If you find yourself playing for or against some huck-happy offenses, here are some tips to turn 50-50 balls to your advantage
June 2, 2025 by Sion "Brummie" Scone in Analysis
Sion “Brummie” Scone of Flik ultimate provides his expert analysis. This content is available for free courtesy of Flik; all opinions are those of the author(s).
Over the last month, ultimate fans were spoiled by the live coverage from the Australian National Championships and the first major event of the European calendar, Tom’s Tourney. One thing that jumped out at me were the huck-heavy offenses on display, and while some teams were consistently hitting their receivers in stride, there were a lot of floating discs that led to players contesting for catches in the air. While many showed a lot of skill at bringing discs down, there were plenty of examples that will serve as a learning tool for how to improve our ability to box out opponents and maximize our chances of winning these contests.
Basic Considerations
Boxing out requires establishing ground and contesting for a disc in the air. Some level of contact is almost certain to occur. I don’t want to spend a lot of time writing about the relevant rules & interpretations across both WFDF and USAU, but in general, players are entitled to the position they are in; they should not initiate contact with other players; and they should not move in a way as to prevent other players from moving unless making a play on the disc.
That means our first example is a clear violation, as Sunder’s #76 (in blue) initiates contact, pushing defender #77 (in white) out of the way without making any attempt to play the disc:
Other than these obvious examples, it is difficult to judge whether or not the examples that follow are fouls, and that’s not really the point of the article. Let’s assume then that everyone is playing by the rules and seeking to minimize contact.
The other thing to point out before diving into examples is the approach a player takes to a floating disc. When a throw hits a receiver in stride, they just need to run onto it before their defender arrives. When the disc hangs, there’s a trade-off between establishing position and maximizing your jump. The difference that being stationary makes when compared to someone being able to attack the disc is huge. While having position is advantageous, momentum allows someone to jump higher, as illustrated in this clip, where we see Cat Phillips quickly take a position that allows her to go up and over the waiting receiver; players must choose whether to hold a static position and lose some vertical reach, or hang back to maximize their jump but risk losing out on their ideal position.
Lesson 1 – if you’re in position before your opponent, you need to prevent them from getting into their ideal position:
Offense Failing to Box Out
Offensive receivers have to make a catch, which can lead to being overly-cautious. This first example is a spectacular defensive play by Aussie veteran Andrew Jackson (AJ) who makes up up several meters on a wide open receiver before snatching the disc cleanly over his head, but it’s worth pointing out that AJ should never have been able to make this play. The receiver appears to be completely unaware of Jackson’s presence and makes no attempt to box him out.
Lesson 2 – be aware of your surroundings:
The next receiver makes what I think is the most common error made with any hanging disc: positioning to catch the disc at the first opportunity without considering the presence of defenders. The receiver is flat-footed when they jump and ends up missing the disc, unable to back up any further because of the late arrival of the defender. If the receiver had hung back a little, they would have been able to jump into the catch while guarding the space from others:
A similar example, although here the change of pace on offense is more obvious; the receiver is well ahead of the defender and stops at the point where they plan to jump for the disc, but they leave the path clear for the defender to attack the disc at pace. This is an important consideration when you are already positioned between the disc and your opponent, you just need to ensure you don’t give your opponent a chance to recover.
Lesson 3 – don’t give up your position:
If the receiver in this next clip had slowed their run earlier to hold off the defender, they could have maintained a larger gap between the defender and the disc and caught the pass uncontested without even having to jump. By trying to catch the disc early, the receiver actually made it easier for the defender to make a play.
Lesson 4 – you don’t need to catch the disc at the highest point:
Never is lesson 4 more important than when playing against a taller defender. You have little chance at winning a jump ball by just aiming to catch the disc at the highest point you can, so you need to prevent the defender from making a play by boxing out early:
It’s a similar situation here, with the offensive receivers hanging back ready to jump for the disc but letting a defender run straight into the middle of the pack and sky everyone:
A word of caution; make sure you don’t focus so much on boxing out your opponent that you miss the disc entirely:
Defense Failing to Box Out
Unlike their opponents, defenders don’t need to make a catch, they merely need to prevent their opponent from catching the disc. Arguably the most important thing is to make a quick decision about how you’re going to do that; this will sometimes be a gamble. Do you run behind the receiver and hope this makes the disc go over their head, but risk them making an easy catch? Or do you get between them and the disc, making it harder for them to see and read the disc, but risking them blocking you out entirely?
In our first example, the defender doesn’t decide at all, failing to take a position which would make the catch more challenging.
Lesson 5 – be decisive:
Back at Aussie Nationals, we saw this floater to a Hot Chilly receiver who needed to back up – towards the defender – in order to make a play. The defender obliged, giving the receiver the space required to make an easy catch. This was an ideal situation for the defender to box out as they already had position, but the defender was making the error of trying to catch the disc rather than trying to prevent their opponent from making the catch.
Lesson 6 – defenders don’t need to catch the disc:
When the next pass was floated up, the defender quickly decided to get behind the receiver based on the height of the disc. Great. But that only works if you can prevent the receiver getting into a position where they can make a catch. Watch how the defender catches up with Ollie Gordon then slows down; this is the error. If the defender had sprinted immediately behind Gordon and then blocked Gordon’s movement, this disc would have sailed overhead. The defender did the right thing, just too slowly, allowing Gordon to get up and over for a goal.
Lesson 7 – get into position ASAP:
Good Examples of Boxing Out
So… what does good look like? Arguably some of the slickest examples of boxing don’t involve a disc that’s necessarily hanging too long, but one where there’s a risk that the receiver loses out in a foot race. Here are three very similar examples where we can see the receiver running at a slight angle across the path of the disc, rather than worrying about catching the disc at its highest point (see Lesson 4 above). The angle of the run shields the defender from the disc, and all they have to do is bend their run, sealing the lane and preventing the defense from getting close.
Floriane Gaspar of YAKA expertly sealing the lane from her defender:
Charlie Butt of Clapham:
Louis Betrancourt of Belgium:
The opposite problem in some respects is a hanging disc and a defender jostling for position, like this example where the receiver Natalie Otten of Manly Mavericks expertly takes a position which causes the defender to initiate contact, resulting in an uncontested foul which puts the disc into the hands of the receiver. When playing defense on a hanging disc, it is absolutely imperative you don’t clumsily foul your opponent, as that gives them possession:
Clapham veteran Justin Foord demonstrates Lessons 3 and 6 on defense by getting behind the receiver and holding his ground:
My final example shows a neat little trick – Hannah Gregory has steps on her defender and picks a spot, but the defender is closing fast. As the defender gets closer, Gregory takes half a step forward, forcing the defender to stop to avoid initiating contact; the loss of momentum forces the defender to readjust their feet to jump, allowing Gregory to make the play:
How to Improve
Some of the best receivers I’ve known weren’t the fastest nor could they jump the highest, but they were experts at boxing out their opponent and making easy catches. By being decisive and getting into a position where you can box out your opponent but still catch the disc, you will give yourself the best possible chance to catch every disc thrown your way. Here are a few drills that can help you to put these skills into practice:
