What is a ‘pick’? 


Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Jason
Senior Marketing Manager


A pick occurs whenever a player moves in a manner that causes a defensive player guarding an offensive player to be obstructed by that player. Obstruction may result from contact with, or the need to avoid, the obstructing player. 

The most common way that this occurs is when a receiver is being pursued by a defender. If a third player, from either team, ends up in between the two players (basically impeding the defender), this is a pick. This could occur in these two scenarios: 

  1. As the result of an action on the part of the receiver (running around or through other players).
  2. Due to the action of an offensive teammate (another receiver running themselves in between the first pair of players, or causing their defender to accidentally get between the first pair of players). 

If a pick occurs, anybody on the defensive team (not just the player who was picked), can yell "Pick". If the disc is in the air, play continues until that throw is finished (completion, interception or drop).

When this happens choose the action that best suits the situation:

  1. If the pick did not affect the play, then the play just continues on from where everybody is at.
  2. If it did affect play, the "picked" player can catch up with his mark while everybody else stays stationary. 

The disc goes back to the thrower and play continues. The stall count continues from where it was when the pick occurred, it does not reset. The examples above describe an offensive player picking a defensive player, but can also happen in reverse.

The lesson here is simple, picks are for Basketball, not Ultimate. If you do not follow this simple lesson, we’ll have a bone to ‘pick’ with you.