Switching defence in ultimate

Switching defence in ultimate means two defenders swapping the players they guard when their cutters cross. Instead of each defender chasing their own cutter through traffic, the defender who sees the cross first calls "switch", both defenders stay on their own side, and each picks up the cutter running toward them. Done well, neither cutter gets the step of space that a crossing cut is meant to create. The switch only works if it is called early and loudly, and both defenders hear it.

How switching defence works in ultimate

A crossing cut is two cutters running past each other, close enough that their defenders would have to run around one another to keep up. A defender who follows their cutter through that space can lose a step going round a teammate, or be blocked by the other cutter, and a step is all an under cut needs. If the two defenders swap instead, each only has to take a short step to the cutter coming their way.

The call comes from whoever sees the cross first, usually the defender whose cutter starts moving toward the other pair. Call it before the paths meet, not as they meet. A late switch is worse than no switch, because for a moment nobody is guarding either cutter. The other defender answers so both know it is on, and from then on each guards the new player as their own.

Not every cross needs a switch. If the cutters pass with plenty of room between them, or your cutter is clearly faster than the one coming to you, stay with your own player. Switching also hands out new matchups, so it is worth knowing beforehand which teammates you are happy to swap with. In mixed, switch only between defenders who are guarding players of the same gender match, so the matchups stay the way the line was set up.

When play slows down, after a reset or at a stoppage, the two defenders can switch back to their original players. Say it out loud again so nobody is left guarding the same person.

If you get blocked by another player while guarding someone, both WFDF and USA Ultimate let you call a pick, which stops play so you can get back to your player. The details of the pick rule differ between the two, so check the rules your league uses. Switching is a way to avoid needing the call in the first place.

Step by step

The offence is in a vertical stack with O1 holding the disc and O2 behind as the dump. The defence is forcing forehand, and the stack defenders start a half step downfield on the forehand side, as in how to guard a cutter.

O4 and O5 step out of the stack to opposite sides to set up a crossing cut. O4 goes to the break side and O5 to the open side, and D4 and D5 go with them.

O4 and O5 cut across each other toward the disc. D4 calls the switch before the paths meet. D4 stays on the break side and picks up O5, and D5 stays on the open side and picks up O4.

Both unders are covered, so O1 throws back to the dump, O2.

The offence has to reset. D4 now guards O5 and D5 guards O4, until there is a chance to switch back.

To practise it, put two cutters and two defenders in front of a thrower at walking pace. The cutters cross on a signal, and the defenders work on calling the switch early and stepping to the new player. Then let the cutters choose whether to cross, so the defenders also practise not switching when there is room. The article on how a switching defence shuts down the horizontal stack shows the same idea against a different offence.

The full play

You can take this playbook into your own account and change it for your team, for example drawing the cross between two different cutters in the stack.

If you captain a rec team, you can also put your roster on Playspedia so everyone knows who is playing each week. Set up your team here.