Ultimate Primer
Ultimate stresses
sportsmanship and fair play. Highly competitive play is expected, but not at
the expense of mutual respect, adherence to the rules, or basic joy of play. Ultimate
is a non-contact sport with elements of basketball and soccer played on a
football-like field with a flying disc.
The disc can only be
moved by throwing and catching it. Each
time a player catches the disc he must throw it, releasing it immediately or
establishing a pivot foot like in basketball and then throwing the disc to a teammate. The team with the disc retains possession
until they score, or they turn the disc over to the other team. A turnover occurs when the disc is dropped,
not caught, knocked down, thrown out-of-bounds, caught by the other team, or
the defender’s stall count reaches 10.
A.
Ultimate Terms to Know
Backhand: like you learned as a
kid; generated by placing the thumb on top of disc, and curling fingers under
it, twisting the trunk, then unwinding, before releasing with a flick of the
wrist, like a tennis backhand
Break: describes a pass that manages to get through the mark’s
force. Ex. The defender attempts to force a flick, but
the thrower throws to the backhand side anyway. “NO BREAK!” lets the mark know a cutter is attempting to get free
on the break-side so the mark can adjust the defensive stance
Clear: rapidly leaving the
lane, taking your defender with you, thus leaving empty space to allow the next
cutter room to receive a pass. You will either be cutting towards or away from
the disc. Typically “clearing” means to
return to the center of the field back into the stack
Cut: a run by a receiver to
get open and receive the disc; generally a top speed run at or away from the
disc, often preceded by a fake in the opposite direction (head fake or false
steps)
Cutters: receivers moving from the stack to the disc or away from
the disc to get open and receive the throw (sometimes called poppers when doing
short cuts into the middle against a zone)
Clogging: bad positioning or
cutting, which prevents good cuts by teammates or good throws by the handler;
also standing or jogging through the passing lanes.
Dump: a short throw to the back or side; or the person that
stays back to catch these.
Flick: also called the
forehand-throw; similar to a sidearm pitch in baseball, or tennis forehand.
Force: taking a strong
defensive position intended to cause the thrower to throw in a particular
direction; guarding on only on one side of the thrower to make them throw to
the other side. The idea is to take away
half the field so downfield defenders only have to cover the other half.
Communicating the force allows teammates to anticipate the throw from a
particular direction:
Forcing Flick!: defender is forcing
the thrower to use a forehand throw
Forcing Backhand!: defender is
forcing the thrower the thrower to use a backhand throw
Forcing Flat!: defender is forcing
the thrower to either sideline and taking the middle away
Forcing Sideline!: defender is
forcing the throw down the nearest sideline
Forcing Home!: defender is forcing
the throw toward the sideline where our team is camped
Forcing Away!: defender is forcing
the throw toward the sideline away from where our team is camped
Forcing Middle!: defender takes away
the sideline throw forcing into the mass of defenders
Foul:
when a player initiates contact on another player a foul occurs; when a foul
disrupts possession, the play resumes as if the possession was retained; if the player
committing the foul disagrees with the foul call, the play is redone.
Hammer: an overhead throw with a
forehand grip in which the disc is released high and at an angle, so that it
flattens out and flies upside down; action resembles throwing a hammer.
Handler: the player with the
disc (also a player with good throwing skills; player assigned to throw the disc)
High release: a backhand throw held
high and released over the thrower's head; spins flat with a lob-like
trajectory; very difficult to block.
Huck: a long throw;
equivalent to a bomb in football.
Inside out: also “invert” a throw
that curves in the opposite direction of its natural curve.
Lanes: open areas where high percentage of throw and catches will
be completed. In a normal stack (where
the offensive is lined up in the middle of the field), the lanes are on either
side of the disc. In some offenses we
spread out the players so the lanes (or space) is in
the middle of the field.
Mark: (also
Marker): the defensive player
covering the handler; between 1 foot and 10 feet from the handler; attempts to
force direction, prevent throw or knock down throw, and counts the stall
count loudly
Poach: Playing
an area instead of a man, like a corner back in football;
Poached:
Wide open, as in Hey, I’m poached!
Popper:
cutter whose task is to make cuts to and away from the disc in the area just up
field from the handler, not deep; usually called in response to a zone defense;
includes cuts through the cup.
