Goaltimate strategy - Offense

To preface: I am by no means a goaltimate expert. I just love the game.

I've seen, to this day, 5 main strategies for scoring in the goaltimate games I've played. As those who know me are aware, I've actually been playing goaltimate longer than I have ultimate, by a weird coincidence that involved not wanting to quit track before applying to college and a high school coach who loved goaltimate probably as much as I do now. I'll cover D strategies in another post, but since I am an offensive guy at heart, this has to be the place to start.

Important O point (unabashedly stolen from AJ Tiarsmith): There's no reason to turn it if it's not on a goal shot

1. Chaos (not the San Fran team) - This actually works a surprising amount of the time, and I'd guess it's the strategy with which most people start, if they have never played before.

Involves: Running around without clear goal cuts, yelling at teammates to throw it, people fine without thinking about a game

Upsides: Easy to tell others to do, simple for beginners

Downsides: If you think about strategy for a couple minutes, you'll either overthink it or decide that it's a dumb strategy based on luck

2. Post up (half court basketball) - This is probably one of my favorites, though not particularly effective against people considerably taller (of which there are many, considering I'm 5'10 on a good day).

Involves: Standing in the goal, behind your defender. Thrower puts a throw (ideally scoober, since backhands float too much) to either side of you, and you get it at its highest point. It's easy to box out, and if the throw is good, the defender doesn't have a shot.

Upsides: Someone who is good at boxing out is near unstoppable in the goal, and if you have someone who can read/time jumping for scoobers/crazy throws, you have a much bigger goal to work with

Downsides: To get off a good scoober, you need to be in power position (right in front of the goal on the non-scoring side) or to have a great player. You also need someone to know how to box out properly (with their butt, not their arms or body)

3. Fast break (small ball) - Quick movements, even if there is D, early stall passes, windows to score that come from slashing goat cuts

Involves: Moving the O quickly, so that the D can't set up a defense. Quick releases on passes mean you can move off the throw and use the poles to set picks. Don't hold onto the disc if there's an open look, even if it means a worse position

Upsides: Easy, quick goals, and a self-resetting offense, plus it's hard to get into a high stall situation if you're moving it every time you get the chance. Setting picks on the pole (run past it, your defender either has to run with you and lose a step, around it and lose position, or into it and lose time playing) leads to wide open cuts

Downsides: Quick releases are apparently not widespread (though they should be, and the more goaltimate one plays, the better one gets at them). D can be lazy and be around the goal pushing the O out of position, until the O loses patience. Good zones can fluster those who haven't seen them before.

4. Pass and clear (mini throw and go) - Once you throw it, go cut for the goal, and if you don't get a goal, clear until you're a viable dump look

Involves: Theoretically easy dump looks, then those dump looks looking for theoretically easy goal scores, since the person marking them is presumably out of position

Upsides: Creates a clear cut system for what to do no matter who has the disc or when, provides specific times to cut and clear, simple for beginners to learn as their first system

Downsides: Obvious cuts are obvious, and if you don't have at least some element of surprise, you're relying on either being faster or a better thrower than the other team, which are not always the 2 most important parts of goaltimate (though sometimes, they actually are)

5. Tight windows (I'm tired of playing, let's just force it) - Blades and comeback cuts mean there's always a space near the goal, you just have to get to it.

Involves: Lots of fast moving throws into spaces that you'll only have seen if you were looking for them before they were open. After a post up, when your defender gets behind you, come back for an easy toe the line/pull the disc through goal. When your defender takes one step the wrong way, whip a blade to where the cutter should be going

Upsides: Almost unstoppable if it's on

Downsides: Almost impossible if it's not

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I've also seen other styles used sparingly: the try to run before you catch it and jump (while catching) into the goal, the no-look pass is always open, the Zone O. I've never found any of them to be particularly effective (not that any of mine are) nor have I seen them very frequently (hence the no long mention).

Personally? I'm a fan of the post up if I can move around (usually no snow, on turf, early games, etc.) or the tight windows if I'm not as mobile (snowy day, late games, etc.)

Further reads:
Parinella on DoG guy strategy - http://parinella.blogspot.com/2007/09/goaltimate-strategy.html
AJ on ATL strategy - http://parinella.blogspot.com/2007/09/goaltimate-strategy.html?showComment=1190075160000#c499205435006523508