Until Next Time - In Conclusion...

Well this is it, we've gone as far as this road can take us. Now you're on your own, but I have faith that you'll do just fine. 

Just remember the basic things, like your throws and your plays, and don't be afraid to ask others for help or advice. Ultimate Frisbee is a social sport and there are tons of friendly people out there that would be more than happy to get you into the game, so don't hold back!

Into this blog I have put all I know about Ultimate Frisbee in the hope that others can learn from it and become players themselves. But just because I have divulged all of my knowledge does not mean there is nothing more to be learned. Like many other things, Ultimate Frisbee is ever-evolving. New strategies will be made, new throws will be learned, and great plays will be had for generations to come. All we have to do is play. Good deal, isn't it?

Ultimate!

First Hand Experience - An Interview

I recently had the chance to ask some Ultimate Frisbee veterans a few questions about the game. Here's what they had to say.

Also, apologies for the weird white text background. I can't seem to get it to go away so I made the text a different color to make it as readable as possible. I think Blogger doesn't like me very much.

Ishan J.

What has your experience been playing Ultimate Frisbee? Have you enjoyed it?

It's been a fun game which I can play with my friends. 

Do you believe Ultimate Frisbee has been beneficial to you as a person? Why or why not?

Of course. Great physical activity, good way to hang out with friends, good way to relieve stress.

 
The article "Got disc? The 'Ultimate' experience in physical education" believes that Ultimate Frisbee would be an excellent physical activity for children and teenagers in school, what do you think about the possible addition of Ultimate Frisbee in schools?

Would be a great addition to schools. It's a relatively safe sport and that doesn't need to be made safer for kids to play. Also its a relatively easy sport to pick up. Throwing and catching a Frisbee is easier than throwing and catching a football or kicking a soccer ball. Easier to learn means that more people would be willing to play and feel more accepted while playing.

The article "The tactical games model sport experience" discuses how tactical physical games benefit the human body and the human psyche. How do you think Ultimate could benefit someone psychologically?

Helps in the way of keeping people relaxed by relieving stress. Also helps train the mind to work with a team which can help later on in life. Can help with planning if actual strategy is used in the games however I see this as not being a thing that would happen a lot.

Wilson V.

What has your experience been playing Ultimate Frisbee? Have you enjoyed it?

I've been a huge fan of ultimate since my first game. When I was a beginner, I was really nervous about screwing up, but I've always enjoyed it. It's a great game for pre made teams or pick up groups. I've met awesome people and created lasting memories playing ultimate. It's always fun to reminisce on the huge play that someone made. Ultimate has a wonderful ebb and flow that makes it really exciting to play. One second the disc is going towards the end zone, and has switched possession in another. I play for the social interaction and the big plays.

Do you believe Ultimate Frisbee has been beneficial to you as a person? Why or why not?

I think that I've gained a lot from ultimate. I'm always trying to make my communication more effective, and Ultimate usually requires a little bit of that. It's helped me become patient with people who are new to the game. This consideration for new players translates over to other activities as well. The "Spirit of the Game" aspect of ultimate has helped me become a more honorable opponent. I always try to make the fair call, even if that means losing a point. While Ultimate might not be the first topic I think of when I hear self-improvement, I can comfortably say I've benefited a lot from the sport. 

The article "Got disc? The 'Ultimate' experience in physical education" believes that Ultimate Frisbee would be an excellent physical activity for children and teenagers in school, what do you think about the possible addition of Ultimate Frisbee in schools?

Ultimate would translate extremely well into the school system. The fact that other team sports like football, basketball, and soccer are so popular as physical education is proof of this. Ultimate is also a great spectator sport, given its fast pace.  It's a non-contact sport with an emphasis on sportsmanship. Everything checks out.

The article "The tactical games model sport experience" discuses how tactical physical games benefit the human body and the human psyche. How do you think Ultimate could benefit someone psychologically?

Playing Ultimate offers a lot of psychological perks that might be taken for granted. During a game, you sometimes have to make difficult decisions quickly. Learning from previous experience and knowing strategy can help one with decision making. Again, I've made a bunch of friends playing Ultimate and have become a more effective communicator because of the game. It's hard to argue that being placed in a scenario where communication is key doesn't positively affect one's psychological development.

