Team Analysis Japan, WU24 2023 (1)
Japan's zone defence makes it difficult for downfield offensive flow and generates a turn.
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Japan sets up a zone defence with defenders preventing easy downfield continuation throws. This forces handler resets and a risky throw that results in a turn.
Breaking it down
1. Zone Defence
Japan sets up a zone defence with one defender acting as the mark and following the disc. Four defenders guard the middle of the field, staying in the open space to prevent easy downfield throws and force a backfield reset. The downfield defenders try to communicate with each other and pick up players that go near them, but a cutter manages to sneak by and get the disc.
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2. Preventing Easy Continuations
Australia manages to find a gap in the zone and pass downfield, but Japan's downfield defenders move to prevent continuation passes. The thrower moves the disc closer to the sideline and attempts a give and go but is picked up by a Japanese defender. When a cutter tries to crash the zone, the Japanese defender close by moves towards the disc to prevent the crash, forcing the thrower to look for a backfield reset.
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3. Reacting to Swings
Although the mark moves to stop the around throw, Australia manages to reset the disc back towards the middle of the field. As the disc swings, the Japanese defenders move to prevent continuation passes. Japan allows a give and go to the open-side sideline. Notice that after the give and go, the Japanese defender closest to the disc shifts to block the space directly in front of the thrower, allowing the mark to catch up.
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4. Forcing Sideline
The thrower is trapped on the open-side sideline with no easy options downfield. She launches a hammer that is dropped by the receiver. Notice that the break-side defender keeps her eye on the cutter on the break-side, and as the hammer goes up, the break-side wing, short deep, and deep defenders move towards the disc to put pressure.