Under north-south

Under north-south is a descriptive name for the north-south bottom position — naming the defence from beneath a north-south pin.

Etymology. “North-south” describes the head-to-head, opposed orientation of the two players; “under” frames the pinned side. The label is the bottom counterpart to the top north-south.

Mechanics. Defence begins with frames on the hips and shoulders: bracing against the pinning weight redirects it to one side and opens the space to spin out. A frame redirects force perpendicular rather than resisting it head-on, so framing the north-south pressure aside is what lets the bottom player turn and recover rather than being crushed flat.

Cross-reference. “Head-to-head bottom” is a sibling alias. Full mechanical coverage on North-South — Bottom.