That's what they have to say for Ultimate Frisbee, what do you think?

Johnson, T. G., Darst, P. W., & Brusseau, T. A. (2006). "got disc?" the "ultimate" experience in physical education. Journal of physical education, recreation and dance, 77(9), 27-33

Carpenter, E. J. (2010) The tactical games model sport experience: An examination of student motivation and game performance during an ultimate frisbee unit. (Doctoral dissertation), Available from Scholarworks of Umass Amherst

The Ultimate Podcast

Today is podcast day!

Apologies for my sick person voice, I'm battling a cold. Enjoy!

Hubbard, M., & Hummel, S.A. (2000). Simulation of frisbee flight. Informally published academic manuscript, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, University of California, Davis, California.

Patterson, L. (2011). 'the dynamics of the disc:' ultimate (frisbee), community, & memory, 1968-2011.1 (Master's thesis), Available from Concordia University Spectrum Research Repository

Griggs, G. (2009). 'kist a sport made up in a car park?': The 'soft' landscape of Ultimate Frisbee. Social and cultural geography, 10(7), 757-770. Doi:10.1080/14649360903205124

Kerins, A.J. (2005) Relax dude, we just play for fun! The flatlining trajectory of recreation specialization in the context of ultimate frisbee. (Master's thesis),Texas A&M University.

Injuries in Ultimate Frisbee - An Infographic

Guest Blog - Julie V.

My name is Julie V. and I have just discovered the sport Ultimate Frisbee. Before reading Lane’s blog, I had no idea what Ultimate Frisbee involved or how it was played. I used to think a Frisbee was just a dog’s toy. It was not until recently that I played Disc Golf.  Who knew playing with Frisbees could be so fun yet so hard! Now I am trying to learn the art of Ultimate Frisbee and Lane’s blog has really helped me.

Based on what I have read from Lane’s blog, Ultimate Frisbee takes a lot of:

• arm strength
• hand-eye coordination
• strategy and
• skill

There are many rules to the game and seems much more difficult than simply throwing the Frisbee from person to person. I plan on practicing my forehand throw, backhand throw, and flick moves. The next time I find an open field, I will gather up a couple of friends to play some Ultimate Frisbee!

Strategy on the Battlefield Part 2 - Defense

There can be no offense without a defense. As an Ultimate Frisbee player, one must know how to play on both sides of the disc. At any time a point can change from an all-out attack to an on-the-heels defense. In this case, it's better to be not be "on your heels" when defense comes knocking.

Defense in Ultimate Frisbee normally comes pretty naturally. Guard people, stop throws, keep the Frisbee from getting into your end zone; easy stuff. However, if the effort is organized confusion and question will never be and issue and efficiency will be the only concern.

Unlike offense, there aren't any special terms for the players on defense. Everyone on the defensive end constitutes a defender, and while they each have their own job to do, the kind of defense doesn't change from player to player.

There are, however, still key things that need to be done in order to be effective. When covering a cutter it is the defender's job to keep up with them at all times and cover avenues through which the handlers could pass. When covering a handler, the defender stands a few feet away from them and attempts to cover the pass without physical contact. As soon as the defender reaches the handler holding the disc they are allowed to begin a "stall call". To perform a stall call the defender will count from one to ten saying "stall one, stall two..." in a time frame close to a second. If the player hasn't thrown the disc by the count of 10 then the disc is forfeit to the defending team.

Now on to the plays.

This play is called man to man defense, also known as man on. In this picture the blue team, the offense, is attempting to pass down the field and score. The red team, the defenders, are playing man to man defense in an attempt to cover all possible means of moving the Frisbee forward. In this play the defenders are tasked with staying on the man they are assigned to at all times. If the defender is covering a cutter they will be following the cutter's every movement on the field trying to stop the Frisbee from getting to them. If a defender is covering a handler they will be attempting to block the handlers throw and will be calling stalls. This play is incredibly straight forward and easy to use.

