Hex
The Basics
If you want to get into a lot of detail about hex, then you should head over to hiveultimate.com, but this page should tell you everything you need to know about how we are going to use it. Firstly, the main point of hex is not the hexagon shape. Hex really just refers to the simple principles of spreading out and moving the disc quickly. Here are the main pointers you should follow:
If someone is available to throw to, you should throw it, even if the stall is 0 and the throw goes backwards.
When you throw the disc to someone, accelerate as you throw and try to get it back from them.
Stay spread out! You should probably only cut towards the disc if someone else is cutting away from it
Okay, that's the basics out of the way. Now let's talk a bit about shape.
The Shape
When the disc is central, we should aim to be set up like this. Specifically notice that the wider players are further forward than the handler, not level.
If the disc is slightly to one side, someone else should be level with the disc.
This is the most important one. When it is on the side line, the players in the middle and on the far side should be level with the disc and there should be two players further back.
Things to note:
This is not a "formation", it's just optimal spacing. Players do not have a specific position in the hexagon and should all be readjusting their position constantly.
We need to stay as spread out as these images show. People have a tendency to drift in towards the disc, and this causes there to be no space.
Initiating Movement
Hex becomes powerful when the flow has begun and the first one or two passes have occurred. However, it can be difficult to know how to get the movement started. An example of how to do this is something I will call triangular motion.
Triangular Motion
When we are starting from a stand still, movement will be initiated by the central player and the team will use the following steps:
If the central player (player 1) fails to get free in the space they have, they cut directly towards one of their teammates on the outside of the hexagon (player 2)
Player 2 cuts towards another teammate who is next to them on the outside of the hexagon (player 3)
Player 3 then cuts into the open space in the centre
In-game these three steps should happen almost simultaneously, and if player 3 does not get free in the centre then they are now player 1 and the steps repeat.Â
Note: This is just a starting point to get used to how we move in hex; it should not be a rigid system! For example, if the central player feels they can get free immediately in any direction, they should do it! In fact, this applies to all players. Please don't just blindly run in a triangle and expect things to happen!
Here is an animation of a couple of ways we might initiate movement, and how we might continue on from there.
Once we have started moving, the basis of how you should move in hex is dictated by the movement decision tree below. Try to memorise it as much as possible.
