Cup - Roles & Responsibilities: Cup – Break Wing by Jodie Palmer and Seb Allen

When the cup is in control, the break side wing’s priority is to stop short-to-mid-range throws going over the cup into the space behind the cup. If the cup gets broken, the break side wing’s priority is to contain the most dangerous break side offensive threat until the cup can regain control. The break side wing is not responsible for stopping the swing pass to the far handler. However, the break side wing also has the opportunity to gamble on getting blocks far more than the open side wing would.

Wings are most effective when they can focus on a single offensive threat and deny it, like in this example below; the break side wing recognises that there are no dangerous offensive players behind them, so they can push in towards the break side swing handler.

Confident knowing there’s no throwable options behind her, she makes a play on a disc which traditionally isn’t in an area of the pitch breakside wings are encouraged to get into. The benefit here however of generating a turn in the attacking team’s own endzone, combined with the floatiness of the pass correctly encourages her to attempt the intercept. Even if the attacking dump handler had managed to receive that pass, the cup/chase players will likely still be able to make up the ground and prevent subsequent passes.

With only one offensive threat to deny, the break side wing is able to generate a block

Playing as a break wing is the one position in the zone defence where you’re given a greater licence to take risks. Playing primarily in the areas of the pitch where receivers are inherently difficult to throw to, the wing defenders have to play the percentages. Baiting difficult throws whilst protecting against simple dangerous options is the balance. Here the most dangerous threat is deemed the short hammer, with the wing defender knowingly leaving the much higher risk option of the deeper hammer unmarked. Aware of the conditions, this decision results in the turn from the offence seemingly having a reasonably low-pressure position on the field.

Getting Positioning Right

Gambling is good, but you’ve got to get it right. In the next clip, the break side wing (#20) is situated between the break side swing handler and the break side offensive wing. The two offensive players are too far apart for the break side wing to put pressure on both options, so by standing in between them, the break side wing leaves both options open. In this situation the break side wing needs to choose which option they want to take away; preferably the break side wing should prevent throws towards the break side wing space, as the throw to the break side swing handler should be stopped by the cup.

Failing to commit to denying a single offensive option by the break side wing allows this throw over the top of the zone

Another common mistake is for a defender to believe that their responsibility is to guard a specific area of the field above and beyond their responsibility for preventing offensive threats; this is a mistake. Every player needs to ensure that they are denying at least one offensive threat at all times in order for the zone to be most effective.

Here the break side wing gets caught defending their “space” rather than defending the dangerous players in the area. As a result, they aren’t guarding any offensive threats, which effectively means the rest of the zone are guarding 7 offensive players using just 6 defenders, with the inevitable consequence that the thrower is able to find the free player and break through the zone.

At the start of the clip, the break side wing (#79, towards the bottom of the screen) is caught defending a space rather than denying an offensive threat

In this instance the break side wing should have defended #28 more closely as they moved towards the open side sideline, as the break side of the field was otherwise vacant.

Reacting to Overheads

It’s important to recognise the limits of what you can do. While wings are often trying to bait difficult throws, hoping they get an opportunity for a block, they should always remember their primary responsibility is to protect the endzone. If a throw goes over the cup and the wing cannot stop it, they should immediately look to prevent continuation passes. Too often we see a wing tempted to run towards the receiver, arriving too late to stop the throw, then finding themselves hopelessly out of position to prevent the next pass.

Germany’s wing should be credited in this next clip for not rushing straight to the receiver with the disc, instead surveying what’s around him and making sure no further upfield progression is made before the Chase and Cup can recover.