Looking for Something Specific: Brute v. Riot - 1st Half

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULzQS2rv34s

“@100percentBS is proving how smart and active marks can win games” – George Stubbs

What is George talking about?  Let’s look at every Riot turnover and think about what the mark did.

Points 1-5:

Riot 3 – Brute Squad 1

Out of the gate riot just blitzes past Brute Squad, there is almost a feel that Riot is going to blow out Brute.  So far Riot has:

1.      Scored in 20 seconds

2.      Got an early turnover and finished by breaking the mark

3.      Brute scored in four passes

4.      Riot scored in 20 seconds

5.      Brute grinds

Not a lot of marks to look at in this part of the game.

Point 6:

14:29 is Riot’s first turnover.  The mark gets there late, very late.  Qxhna (I think it’s Qxhna) holds this disc for 9 real life seconds before trying to break an around downfield.  The mark is pretty flat, which probably tempts Qxhna into going around.  A downfield defender runs through the D.

Point 7:

18:30 is Riot’s second turnover.  The mark is flat, and it feels like they are shading slightly toward a forehand force.  Riot goes for the backhand around and gets poached by a downfield defender. 

19:26 is Riot’s third turnover.  The mark comes in flat and gets very close to Dom as she throws.  It comes out of Dom’s hand poorly and turns over too early.

21:57 is Riot’s fourth turnover.  This is an incut that turns into a huck.  The mark closes quickly and is very close to Dom when she throws.  The pressure from the mark porbably contributes to Dom throwing this one out of bounds.  Again the mark is pretty flat.

Point 8:

24:22 is Riot’s fifth turnover.  This is just a drop.

Point 9:

26:14 is Riot’s sixth turnover.  At this point I think I am seeing what George is talking about.  The mark is flat, she is attempting to pressure throws on both the forehand and the backhand side, and she is using her feet to move rather than leaning over.  Rohre forces a really bad forehand huck that falls maybe 20 yards short.

Brute is on a 5-0 running, suddenly it feels like Brute is going to run away with this.

Point 10:

29:34 is Riot’s seventh turnover.  After taking a stall to set up, Magon closes in very tight on the mark. She is flat and moving her feet, the pressure on the mark makes the reset difficult and Riot ends up punting.

30:19 is Riot’s eighth turnover.  I am not in Rohre’s head, but I imagine she is trying to make something happen and ends up throwing a bad huck.  The mark barely gets set on this turnover.

31:40 is Riot’s ninth turnover.  Mark is flat, in an athletic position, and moving her feet in order to move rather than lunging and stumbling around.  But Rohre does nothing to move the mark; she stares at a forceside dump and then takes a hammer to the endzone, all without challenging the mark.

Point 11:

34:45 is Riot’s tenth turnover.  The mark never gets there, but Qxhna still throws it out of bounds.

Brute takes half 8-3.

So what is an active mark?  In general Brute is using a flat mark against Riot.  They are using their feet to move around and are getting very close to the thrower.  When the thrower goes either forehand or backhand they pressure it, but do so without “selling out” and lunging into the thrower.  Brute is also coupling this with very close defense on the resets.  When Riot has the disc there is a mark in their face, and a defender very close to their reset option, this results in some uncomfortable situations for Riot and some extra possessions for Brute.