Which term describes defending a player who is at a higher skill level than you?

• A. Mark
• B. Layout
• C. Landshark
• D. Mismatch

Answer: (D)

Defending a player who is more skilled or bigger creates a mismatch. A mismatch describes a matchup where one person has a clear advantage in speed, size, or technique, making it harder for the defender to contest what the offense tries to do. The term focuses on the quality of the defender–offensive matchup, not on a specific action. When you’re in a mismatch, teams look to adjust—by switching assignments, bringing help defense, or forcing the offense to target other players—because the unfavorable matchup can be exploited by the offense.

The other terms refer to different concepts: the person guarding the thrower is the mark, which is about guarding the person with the disc rather than the matchup quality; a layout is a diving attempt to catch or block, not about who you’re defending; and landshark is a nickname for a type of aggressive defensive style, not the general matchup concept described here.