Positions
From Ultipedia
There are many different positions in ultimate, depending on your offense and defense positions will vary.
[edit] Offense
[edit] Basic Offensive Positions
- Handler - Players in the handler position should generally be the strongest at throwing the disc. Typically located in the back field (closest to the end their team is defending), their job is to create disc movement to allow other offensive players space and opportunity to get open for a pass.
- While different skill levels of ultimate will have handlers with different skill sets, a handler should feel comfortable (and hopefully be relatively skilled) at using forehands, backhands, hammers, scoobers and deep hucks. Different team strategies can obviously change the requirements of a handler, but this definition can serve as a rough outline.
- Mid - This position is a description of a player position for some styles of offense, and is not necessarily clearly defined during a game of ultimate. Originally, a mid was simply a player who found themselves in the middle of the field. They were also the "middle man" in terms of creating plays during offense, serving as the point between handlers and deeps.
- When using the vertical stack, they are located in the central positions of the stack. In a zone offense, they can be found between the handlers and any deep field players (often these mid-players may be referred to as "poppers"). In a horizontal offense, the term mid is not a useful description, as any player besides the handler is no longer defined by their field position, but by their designated role in the offensive tactics.
- Deep - Like mids, this position is as much a description of the player's physical position on the field as it is their role in the game, and is not necessarily dictated by a players abilities or skill set. Typically (or historically, perhaps), deeps have been the tall, fast players, sent out to out-run or to sky (out-jump) the opponents for end-zone plays and deep strikes. In a vertical offense, this position may still be clearly defined, however as new offensive tactics take place, the term "deep" is slowly being phased out.
- Initiator - This player is the first to cut during an offensive possession. Their role is to set in motion the offensive play, whether as a legitimate option for a pass or as a diversion or space creator for other players.
- Striker - This role is for players looking for a deep pass, either to gain a great deal of yardage on the field or to score a goal. These players will typically be the fastest on the team and be the strong at catching (both in the air or laying out). The term "Deep Threat" has also been used by players for this position, perhaps as a different role on the field, or maybe simply because it sounds a lot nastier.