Pick: an intentional or unintentional block (like basketball) where a
player gets between a moving offensive cutter and the covering defensive
player, providing an advantage to the offensive player. If you’re stopped from covering your cutter
by anybody, or the threat of collision, yell “Pick!” to stop the play, then reposition yourself with the cutter.
Pivot: foot planted after
receiving. Usually the ball or toes of
the foot opposite the throwing hand, so for most people it is the left foot.
Pull: like a kickoff in
football; this throw that begins the action; a good pull will be high and hang
long to allow the defense to get down-field.
Spirit of the game: spirit of sportsmanship
that places responsibility for fair play on each player
Stack: offensive strategy in
which all the players gather in a line down the middle of the field between the
disc and the end zone, starting15 to 20 feet from the disc. This opens the passing lanes and allows
cutters to make open cuts to the lanes.
Stall count: defensive player
establishes a defensive position (w/in 10 feet) and counts up to 10 while
defending the offensive player. Offensive player must throw the disc before the 't' of ten otherwise it's a turnover. Count begins, “Stalling one…two…” at a steady
rate until ten is reached or the disc is thrown. If the defender says the “t’ in ten then it
is a turnover and the defender should also yell “Stall!” to stop play. If the
disc is thrown before ten the defender yells “Up!” to alert other defenders
that the disc is in the air.
Strike: deny a throw on the force side momentarily; usually called when a
cutter is free on the open side
Strip: called when the defender removes the disc from the hand of the
offensive player
Travel: dragging or lifting the pivot foot while handling. Creates a do-over unless the throw results in
a turnover
B.
Ultimate Offense
Ultimate is a game of flow. A good offense is characterized by quick
passes, one after another, that move quickly up the field. With fourteen players on the field (7 per
team) at any given time, twelve of whom are running around trying to get open
or block a pass, things very quickly get chaotic, and disorganized. Players
often find it is difficult to get open because the passing lanes are
clogged. Turnovers often occur because
another cutter drags a defender through the pass. Because picks are a violation in ultimate,
players sometimes find they must stop to avoid picking an opponent. The most
common strategy for reducing clogging is called 'stacking'.
The
idea behind stacking is to leave empty spaces on the field into which
players may cut at high speed, allowing high percentage opportunities to pass
and catch the disc. To create this open space players move into a line down the
field from the disc. The first player lines up about 30 feet away, and the
other players line up behind, with a separation of about 5-10 feet. Because
ultimate is most commonly played using a 'man-to-man' defense, this draws the
defenders into a similar line. The field directly ahead of the disc is now
opened up for pass reception. Sometimes
you will make a cut to simply create space for another cut. You might not ever be in a position to
actually receive the disc.
Positions
in the stack don’t equate to skill level or “types” of players. It just so happens that the players that play
a “handler” position (better throwers generally) usually make
the first couple of passes. At that
point, the “middle” cutters should be cutting away from the disc and the “deep”
cutters should cut back towards the disc.
One of the deep cutters cuts in and is open. That person catches the disc and then the
middle player that ran deep just a minute ago, turns and comes back in to catch
the next pass.
The
goals of cutting are to score, to move the disc down field, to move the disc to
a better field position or to keep possession as the count gets high. Cuts should be made with these goals in
mind.
Cutting:
Sprint
to the open area, or stand in the stack (moving in line actively so your man
can not poach) while watching for the next cut to make. Running side-to-side across the field is not
productive and probably clogs the lanes, preventing good throws.
If
the disc is not being thrown to you, you are not open, even if it feels like
you are open. Getting open can be as
simple as running to or away from the disk and leaving a slower runner behind,
or getting the defender to move the other direction before making your
cut. Before getting fancy, determine if
you are fast enough to simply out-run the defender by a simple direct cut. If a fake is needed, start with a low center
of gravity and jerk your head in one direction before cutting in the other
direction. If a head fake doesn’t get a
full reaction it may take a step or two in the other direction before reversing
for a cut. Watch the defender’s hips as
they run backward. When the hips turn
the defender is committing and a change of direction will become harder to
follow. After several cuts with similar
reverses, you might attempt a double fake, where you don’t turn back,
but fake a turn back then take off long.
