Ultimate 101

Calvin Wheeler

Hayden Weaver

General Rules

• Usually played 7 vs. 7• Teams typically consist of 12-18 players

– 5-2 offense dictate• Means that for every 5 guys on the field there must be 2 girls• Not mandatory for teams to field girls on defense

• Substitutions– Substitutions are usually complete line switches in

between points, resulting in offensive and defensive lines– Injury substitutions can be made– On the fly substitution (hockey style) does exist in some

tournaments

General Rules, cont.

• Starting the game– Before game starts, captains meet to discuss rule variations and

flip for disc possession– Both teams remain in their respective end zones until the disc is

thrown– Team with the disc will raise it, and once the receiving team

raises their hand to signal readiness, the defending team will “pull” the disc to the offending team

– If the disc lands out of bounds, the receiving team has the option to “brick.” This means they can take it from where the disc went out on the sideline or bring the disc to the brick mark. If the disc rolls out, there is no option to brick

– If receiver drops the pull, then it’s a turnover– Each point starts with another pull

General Rules, cont.

• Gameplay– Offending team retains possession of the disc until there is an

interception, a block, a ground, an out of bounds, a turnover foul, or a point.

– Players cannot move with the disc unless they are slowing down after a catch

• Players cannot “slow down” into the end zone. If this occurs the player must remove themselves from the end zone and tap the disc on the ground to resume play.

– A player can only hold the disc for 10 seconds, assuming someone is stalling them.

• The marker is responsible for counting the stall– “Stalling 1, 2, 3…” at one second intervals

– When there is a turnover, offensive and defensive roles switch

General Rules, cont.

• Scoring– A point is made when there is a catch in the

opposite end zone

– Both feet must be in bounds and on the ground for the point to count

– Once a point is made, the team that was scored upon walks to the other end zone

– There is 90 seconds between points• This is time to make substitutions and talk strategy

General Rules, cont.

• Calling fouls– Only the fouled player can call a foul– The fouling player has the option to contest the foul

or to not contest the foul• Not contesting is an admission of guilt and gives the

opposing player advantage• Contesting a foul is a disagreement with the call which

usually results in a re-do• Since Ultimate lacks refs it is up to each player to make fair

and un-bias calls. The spirit of the game is the overall sportsmanship and respect that players have for one other and the rules of Ultimate. It is a reminder to the players not to abuse the power of self-officiating, especially in the competitiveness of an intense game.

General Rules, cont.

Common Fouls Uncontested Contested

Stall Out Turnover at exact location Re-do, stall starts at stall 8

Fast-Stall Stall restarts at zero Stall count resumes at stall 6

Travel Re-do, stall starts where it left off (stall 8 maximum) Can’t contest

Strip Counts as if catch was completed Disc returned to thrower, everyone goes back to spots

Pick Everyone returns to positions Can’t contest

Illegal Hand Block Re-do, stall restarts Re-do, stall starts where it left off (stall 8 maximum)

Pass Interference Counts as if pass was completed Disc return to thrower, re-do

End of Game• Point total

– Game continues until game reaches a designated point total, usually 15

• Time limit– Game continues until time expires– Soft cap

• Called around 10 minutes before designated time limit• When called, the teams add two points to the higher score and play to

that number

– Hard cap• Called around 5 minutes before designated time limit• When called, the teams add one point to the higher score and play to

that number

– Universe point• Comes into play once hard cap has been called, a final play-to score has

been set, and the teams are tied. Essentially, next point wins the game.

EUL Rules

• 5 vs. 5– 4-1 or 3-2 offense dictates

• Stall to 6

• Timed games

• 2 points for goal line to goal line

Equipment and Attire

• 175g Disc– Wham-O Frisbee → antiquated, less common

– Discraft Ultrastar → truer flight, most common

• Soccer cleats

• Dark/Light tops– Everyone on a team should have the same color

light top and the same color dark top

Slang• Break – a throw that moves the disc to the side of the field away from

where the marker is forcing the throw• Brick – the rule allowing the receiving team to start at the brick point after

a pull goes out• Check – in man-on defense, it’s the man on the opposing team that each

player pairs up with to defend• Chilly – telling someone to “stay chilly” is like telling someone “you’ve got

time” but without inadvertently calling a timeout• Clear – to get out of a passing lane after making an unsuccessful cut• Clog – to prevent good cuts by staying in the passing lane• Cup – in a zone defense, when 2+ players mark the thrower and move

with the disc when it’s thrown• Cut – a run by a receiver to shake his defender• Cutter – a receiver• Deep – a player that stays in the area of the field furthest toward the end

zone• Drop – when a defender falls back to cover the deepest cutting receiver• Dump – 1. to pass the disc backwards 2. offensive player positioned to

receive a dump pass

Slang, cont.• Flick – forehand throw• Force – when a defensive player positions in such a way as to allow the

thrower to only be able to throw to a certain area of the field– Force flick – to force the thrower’s right side– Force back – to force the thrower’s left side– Force line – to force the out-of-bound

• Go through – called out to advise a player to not pick up the disc after a turnover, but to run forward and allow the disc to be picked up by a player further back

