Japan v USA: Kolick poach D & Japan dump-give-go switch

Japan field the pull and swing the disc over to the far sideline. Matsuno attempts a pass down the line but Kolick has poached off a handler and gets an interception. This turnover, which I’ve analysed before in the USA-Japan turnovers video, starts with Matsuno pivoting outwards and focusing his attention down the narrow sideline space.

Kolick uses his position to keep half an eye on his mark, and half an eye on the field. It takes him one fifth of a second to react to Arakawa’s in-cut – he puts three hard steps in before getting a visual with the thrower Matsuno, who goes ahead with the throw because his view of Kolick was obscured by the force.

Point of note – Kichikawa and Tanaka’s close positioning here means Kolick and #24 Sefton have the opportunity to gain advantage through sandwiching and switching. Sefton should have covered Kolick’s mark as he went deep, as this would have allowed Kolick to make his poaching bid without exposing any significant vulnerability if the bid was not successful.

USA then complete six passes in flow whilst Japan are sagging off to find their marks and set up their D. Kolick dumps to “happy-feet” BJ Sefton, and Japan make a soft travel call.

Japan have a tendency to not mark anyone behind the disc until after stall 3, meaning they’re in a good position to counter this classic ‘dump and give-go’ move with a switch. This move is like a Dylan Freechild Classic – you can see here him running it in 2013 against Oregon. He receives the dump pass and when the defender moves to cover the around he quickly passes back where the disc came from and strikes up the line.

Tanaka, with the red headband, shouts and points as soon as Kolick releases the disc, but Kichikawa is already aware & moving to switch – meaning both players are familiar with and practiced at switching in this situation.

This is an often-seen switch made by Japan & Buzz Bullets – in GB in 2011 we practiced emulating it and called it the ‘Buzz switch’, although with so much to learn about switching this name now seems too generalised.

A switching principle that could be applied is “*if a teammate is in a better position to cover your mark, and you are in a better position to cover theirs, switch*”.

Tanaka sags off Sefton again after he releases the disc, allowing USA to move the disc off the sideline very quickly. Cool as a cucumber, Kolick breaks the force with an around flick to Tom Doi – securing USA the break and putting them 6-4 up.

Kolick had a great poach interception earlier on in this point, even though it would’ve exposed a weakness had he not got the disc. Japan then tried to contain the USA offence with a bit of switching and sagging off, but the USA took what they were given, moved the disc around quickly, and Kolick was clinical with his final throw into the end zone.

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