Session Goal

By the end of this session, players should treat the break side as a natural first option — not a last resort when the open side is covered.

Why This Session

A team that only uses the open side is a team that is playing exactly the game the defence wants. Defenders who can commit fully to the force side, knowing the break side will not be used, can shut down half the field for free.

See Our Playing Philosophy for context on backing decisions and using the freedom we give players. This session builds the habit of looking break side early, the mechanics to throw there consistently, and the cuts that make break-side throws accessible.

Session Overview

Warm-Up (15 min)

Dynamic Warm-Up (5 min)

• Standard movements
• Pivot footwork sequences (front pivot, back pivot, weight transfer)

Throwing Warm-Up (10 min)

Break Mark 1 — base level only. Focus entirely on pivot mechanics and release point.

Coaching Cue: "The break throw starts in your feet, not your arm. Get the pivot right and the throw follows."

Block A – Break Mark 1 Full Series (20 min)

Goal: Build break throw mechanics and confidence under increasing pressure.

Drills:

• Break Mark 1 — Development 2: Restricted Fakes — 7 min (efficiency and conviction)
• Break Mark 1 — Development 3: Active Mark — 8 min (realism)
• Break Mark 1 — Development 4: Time Pressure — 5 min (decision speed)

Coaching Cues:

• "Fake to move the marker. Not to impress anyone."
• "The marker takes one side — the other side is open. Take it."
• "Slow pivot, slow throw. Quick pivot, quick release."

Block B – 4 Lines – Upline Cut (20 min)

Goal: Connect break mechanics to a live cutting context — the upline cut is the primary break-side attacking move.

Drills:

• 4 Lines - Upline Cut — 8 min base
• Development: Add a passive force on the thrower — the throw must come from the break side — 12 min

Coaching Cues:

• "The upline cut opens because the defender is overprotecting the under. Punish it."
• "The throw is a decision made before the pivot. The pivot is just delivery."

Water Break (5 min)

• Hydration
• Quick check: how many break throws landed flat and catchable vs floating and high?

Block C – Break Side Conditioned 4v4 (15 min)

4v4 on a half-field with this constraint:

Constraint: The first throw after a catch must be a break-side throw. If a player looks open-side and throws, it is a turnover.

Coaching Cues:

• "Break side first. Open side second. Not the other way."
• "You are not choosing the hard throw. You are choosing the right throw."

Note: After 8 minutes, lift the constraint — let them play freely. Watch how much the break side continues to be used.

Coaching Notes

• The most important moment in this session is the lift at the end of Block C — if the break side usage drops immediately, that tells you the habit is not yet instinctive
• Reward aggressive break-side looks even when the throw is imperfect
• Connect to Move The Disc - Quick Ref: moving the disc does not mean moving it open side. It means moving it.
• Players who resist break-side throwing often do so because of throw confidence, not tactical choice — address the mechanics, not the decision-making