This is the basics of how to play the 1-3-3
zone defense in
ultimate frisbee, more commonly known as the "
puke".
- First of all, one defender is selected to be the "puke". This player covers the disc, regardless of which offensive player has it- this entails an extreme amount of running due to the fact that the offensive team will move the disc around a lot- it's probably good to select a very athletic player for this role in the defense as it is extremely tiring. The puke's main goal is simply to have a good force which goes on quickly (in other words to run hard)
- The rest of the defenders form 2 rows across the field. Each row has three defenders, with each defender covering a zone in the left, center or right of the field. The defenders must arrange themselves so that all the offensive players on the field are running between the two rows of defenders, thereby forcing the offense to throw the disc past the front row of defenders, creating the possibility that the defense will pick off the offense's passes.
This defence is probably not a good full-time defence for a team to use because a team with good handlers will move the disc up far faster than the "puke" player can run, however it can be good to throw odd defenses some of the time in order to keep another team off balance. The puke is good at producing turnovers if you have two or three good defenders to play in the front row of the defence and you can put weaker defenders in the back row where they will not be a liability. Also the puke, being a zone, is a good way to rest if your team is tired from playing man-to-man d(except for whoever gets stuck playing "puke", of course, that player has to run until he passes out).