April 23, 2024
By Evan Lepler

This is Part II of a three-part series previewing the 2024 UFA season. Part I was published yesterday. Part III will arrive later today. 

The Full Field Layout

Between 2019 and 2022, there were 40 Callahans in UFA action. But this rare and exciting play—a defensive score where a player intercepts the disc in the end zone—skyrocketed in 2023, as we witnessed 42 Callahans over the course of the 155-game campaign. For the first time ever, there were multiple Callahans at Championship Weekend. 

Could the Callahan count rise even higher in 2024? 

Well, there’s nothing akin to the 2023 rule change that forced teams to throw many more passes inside their own end zone, but there is another significant difference that could create some additional chaos.

For the first time in UFA history, there’s a new disc in play, and while players and coaches generally do not believe it will revolutionize the feel or flow of the game, they do anticipate an interesting adjustment period ahead as everyone competes in their first game action using the recently unveiled UFA Frisbee. 

“It’s 100 percent a new disc,” said Salt Lake Head Coach Bryce Merrill. “It is new, and it is different.”

As for how impactful it will be, there is wide agreement that the difference between the new Pro Frisbee and the Ultrastar, which the UFA used from 2012-23, is not nearly as big of an adjustment or problem as when the now-defunct MLU chose the Innova Pulsar disc as their flying object back in 2013. 

“I played MLU,” said current Philadelphia Phoenix Head Coach Roger Chu. “And I know that was a huge point of contention for a lot of players. It was a big adjustment learning to throw the Innova. I think it’s less of an adjustment here, and beyond the first couple of practices, it’s been a pretty smooth transition.”

While some coaches felt that the new disc’s differences were minimal, the majority commented that they thought the new Pro Frisbee consistently flies further than the Ultrastar. 

“It’s like you’re throwing in Colorado,” said Carolina Head Coach, Mike DeNardis, referencing the fact that players can usually add 10-20 yards to their longest throws when hucking at elevation. “The disc just flies forever. It’s more stable, which is great in wind. But I’ve had practices where I’m like, ‘stop overthrowing people.’”

Generally, most have felt that this increased stability is a good thing, particularly in windy conditions. Since the disc won’t turn over as quickly, it will likely float longer, both aiding distance in throws as well as perhaps giving defenders slightly more time to track some hanging hucks. 

“This disc is gonna stay alive longer on some of those deep hucks and plays, just with how it carries,” said Minnesota Coach Ben Feldman. “It’ll be interesting to see how quickly players adjust, but I think anytime you change the disc, it’ll be a benefit for the defense early in the season.”

Some coaches say that their sets and systems won’t change much as a result of the new disc, while others acknowledge that the seemingly small effects of differing edge actions can have sizable ramifications, causing some teams to re-think certain plans. 

“The hammers can get pretty goofy,” said Feldman. “If you throw it poorly, the penalty feels much higher than with the Discraft because it will start to S-curve a lot more quickly.”

Salt Lake’s Merrill agreed, adding how the over-the-top success the Shred often enjoyed in the past could get tougher.

“Especially in the red zone,” explained Merrill. “You know Jace Duennebeil hugs the back line of the end zone, and I felt like with the Discraft we could get it up over that front layer of defense and drop it back into Jace with really high efficiency, and this disc just wants to hang for one extra second. That’s all the difference in the world in the red zone.”

It’s simple and obvious to add that teams who have practiced with the new disc more frequently over the past couple of months will have an advantage, particularly when sketchy weather intervenes. 

“The first practice was a mess at Memorial [Stadium] with the swirling wind,” said Seattle Coach Jesse Bolton. “I think a lot of players have found that they have to put more edge on outside-in throws. There are players who are very happy with the new disc; they actually prefer it to the Discraft.” 

Colorado Co-Coach Tim Kefalas adds, “My theory is that the people that tend to be edge throwers will be better. Edge control is a big part of this disc.”

Multiple coaches also mentioned how shorter throws are basically the same, so the new disc won’t be as big of a deal for cutters who are looking to reset to a handler or continue downfield in 10-20 yard chunks. But for longer throws, finding the right balance between edge and float will be a critical early-season storyline.

“It holds its edge for longer, so if you throw a flat flick, it used to start to trail off and lose its momentum, and now it stays on the shelf for longer, which keeps the momentum for longer,” said Madison Coach Tim DeByl.

So returning to the initial topic, what does this mean for pulls and the potential Callahan count in 2024?

“I’m scared of what some of the really good pullers on the other teams are going to look like [with the new Frisbee],” said DeByl.

Unquestionably, the new pulling location introduced last year enabled most teams to sling vicious blading pulls into the end zone, which, if not caught in the air or blocked immediately on the bounce, often had offenses initiating possessions against a double team with little to no available space for a backwards reset. This could be even more common in 2024. 

“It’s gonna be easier to pull further,” said Feldman. “Fielding pulls is gonna get more challenging.”

With more possessions beginning near the back-line of the end zone, this certainly increases the possible Callahan opportunities for feisty defenders. Even though offenses should be more experienced in terms of managing these tricky situations, aggressive trapping schemes and new over-the-top dynamics for hammers and scoobers could very well cause another uptick in defensive scores. 

“I don’t think Callahans will go up again only because some of the Callahans [last year] were teams not being well prepared for the new pulling rules,” said DeByl. “But there’s a chance that if teams are still unprepared, they’ll be in an even worse position than last year because I think the pulls will be even stronger this year with the new disc.”

Coming later today, “Seven On The Line” dives into the most significant Week 1 storylines.