This play is called zone defense. This play consists of a few crucial parts: the cup, the wing-men, the middle man, and the safety. The cup is a unique way of covering handlers. In a play using a cup, three defensive players will have the task of forming a semi-circle around the player with the Frisbee at all times. These defenders must stand at least 15 feet away and sprint to every throw from the handlers, making this one of the most tiring roles in Frisbee. Next is the wing-men. These two defenders stand on the right and left sides of the field and are tasked with stopping cutters from being passed the disc. Third is the middle man. This defender stands near the middle of the field near the middle of the offensive stack and watches for cuts straight up the field or to the side and rear. Lastly there is the safety. This defensive player is tasked with keeping any long throws from happening, but can also guard throws to the back sides of the offensive stack. Zone defense can be a little confusing and very convoluted but can pay off immensely with large defensive plays.

There you have the two most prominent defensive plays. Zone may be a bit harder to explain and implement in a pick-up game, but be persistent and the time will come to use it. As with anything involving Ultimate Frisbee, practice makes perfect. Man and zone guarding are both very difficult and require a large amount of skill and agility. Knowing what kind of offense or defense to use, however, will certainly help on the battlefield.

Defense in ultimate frisbee. (2004, November 21). Retrieved from http://www.hartdesign.us/vansaunultimate/html/defense.html

Strategy on the Battlefield Part 1 - Offense

A firm understanding of Ultimate Frisbee doesn't mean much if a team can't score. Any team can run out onto a field and throw a disc until it ends up in an end zone, but the coordinated teams are the ones that strike the fastest and hardest and score the most reliably. This post will cover offensive strategy in Ultimate Frisbee both as a team and as an individual. 

All offensive strategies follow the same basic principle: get the Frisbee down the field with as little hassle as possible and score. To do this Ultimate Frisbee players came up with plays to move the disc from player to player. These plays have been time tested and run thousand and thousands of times on the field and have proven to be some of the most effective ways to score. 

Before getting into detail about the plays, however, it is important to go over two crucial aspects; cutters and handlers. Handlers are the players towards the back of the field who are tasked with passing up the field to other players, and cutters are the players out in the field making cuts. A cut is performed when a player is running in one direction and quickly cuts to another direction. This is most often used to shake off defenders and get open for passes. Typically, a handler will pass to a cutter and cutter the will look for an open pass in front of them. If the cutter can't find an open pass within a few seconds the cutter will pass the Frisbee back behind them a short distance to a handler and the process will begin again. 

Now on to the plays.

This play is called the vertical stack. In the image, the blue team has the Frisbee and is attempting to pass down the field to score. To set up for this play the blue team has three handlers in the backfield and four cutters set up in a vertical stack standing still. When the disc is called in the cutters, in no particular order, will begin to cut outwards from the stack and make cuts in the sides of the field. The cutters will cut at different times and move away from each other in an attempt to give the handler as many options as possible. From time to time cutters may even have the chance to break off from the pack and go far down the field for a long pass, also known as a huck. If the handler unable to pass the disc to any of the cutters for an extended period of time then he or she will pass to one of the other handlers. When this happens the cutters will reset the vertical stack and begin the play again. This play is extremely straight forward and easy to execute making it the bread and butter play for a majority of teams.

This play is called the horizontal stack. While a bit less prominent than the vertical stack, this play can still be very effective. When the disc is called in the cutters will begin to run up and down the field (vertically) in their respective lanes at different intervals. When an opportunity is presented a cut will be made from the lane in an attempt to receive a pass. If the cutter does not receive the pass they will go back to their area, or another open area. Just as in the vertical stack, once a pass is caught up-field the cutter will look for another pass to make and if there are no open options they will throw back to one of the handlers. This play can prove to be a bit more confusing, but can open large holes in the defense allowing for consistent gains.

Those are the two plays most commonly seen on the field. If you find yourself playing in an unorganized game try and explain one of the plays in between points and try it out. There can be no team without a defense, however. Part two will cover the most common defensive plays in the world of Ultimate Frisbee.

Duraney, W. (2009, March 09). Offensive strategies for ultimate frisbee. Retrieved from http://www.helium.com/items/1370565-ultimate-offensive-strategy-stacks