USA Ultimate

Assisting The Visually Impaired

by Taylor Pope

The impact of the sideline is most important when the team is on defense. In ultimate, as in most possession style games, the offense has a distinct advantage. The offense is in control of where the future will take place on the field and therefore offensive players are ABLE to be a step ahead of the defense at all times. It is the job of the defenders to constantly anticipate where the thrower would like to throw and when those spaces will be available, while at the same time making decisions to force blocks. The defender has a lot of responsibility. So how can you help this multitasker out? 

Tell your defender things that they can’t see. 

Tell the marker if the cutter is coming force or break side. Tell the mark when they should strike*. Tell the mark to deny a certain throw if a cutter is wide open. Look at the field and tell the mark about cuts that are coming from far away. Tell everybody the disc is up. Tell the defender chasing a deep cutter that the throw is not coming or that the disc was just swung to the break side. Tell that same defender that he "is up" when the next pass is logically coming to his guy. Tell a defender in the back of the stack, or deepest, to "poach off" or "look to help" if one of your teammates is getting beat deep. Tell a crafty defender to "poach off" when he is chasing deep but will run right by the next for sure in cut. 

Much of this takes practice on both ends. The voice needs to practice efficiently getting your point across, anticipating the next logical offensive move, and knowing who on the field is willing and ready to listen and quickly react to their information. (Not sure how to assist the hearing impaired) And practice this at practice because it is a skill to speak and to listen. Both necessitate reactive timing only achieved through repetition. 

I personally play better when I know my teammates got my back, are watching me, and are using their precious energy reserves to help me help the team. It’s a powerful thing. 

*Strike- A code word often used to inform the marker that the next open side throwing motion of the thrower will be for real and BITE heavy for the handblock.