The Samboni Surprise

background: a proven defensive strategy in ultimate frisbee, occurring when the defensive team dupes the offensive team to throw a floaty huck to a seemingly “wide-open” receiver.

setup: a player on the defensive team stays back on the kickoff, while the other six players on the defensive team run down the field and match up in man-man defense. the defensive player that did not run down stands near the live sideline, and pretends to not pay attention to the action on the field.

the play: once an offensive cutter starts to go deep, his defender releases and the offensive player appears to be wide open. as the offensive thrower gains recognition of his teammate streaking deep unguarded, he is beside himself with joy and locks in on his receiver. as he winds up for a shot of glory, the thrower has one last thought before he releases the disc, “man, he is so wide open. i better not overthrow this guy. all i got to do is float it.” the pins are set as this last minute thought changes the trajectory of the thrower’s huck. the defensive player that didn’t run down on the kickoff, stops eating a turkey sub and springs into action. the offensive cutter at this point is trotting to meet the floaty disc with a waist-high pancake catch. he does not sense the poaching defender’s presence until it’s too late. the poaching defender follows to sky the bejeezus out of the lackadaisical cutter resulting in a change of possession.

there are no recorded accounts of this play ever failing.
the short list of the samboni surprise:

chain lightning vs ironside (club nationals – 2007)
wisconsin vs. colorado (college nationals – 2008)
chilipeno vs. osama bin huckin’ (11th place game buda summer league 2009)
smoke shak vs. doublewide (south regionals 2010)
smoke shak vs. doublewide (a few points later, south regionals 2010)
chain lightning vs. revolver (club nationals 2010)
bucket vs. colin mcintyre (club nationals 2010)
mcairenson vs. agent orange (ccc 2010)
background: a proven defensive strategy in ultimate frisbee, occurring when the defensive team dupes the offensive team to throw a floaty huck to a seemingly “wide-open” receiver.

setup: a player on the defensive team stays back on the kickoff, while the other six players on the defensive team run down the field and match up in man-man defense. the defensive player that did not run down stands near the live sideline, and pretends to not pay attention to the action on the field.

the play: once an offensive cutter starts to go deep, his defender releases and the offensive player appears to be wide open. as the offensive thrower gains recognition of his teammate streaking deep unguarded, he is beside himself with joy and locks in on his receiver. as he winds up for a shot of glory, the thrower has one last thought before he releases the disc, “man, he is so wide open. i better not overthrow this guy. all i got to do is float it.” the pins are set as this last minute thought changes the trajectory of the thrower’s huck. the defensive player that didn’t run down on the kickoff, stops eating a turkey sub and springs into action. the offensive cutter at this point is trotting to meet the floaty disc with a waist-high pancake catch. he does not sense the poaching defender’s presence until it’s too late. the poaching defender follows to sky the bejeezus out of the lackadaisical cutter resulting in a change of possession.

there are no recorded accounts of this play ever failing.
the short list of the samboni surprise:

chain lightning vs ironside (club nationals – 2007)
wisconsin vs. colorado (college nationals – 2008)
chilipeno vs. osama bin huckin’ (11th place game buda summer league 2009)
smoke shak vs. doublewide (south regionals 2010)
smoke shak vs. doublewide (a few points later, south regionals 2010)
chain lightning vs. revolver (club nationals 2010)
bucket vs. colin mcintyre (club nationals 2010)
mcairenson vs. agent orange (ccc 2010)