Basic terms:
Marker: A defensive player who is marking the person with the disc and whose job it is to initiate the stall count.
Handler: The thrower. The person who has the disc or whose normal position on the field involves making throws to the other players.
Receiver: The catcher. The person who caught the disc or whose normal position on the field is to receive throws from the other players.
Cutter: A player whose primary role on the team is to make cuts to be thrown to.
Stall Count: In Ultimate the thrower has ten seconds to throw the disc counted out by the player on the other team, this is the stall count.
Force: When playing defense the marker is trying to block or restrict the throws a thrower can make in one direction to one side of the field, while giving up another direction to the other side of the field. The force is the direction of throwing which the marker is giving up to maintain the defense in other directions.
Cutting - How to make your cut?
Cuts need to be made vertically that is, up and down the field. But more importantly they should be heading straight at or away from the thrower. Either going in, and running straight towards the thrower; or going out, running away from the thrower. Sideways cuts are easily defended against, so try not to run across the field.
Cuts need to be well-timed. The timing of the cut involves the cut coming early. For example: During a game a good cutter will be starting the fake of their next cut before the handler even catches the disc, when the handler catches the disc the good cutter will be making their cut to receive the disc. At a basic level this could just translate to not waiting till higher stall counts till you make your first cut, cut earlier in the stall count!
Good cutting also involves knowing when not to cut, this is also timing your cut. If there is another player from your team already making a cut where you were going to go, it is best to wait till their cut is finished before making your cut.
When you're about to catch the disc after you've made your cut, remember to keep running towards it. If you slow down it gives your defender a chance to catch up and run through and get the D (a block). Jumping during your catch can help to make it easier.
Always clear out! You have made your cut but you didn't get the disc, what should you do? The most important thing for you to do once you know this is to clear out of the cutting lane. This just means that you need get back to the stack as quickly as possible. At full sprint is usually the best way to go!
Theory - The break and open sides:
There are two sides to the field that you will need to worry about. These are the BREAK side and the OPEN side which are separated by an imaginary line through the thrower. The open side of the field is the side of the thrower where the disc is being forced to, the player marking the disc wants it to go to this side (because his defenders are positioned so that they have a head start on any players wanting to get the disc). The break side of the field is the other side of the thrower, the side that the marker is denying him the throw to. If a thrower is able to throw around his marker to a player cutting there, automatically that team is at an advantage. All of their defenders are on the WRONG side of their player to get in front of them and stop them from getting the disc! Try not to let them throw around you to the BREAK SIDE!
