How to force forehand in ultimate: the team rule

Ask a new rec team what their defence force is and you may get blank stares... is this about Starwars? Simple anaswer, force forehand is the most common rule used by most beginner teams. This is how to force forehand in ultimate: where the mark stands, where the other six defenders go, and why it works with players in their first season.

What "force forehand" means

The force is the side of the field your defence gives the thrower. Call "force forehand" and the mark stands on the thrower's backhand side, so the open throw is the forehand (the flick). For a right-handed thrower facing downfield, that is their right.

That splits the field in two:

• The open side is where the thrower is allowed to throw. With a forehand force, it is the forehand side.
• The break side is the other half. To get the disc there, the thrower has to throw around or over the mark, which is a harder throw and slower to set up.

Why it is a team rule, not the mark's job

The mark can only take away half the field. What makes the force work is that everyone else knows which half. If the thrower can only throw to the forehand side, every downfield defender should stand on the forehand side of their cutter, a step closer to the disc. The mark covers the break side; the other six cover the open side.

Without the call, a mark who takes away the backhand and a downfield defender who guards the backhand lane are covering the same throw twice, and the forehand lane is empty.

Step by step

The offence here is in a vertical stack (see how to run a vertical stack if that shape is new to your team).

Before the pull, the team agrees: force forehand. The mark (D1) starts straight up on the thrower and steps across to the backhand side. Every other defender moves to the forehand side of their cutter.

O4 cuts in toward the thrower on the forehand side, the side the mark is giving away. D4 is already on that side, so they run with O4 a step closer to the disc. The thrower looks at the cut and sees a defender in the lane.

O5 cuts the other way, to the backhand side. D5 does not chase it hard, and that is not laziness: a throw to O5 has to get around the mark, which is exactly the throw the whole defence has agreed to make difficult. D5 stays on the open side of the cut, ready if O5 turns back.

The thrower pivots to throw the backhand break to O5. The mark shuffles across to stay on that line, feet moving and arms wide, instead of lunging at the disc. A lunge lets the thrower step back around it. Holding the line means the break throw never gets a window. Many teams shout "no around" to the mark at this moment.

O6 goes deep down the forehand side. D6 turns and runs on O6's deep shoulder, between the cutter and the end zone. Covering the open side never means giving up the deep throw: D6 would rather allow a short pass than a long one.

The stall count is getting high. The backhand is gone, the deep cut is covered, and the in-cut is guarded on the side the disc has to go. The only throw left is a forehand into the lane.

D4 steps in front for the block. One rule, seven defenders, one half of the field to cover.

Tips

• Call it before every point. Out loud, by one person, so nobody has to remember what the last point was. Force forehand is a common default for new teams; change it only for a reason, such as a thrower whose forehand is their best throw. Often times intermediate teams "graduate" from a forehand being their weakness so forcing backhand can often be more effective.
• Watch for left-handed throwers. A lefty's forehand is on the other side, so the open side of the field flips. Give a quick heads-up when a lefty has the disc. Some teams call the force by sideline instead ("force home", "force away") so the field never flips.
• Downfield, think "a step closer, a step to the open side". You want to beat your cutter to the throw, not trail them to it.
• The mark's job is the line, not the block. A mark who keeps the break side shut for a whole stall count has done more than one who gambles for a hand block and opens up the break side.
• Do not fix it mid-point. If someone forgets, finish the point, then say the call again before the next pull.
• Sideline. The sideline should call "ups" and re-iterate the force to their defenders to help. Act as their third set of eyes.

Run it at walking pace first. Put seven on defence against seven on offence at half speed, call the force, and let throwers hold the disc for a count of five. Once everyone moves to the right side without being told, play it live.

The full play

Take this playbook into your own account and change it for your team: rename the players, add the cuts your opponents actually make, and show it on your phone before the next game.

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