• Hack – a foul• Hammer – an overhead throw that flattens out and flies upside down• Handler – one of a team’s primary throwers• Ho – as in a horizontal stack• Huck – a long throw equivalent to a long bomb in football• Layout – the act of diving while running in order to catch or block a disc

that is normally out of reach• Long – same as deep• Mark – same as check

Slang, cont.• Mid – in zone play, the player(s) immediately positioned behind the cup, i.

e. mid-left, mid-mid, mid-right• No huck – called out to advise the marker to switch the force to prevent a

huck to a striking player• Pancake – two handed catch like an alligator’s jaws• Pick – a block where a player gets in between you and the player you are

covering• Pivot foot - the stationary foot (left for right handers and right for left

handers) that a thrower pivots around in order to throw around the marker

• Poach – leaving your check to cover an unguarded area of the field• Pull – the long throw that begins the possession after each point• Push – same as go through• Push pass – a slow moving forehand throw that spins in the opposite

direction as a flick• Read – the art of judging the flight of the disc• Scoober – a fast, difficult to intercept throw very similar to a hammer• Sky – jumping to catch the disc

Slang, cont.• Stack – offensive strategy in which all the players line up down the middle of the field

and alternately make cuts out of the stack to become open receivers• Stall count – the defensive player marking the thrower counts out loud to the stall

count• Strike – to cut long as an offensive player• Strip – when a defensive player takes or knocks the disc out of an offensive player’s

hands• Swing – 1. to pass the disc laterally 2. the person waiting to receive a swing pass• Thumber – a throw similar to the hammer, but the disc is held with the thumb

underneath• Top – in a three person cup, it’s the player in the center that prevents the forward

pass• Trap – to force an offensive player in a position where they can only throw along the

sideline• Travel – illegal movement by the player with the disc when a player moves his pivot

foot or takes unnecessary steps after the catch or changes directions while slowing down

• Up! – called aloud by defensive players to alert teammates that the disk is in the air• Vert – as in a vertical stack• Zone – a defensive strategy characterized by one or more players on the defensive

team not marking a player on the opposite team, but rather an area

How to Catch

• Pancake– Catch with dominate hand on top

• Allow for easy transition to a throw

• Overhand– Catch with all fingers on top

• Underhand– Catch with all fingers on bottom

• Always run through the disc!– Disallows defenders to make a play– Catches made in the lunging position add 5-6 more feet between

the disc and the defender

• Make the disc’s flight as short as possible– Better players make plays quicker. If you’re waiting for the disc

to come to you, then it probably won’t make it.

How to Throw

• Backhand– Palm against edge– Thumb on flight rings– Don’t straighten finger on the rim– Snap the wrist

• Flick– Thumb on flight rings– Pointer and middle on inside rim– Ring and pinky stabilizing disc– Snap the wrist

• Hammer– Same grip as flick– Release is upside-down, at an angle, over the head

• Up and out

– Snap the wrist

How to Throw, cont.

• Establish your pivot foot (left if righty, right if lefty)• Sell your fakes!• Be patient with your throws!

– It’s much more desirable to make a drop pass to reset the stall count than it is to take a risky throw.

• Keep the throws short and clean.• When you throw, you’re throwing to space.

– You’re not getting the disc to a cutter, the cutter is getting to the disc.

• Hucking is the VERY LAST resort.– MOST hucks are turnovers.

How to Mark• Get into position quicker than they can throw it• It is impossible to guard against all throws

– You must pick an area of the field that you are going to ALLOW throws (the force side)

– You must guard against the rest (the break side)

• Disc space– The handler has to have enough room around their body to manipulate

the disc

• As a marker you must have a strong athletic stance– Don’t lean!

• Be on your toes and move around as the handler pivots

– Wide arms!• Take away their “perceived” throwing space

– NEVER GET BROKE• If about to be broke and you can’t help it…kick block!• If broke, shout it out! Let you teammates know so they can try to do

something about it!

Forcing• Forcing flick → most common since flick is harder throw

– Only allowing a throw to the handler’s right– NEVER ALLOW A BREAK THROW!

• Break throws = easy points

• Forcing backhand– Only allowing a throw to the handler’s left– NEVER ALLOW A BREAK THROW!

• Break throws = easy points

• Forcing straight-up → used to get disc out of best handler’s hands– Only allowing a throw toward the sidelines– NEVER ALLOW A BREAK THROW!

• Break throws = easy points

• Straight-up to forcing flick of backhand– Most hucks happen in the first 5 stall counts– Guard straight up for 5 and then switch to an easier force

Defending

• Take a well-balanced athletic stance and stay on your toes• Prevent cutters from getting open in a passing lane (the

forced side of the field)• Give cutters some space in the break side so that you can

have a lead on them when they go to cut into the force side– Remember: the marker is allowing passes to come into the force

side, so defending it is the highest priority for a defender– Trust the marker to not get broken, defenders are only loosely

defending the break side…that all changes once the marker is broken, so communication is key

• If you allow a catch, you’re the new marker

How to Cut

• Get your defender off balance– Speed– Misdirection

• Make a move– Change direction– Change pace

• If the handler doesn’t pass it to you right away, clear the passing lane as quickly as you entered it. Get back in the stack!

Offense

• Vertical Stack

Offense

• Horizontal Stack