This is the strategy that is used across all levels in ultimate, especially at the beginner and the highest level (USA ultimate in particular).
It is interesting to see that most teams deviate from using vertical stack as they get more competitive, as we see across the EU and AU. And with the recent popularity of Hex Offense, we see even less use of the vertical stack.
Why are most beginners taught vertical stack as their first type of offense structure? (speaking based on my experience in Malaysia) One hypothesis I have is that it’s a simple structure with straightforward instructions. The typical instructions to tell a beginner are:
- always cut from the back (or front)
- if you don’t get the disc, go back to the stack and wait for your turn.
Logistically it makes sense, because you don’t want to overwhelm a beginner with too many complicated instructions and what-ifs.
It also allows the handler, usually the best player among the beginners, to have plenty of space to run and retrieve the disc from a less experienced player. This isn’t always mentioned, but in my opinion, the vertical stack is a handler dominant structure.
However, as the team progresses and becomes more experienced, they begin to struggle with this simple structure. Because the movements of a vertical stack are very predictable, elite teams can anticipate the next move and tailor their defense to counter it, like the Flex Defense.
So the obvious flaws of vertical stack are:
- Movements are very predictable.
- Many inactive players (usually in the middle of the stack) allow the defense to poach and overload the active area.
- Spaces are split clearly into open and break, with the middle space lost because that’s where the stack is.
Now another question arises: if the vertical stack is flawed, why does the USA repeatedly find success with it?
It’s hard to tell, but here are some possibilities:
- The USA athletes are simply better. Faster, taller, and they throw better than everyone else.
If that’s true, they would probably do as well with any structure.
- The Vertical Stack is best played by a team with USA’s physique.
While this could be true, Canada hasn’t had the same success as the USA, at least in recent years. So I’m more inclined to believe that the USA just has better athletes overall.
- Maybe the vertical stack is just a superior strategy overall, but the USA does something different than the rest of the world.
This is an interesting argument. I’ve observed some points from the USA compared to mid-level players:
- The structure of the stack is only visible when the disc is dead, creating clear 1v1 opportunities for the handler. The USA athlete, with their great skills, typically wins these 1v1s.
- Players don’t just “go back into the stack”. When the disc is in flow, players are often spread out, similar to the Hex Offense.
- USA cycles through the stack faster than other countries, taking, for example, 3 seconds to go from 1st to 3rd in the stack, compared to maybe 5 seconds for others.
My personal take is that it’s very likely that USA players are simply more skilled and would excel regardless of strategy. But, principles taught at beginner to mid-levels differ from those at the high level. At top-tier play, we often see players “breaking” the rules of a vertical stack. This makes me believe that, at their best, all ultimate structures resemble each other.
Ultimate in “Flow” looks the same regardless of initial structure. They seem to follow certain organic principles that have yet to be fully defined — and that’s the goal of this project.