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Welcome to the Midlands Boom playbook. This is a practical guide to how we want to play, train, and communicate on the pitch.
This playbook is not a list of rigid plays. It is a system built on repeatable principles.
Who this is for
Players
Use this to understand:
- Where to stand
- What to do when you are active
- What to do when you are not active
- How we keep flow and avoid stalls
Coaches and captains
Use this to:
- Teach the same concepts consistently
- Build training sessions around specific habits
- Diagnose breakdowns and give simple cues
How to use the playbook
The 80/20 rule
If you read only a few pages, read these:
These three pages cover most of our offensive identity.
When you are confused in a game
Return to two questions, On Offense:
- Is the middle clear?
- Is the disc alive? On Defence:
- Forcing the right way?
- Am I getting close to the disc?
If the answer to either is “no”, fix that first.
What players should read first
Phase 1: Core Offense (required)
Phase 2: How we generate yards (recommended)
Phase 3: Role-specific understanding (optional, as added)
- Handler responsibilities (planned)
- Cutter responsibilities (planned)
What coaches should read first
Phase 1: Teach the identity
Phase 2: Teach the system
Phase 3: Translate into training
- Drills (see below)
- Practice plan templates (planned)
Offensive structure at a glance
Our two core principles
- Clear the Middle: space creates options
- Move the Disc: tempo creates openings
Our default system
- Spread Stack: de-clutter the middle, force defensive choices
How we progress the disc
- Small Ball: short passes, constant movement
- Expansive: punish unders/poaches with high-percentage deep looks
Defense
Defensive content is being expanded. As pages are added, start here:
- Defensive principles (planned)
- Person defense shape (planned)
- Zone defense (planned)
Drills and training
Use drills to train one habit at a time. A drill should clearly map to a principle.
Offense drill links
- (Add drill links as created)
Defense drill links
- (Add drill links as created)
Glossary, Shared Language and Terminology
This playbook uses consistent terms (e.g., under space, scoring space, break side, force, reset, etc.). Use the Dictionary to see what these terms might mean, they should be linked in page, but I may have missed them…
Quick troubleshooting
The offense feels stuck
Usually one of these is true:
- The middle is not clear (spacing problem)
- The disc is not moving (decision problem)
- Resets are not available (structure problem)
Start with:
We keep turning it over deep
Usually one of these is true:
- Deep looks are taken too late (defense has recovered)
- Cuts are not being held (lanes are not clear)
- Throwers are not set in power position
Review:
We keep getting trapped on the sideline
Usually one of these is true:
- Reset triangle is not forming quickly
- Players are drifting into danger zones
- Throwers are waiting instead of resetting
Review:
What’s coming next
Planned additions:
- Endzone offense (structured red zone play)
- Defensive principles + person defense shape
- Zone offense and zone defense
- Role pages for handlers and cutters
- Drill library mapped to each principle
- Practice plan templates (60 / 90 / 120 minutes)
Navigation
Principles
- Clear the Middle - Quick Ref
- Clear the Middle - Coaches Notes
- Move The Disc - Quick Ref
- Move The Disc - Coaches Notes
Offensive systems
Defensive systems
- (Add defensive pages here)
Drills
- (Add drill pages here)