Downwind Defense
DOWNWIND DEFENSIVE POINTS will often decide windy games. In strong or extreme wind situations, most points in the game will be scored going downwind.*5 After the rare upwind score, the new defense is almost expected to complete the break, with the opportunity to attack downwind; if they fail, they set the other team up to do the same.
This is an inherent problem in turn-based games and a special opportunity in wind-impacted turn-based games: ultimate is a unique environment in which you should look at your downwind D-points as absolute gold. Play your best lines going downwind and definitely your best defenders on downwind D. You will have some less-crucial upwind D-points in which to play other defenders if you need to balance playing time.
*5 If watching an important game, notice that the highlight seekers move to the downwind side of the field, while the older experts tend towards the more valuable upwind where fewer but more important plays will happen.
Pulling Downwind
WHEN PULLING DOWNWIND, you have all of the advantages. The best pulls downwind are point enders and put the offense in nearly unwinnable situations.
Nightlock’s Marisa Rafter pulling in the wind. Photo: Daniel Thai — UltiPhotos.com
There are two lines of thinking on downwind pulls. Some teams focus on keeping the pull in-bounds, which — if the pull is fielded in the endzone — has the advantage of exposing the offense to the wind for the greatest amount of distance. A downwind pull out of bounds amounts to a 45-50 yard mistake, and it sets up the offense to put the disc in a fresh thrower’s hands for an organized attack. Under this line of reasoning, a puller who misses the field twice in ten attempts going downwind is far too much of a risk, even with a few incredible pulls mixed in as well.
The other line of thinking is that the defense can compound the advantage of wind with rest and time. For these teams, this is a chance to shoot for killer pulls in the back corner. As long as the puller doesn’t commit the unforgivable mistake of choosing a poor trajectory and pulling out of bounds — which might gift the other team a short upwind field — then the best the offense can hope for is a stationary thrower at the brick mark against a rested defensive team who has had time to see formations, get their matchups, and communicate.*6 For these teams, the short or fast inbounds pull is worse because it allows several uncontrolled passes and a more chaotic atmosphere.
*6 Because the puller is hindered in quickly covering the pull, they make sense as a player to keep in the back of the defensive formation (or shading deep while guarding a likely secondary cutter) as a check against immediately hucks.
How should your team choose between these options? The best balance likely depends on the risk:reward of your downwind puller and the ability of your defenders to usefully communicate at the start of a point. High, floaty, and in-bounds is excellent for deep pull coverage, but can be harder to control. Fast, bladey pulls that roll out the back of the endzone are excellent, as they ensure your rested defense is set up on an offense just outside of their own endzone.
Either way, it is crucial that the puller understand and utilize the appropriate pulling alleys to maximize the advantage provided by the wind and minimize the risk of a short, out-of-bounds pull that can result from a slight miscalculation or sudden lull in the conditions. As badass as a huge, looping pull to the back corner can look when it works, the opportunity cost is too high not to choose a safer flight path that stays between the sidelines and can still have a devastating effect when properly executed.
