Vertical stack spacing in ultimate

Good vertical stack spacing in ultimate comes down to three distances. The stack lines up down the middle of the field so the lanes on both sides are the same width. The front cutter stands about 10 to 15 yards ahead of the disc, so an under cut has room to come back toward the thrower. And the cutters leave a few yards between each other, roughly five to eight, so one defender can't bother two of them at once. When the disc moves downfield, the stack moves with it and keeps those distances.

Vertical stack spacing: where everyone stands

The stack exists to keep the space either side of it empty. Cuts go into those lanes, and the thrower needs to see a cutter in one of them with nobody else in the way. If the stack drifts toward one sideline, the lane on that side gets narrow and the defence only has to cover the other one. Line up on the middle of the field rather than on the disc, and both lanes stay open whichever side the thrower is on.

The distance to the front of the stack matters most. If the first cutter stands right next to the thrower, there is no room to cut under, and their defender can help on the mark. If they stand too far away, every under is a long throw. Ten to fifteen yards gives a cutter a few steps to fake deep and still come back for an easy pass.

Inside the stack, a few yards between cutters is enough. Closer than that, the cutters get in each other's way and a defender can stand between two of them. Much further, and the back of the stack ends up in the end zone, which leaves no room for a deep cut. A useful check is to look back from the back of the stack: if you are near the end zone line, the stack is too long.

The handlers stay behind the stack. The thrower has the disc, and a second handler sets up a few yards behind and to the side as the dump, usually on the break side, so a short pass back is always there when the stall count gets high.

Step by step

O1 has picked up the disc after the pull. To keep the picture clear, only the mark (D1) and O3's defender (D3) are shown. D1 is forcing forehand, so the open side is down the picture.

The cutters walk into one line down the middle of the field, and O2 sets up a few yards behind O1 on the break side.

The stack is set, with O3 at the front about 15 yards from the disc. O3 cuts under to the open side, and D3 follows.

O1 throws to O3 in the open lane. The rest of the stack holds its spacing and stays out of the lane.

O3 now has the disc, and O4 at the front of the stack is level with them. The stack moves downfield so its front is again 10 to 15 yards ahead of the disc, and O1 and O2 come up behind O3 as the handlers.

The stack is set again in the middle of the field with both lanes open, and the next cut can start.

To practise it, walk the whole line up the field without a defence. Throw the disc to a cutter, stop, and let the stack reset around the new thrower before the next throw. After a few passes the team will start to move into place without being told, and you can add defenders and play it at speed. The vertical stack article shows the cutting order once the stack is set, and receiving the pull covers how the team gets into position at the start of a point.

The full play

You can take this playbook into your own account and change it for your team, for example moving the stack closer to the disc if your team plays on a short field.

If you captain a rec team, you can also set up your team on Playspedia and use game day to set your lines and keep playing time fair.