A refresher on Speedpoint

I played my first indoor game of the season last night, right after playing my final outdoor game of the season. Thank Jeebus indoor is starting, because it was colder than Hell in a Capital One commercial. Seriously, I haven't worn that many layers to play Ultimate since Snowplate. Come to think of it, it might have actually been warmer at Snowplate!

So, some important rule differences to note about Speedpoint:

1. Stall Count is 8, not 10.
2. If the disc hits an object that is out of bounds, it's a turnover at the spot where it went out of bounds, not where it hit the object.
3. When there is a score, or when there is a turnover in the endzone in the endzone, the disc is put into play from that spot. It is not walked up to the goalline.
4. If the disc lands or rolls out of the endzone, then the play is restarted on the goalline

Aside from rules, there is the change in strategy from outdoor to indoor. After a crap-load of ultimate this summer, it was very strange to play indoor. No wind means that swilly throws are always in play, and of course everyone starts to pull out the hammer.

There is also the change in field size. While Field B is wider than CC Sabathia, Fields A and C are much narrower, so it will be important to maintain a solid structure when making cuts. On offense we'll be running a 3-3 Horizontal.

As we have learned from experience, there are some keys to success in the indoor game. Cuts should be timed well to maximize openness without cutting others off. As well, cutters should try to keep into their lanes. Also, since it's speedpoint, everyone should always be running hard and subbing quickly. If you're not running...sub off!

As we'll be running a Ho, it is imperative that we get the disc off of the sideline. If we have the disc within 10 feet of the forced sideline (unless there is an open upfield pass right away), we should be looking to swing the disc to get it off the line. This will open up the field, get more cutters involved with the play, allow the Ho stack to fluorish, and minimize any dangers of hitting the mesh/lights.

Finally, we should try to keep the disc moving as much as possible. Lots of passes keeps the defense on their heels. Obviously, we'll pull out the long bombs (especially with Frogger on the team), but we should try to play an up-tempo style, which I think suits our speed and overall team hustle.

Tonight we begin play with Tony and Carmel, one of the strongest teams in the league. Let's work hard and start off the season with a big upset victory!

Do the Monday Countdown

It's been a couple of months, but Release the Hounds made their way back onto the pitch last night, taking on the Disciples of Love to open the "Fall" TUC League. After some initial suckiness by both sides, The Hounds were able to forge ahead and take the first game of the season, 32-27 (give or take 5 points). Lyanne will work to keep that perfect record as Field Captain next week.

I thought our offense was solid, but also a little sporadic. I heard something about using horizontal, but it seemed that we didn't really have much structure. But it's the first game, and I'm sure we'll shore that up.

Even though the HHH wasn't there (cough Wongs cough!), I have been informed that the winner was Joel, thanks to his great hustle on offense, and domination on defense. I'm sure it has nothing to do with guilting him for the fact he's missing the next two weeks.

Some things to note:

1) BMO is a nice field...if you're into things like soft turf and lots of space.
2) The fast pace of speedpoint suits our style.
3) Subs rule! Big Dan, Tyler, Sarah...glad we had them there.
4) 11pm games...BOO!
5) That scoreboard was too confusing to operate...our trouble with it means one thing: we need Cindy back!

When I saw that we were playing the Disciples of Love, I was trying to find some inspiration for the post. All I could find on them was their old site, which is pretty much a BBS that has been spammed worse than my old Hotmail account.

For me, there is another group that I consider to be the true Disciples of Love: