Overview
Away Snake is a short-cut flow drill that moves continuously across the width of the pitch and back. Players work in groups of 3–5 with one disc. The player at the front of the group holds the disc. The next player in the queue steps forward into a shallow out-and-back cut — going out to one side and curling back in to receive the disc approximately 5 metres ahead of the thrower. Short, quick, close.
As soon as they catch, they become the new front of the group. The queue compresses forward, the next player cuts to the opposite side, and the pattern continues. The group makes its way across the full width of the pitch, then back.
This is a five-minute drill. The point is not ground gained or complexity — it is quick-release discipline, cut timing in tight space, and the habit of catching in motion and immediately being ready to throw again.
Aims
- Build the habit of quick, decisive short cuts that create just enough separation to receive safely
- Train the thrower to release immediately when a cut opens — no hesitation on a clear, close option
- Develop catch-and-move continuity: arriving to the disc already ready to look forward
- Warm up cut timing and throwing rhythm before more demanding patterns
Targeted Core Skills
- Short-cut timing — commit out, come back in, arrive in motion
- Quick-release decision-making — connect to 2 Second Window
- Scanning before the catch — the group is always moving, so the next cut begins before the previous one has been completed
- Catch-and-carry — arriving to a short pass already in a position to look upfield
Setup
- Groups of 3–5 players, spread loosely in a line perpendicular to the direction of travel
- One disc at the front of the group
- Starting position: one end of the pitch, facing across the width
- The group will travel across the full pitch width and back
(Diagram: horizontal line of players. First player has disc. Second player cuts wide, curves back in 5m ahead. Arrow shows shallow arc. Group advances 5m each rep across the pitch.)
Execution
- Player 1 (front, has disc) stands ready to throw.
- Player 2 (next in line) cuts out to one side — not wide, not deep — a short, shallow arc of roughly 3–4m out before curling back in.
- Player 2 arrives approximately 5m ahead of Player 1 — in front, not beside. The cut gains ground forward and slightly to the side.
- Player 1 throws immediately when Player 2 comes back in. No holding, no waiting. If the cut is there, the disc goes.
- Player 2 catches and becomes the new front — they now have the disc and are the new thrower.
- The rest of the queue compresses forward: Player 3 is now immediately behind Player 2.
- Player 3 cuts to the opposite side — the cuts alternate left and right every rep.
- Repeat. The group snakes forward across the pitch width.
At the far sideline, the group turns and comes back the other way. Same pattern, alternating sides.
Key rules:
- Cuts are shallow — 5m of ground per rep, not 15m. This is not a strike cut.
- The thrower releases immediately when the cutter comes back in. Holding kills the flow.
- The queue compresses — do not let gaps grow between players. Stay tight and ready.
Emphasis / Coaching Focus
- Short and sharp — the cut is small by design. Players who try to make a big cut slow the whole group down. The point is timing at close range, not separation.
- Immediate release — when the cutter comes back in, the disc goes. If the thrower is still deciding when the cutter arrives, reset expectations. Connect to 2 Second Window: this is the tightest version of the window.
- Alternate sides every rep — cutters must track which side they are going to before the previous catch has been made. Scanning in miniature.
- Catch and face forward — the receiver should arrive facing slightly upfield, not sideways. They need to be ready to throw immediately.
Common Mistakes
- Cuts going too wide or too deep — players instinctively make big cuts. Bring the arc back in. This is a 3–4m swing, not a 10m angle.
- Thrower hesitating when the cut comes open — the whole group stalls. Reinforce: if the cutter is coming back in, the disc goes. That is the decision. There is no other read in this drill.
- Queue spreading out — players drift back instead of compressing forward. The group should stay tight — each player is preparing their cut before the previous one finishes.
- Catching facing sideways — the receiver arrives perpendicular to the direction of travel and has to reset their body to throw. Reinforce: turn into the catch so you arrive facing the next cutter.
Developments
Development 1 – Passive Defender
Objective: Add a body in the space to force the cutter to commit the out-step more genuinely.
- Add one defender who stands in the throwing lane between the current thrower and the next cutter
- They do not actively defend — they occupy space
- The cutter must get outside the defender before coming back in
- The thrower must thread the disc past the defender's position
This is the same principle as the Swiss interference development — presence without active defence forces genuine cut commitment and throw decision.
Coaching Emphasis:
- The defender makes the out-step necessary. Without them, players drift straight in. With them, they have to go out first.
Progressions / Regressions
Regression:
- Static throwing — players line up, throw-and-go to the next in line without the cut, just to establish the flow and timing before adding the out-and-back arc
- Reduce group size to 3 so the pattern is slower and more visible for newer players
Progression:
- Increase the ground covered per rep — 7–8m instead of 5m, demanding more accurate leading passes
- Specify a throw type (rollcurve, IO) for one direction of travel — combines with the disc-shape work from Swiss
Coaching Notes
- Away Snake is a five-minute drill. Do not let it run long — it loses its purpose. Tight reps, clean timing, and move on.
- Use it immediately before a drill that demands more complex cut geometry — the short-cut rhythm sets players up to be sharp without fatiguing them.
- It is also a useful diagnostic tool. Watch for who releases the disc quickly and who holds: that pattern tends to carry into full-game play.
- Connect to Move The Disc - Quick Ref: every rep is a tiny version of the principle — receive it, look forward, move it.
- Connect to Clear the Middle - Quick Ref: each cutter clears through after their rep so the next cut has space. Even at this scale, clearing matters.