Handler Offence: The Undefended Channel by Brummie
The undefended channel builds on the concept of Isolating defenders by creating an area of the field that isn't covered by any defender, allowing an easy pass.
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When a cutter is positioned on the open side, their defender must choose to give up the open side, or the inside channel, which can be used by the offence to generate easy scores like this one
Fig. 1: Defensive coverage of a vertical stack
Typically, defences attempt to cover areas of the field; Fig. 1 shows a static vertical stack scenario, where D1 is marking to cover one side of the field, and D3 is guarding C at the front of the stack.
Fig. 2: C cuts laterally
After C has cut out of the stack laterally Fig. 2, if they don’t get open then they can turn 180 degrees to cut back towards the break side of the field. Fig. 3 shows a snapshot of this situation; C’s defender has covered the open side successfully, and A’s defender has held the mark, but there is an undefended corridor, highlighted by the checked area. If A throws into this space then they won’t need to break the mark, and C is already open.
Fig. 3: C cuts into the undefended channel
In order to create this channel, you must make your defender believe that the first cut is a real one; practice Downfield Lateral cut to get this one right. Alternatively – and more simply – just set up the stack on the open side in the first place. This means that there are three areas to throw into; the open side, the break side, and the undefended channel.
Having C catch the disc heading towards the break side also means that D3 is not in position to put on a mark, allowing the offence another uncontested throw to the break side Fig. 4.
Fig. 4: Uncontested continuation to the break side after using The Undefended Channel
Demonstration of the undefended channel in a vertical stack
Note that this principle is particularly important in Endzone Offence; see Scoring via upfield dump.
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Comments
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How viable is this cut? I’ve played more horizontal stack and while I’ve seen Stanford Superfly 2015 pull this off well, for example, the dimensions seem a little weird.
The diagram makes it look like C (the cag? reset handler?) makes a cut >10yd to get open rather than a 3-5yd cut or fake followed by presumably an I/O flick (not pictured–what’s that curve).
I also wondered if it’d be more akin to a 7-cut that you do see in the women’s game rather than a straight lateral out and breakside cut.
Hi Leslie.
Not sure why I didn’t get a notification about this comment, so apologies for the slow response! :-)
This cut is extremely viable. It’s often seen as part of an endzone offence.
The distance of the cut isn’t really important, it’s just whatever it takes to get separation. This could be a shoulder shimmy, or it could be 10m. The concept remains the same; starting on the open side and cutting towards the break side generates this “undefended channel”.
If you want to see repetitions of this in action, watch Jimmy Mickle playing off the front of the stack during Bravo’s championship win in 2014.
Brummie
P.S. The “7” cut is something slightly different, see “Open Under to Break Lateral”