when we are being forced sideline, which case the stack will be more on the opposite side of the field and more across the field.

Contrary to popular belief, the stack doesn’t have to be a straight line. The receivers can stand however they like, as long as they won’t create a pick. Often, it can help for the first cutter to stand out in isolation to make sure they don’t pick their defender.

The stack should change in nature as the disc moves down the field and new areas become the dead zone. If you are not cutting (50% of the time), you should be moving into the dead zone and keeping your defender occupied.

What will these changes allow us to do?

They will make it easier to make cuts from the back of the stack toward the disc, since the distance is not so great. They will allow us to make cuts going deep from short, as there will be no defenders in the end zone. They will allow us to make banana cuts (cuts which fade away from the thrower) from short, which can gain a lot of yardage. They will allow us to get more cuts in for each thrower, and generally have more people in a position to get the disc, as well as opening up more space on the field.