Do NOT make horizontal cuts across the field in a normal stack offense. You will prevent the thrower from throwing
into the lane because you pull your defender into the area where the thrower
wants to throw.
A
successful cutter anticipates the movements of other cutters (teammates)
to arrive in an empty space as it clears.
If you are wide open, look at the thrower and call for the disc (by
yelling poach!) if you need to get the thrower’s attention. Once you have begun, a cut maintain it until
the handler either locks eye contact or looks you off. If the thrower looks you off, run back
to the stack to clear the lane for the next cut. If the handler throws to you run to the
disc. A successful cut requires you maintain
or even increase speed as you run at the thrower. Cutters who slow-down as they approach the thrower
or catch the disc, often see the pass blocked as the defender continues at
speed and intercepts the pass.
+Focus when Cutting:
□
Get in the stack, watch and wait for proper timing
to make a cut into an open area.
□
Run hard, or fake and then run hard, toward or away
from the disc (not side to side)
□
If you haven’t received the disc peel away before
you get ten yards from the disc
□
If you don’t get the disc, run hard to clear
space for the next cutter by re-stacking
□
Make eye contact with the thrower.
□
If you get no return eye contact, cut hard back into
the stack so you are not clogging.
□
If the disc is coming to you run to the disc! A defender is often closing in behind you.
□
Catch it with two hands, and watch yourself catch
it before you think about throwing.
□
A flying disc often hovers longer than
expected. Never give up until it
hits the ground.
□
Watch as other passes develop, to anticipate a
reception or turnover.
o
If it’s going to be caught by a teammate, look for a
continuation cut.
o
If it’s going to be defended, shift to defense
immediately.
Throwing:
Complete
the next pass! Throw only passes you know you’ll complete. Possession is the key to winning games. Most turnovers come from not being
conservative with the disc. Many people want
to throw long, or make hard, glorified (and low percentage) throws that hurt
the team when they fail. However, if
every person on the team simply completes the next pass… we will win every
single one of our games
You
may need to cause the defender to move one direction so you can throw
another. A fake generally
consists of a wind-up, wrist snap or arm motion with the disc that looks like a
throw. Keep a good grip. You can also fake by pivoting.
As
you throw, start running immediately.
You will often get open. A common
error is to stand and watch your own pass.
Everyone wants to watch, but people who run immediately after they've
thrown the disc are very hard to cover and usually end up ahead of their
defender by a couple of steps. Unless you're sure that the toss you just made
is a real stinker destined for turnover, just start running down the field, and
be prepared to receive a pass right back to you.
+Focus when Throwing:
□
Make only good
high-percentage throws. Keep possession.
Turnovers suck.
□
Throw to the first open person you can.
(Throw ONLY passes you KNOW will connect.)
□
Be patient and smart. Wait for a good cut and if you don’t get one
yell for one. “Cut!”
□
If the count gets to five look for a
dump. If you have a dump, turn around
& commit to it.
□
If needed, make a good fake before you throw,
to make your true throw easier.
□
As you throw, start running immediately.
Catching:
Two-handed
catches are always preferred, especially when you're catching for a score and not
laying-out. Pancake everything that's going to hit you between your shoulders
and your knees. If it's anywhere else, catch with two hands gripping the disc
independently. Watch the disc all the
way into your hands. All you see is the disc. Hear, smell, and taste nothing
but disc until after you have it caught. Bend your knees so your base is solid
but fluid. Keep soft hands. Hard hands bounce discs. Most disks that are
dropped are dropped because the receiver looks up while catching.
If
you must catch one handed because you can’t move yourself behind the disc,
catch with the correct hand. Catch a
righty's flick with your left hand, or a righty’s backhand with your right
hand, and it will kind of spin into your palm.
If you must catch with the "wrong" hand, really bend your
wrist around, pushing your knuckles down, and keep soft hands.
C.
Ultimate Defense
Mark Stance:
Your teammates are
counting on you to force the throw to the called side!!
Regardless of the
defensive set-up (zone or man), the mark’s stance is generally the same. Keep your feet in motion while marking. A
force direction will be called on every play.
Concentrate first on forcing the throw in the direction you want
(denying a throw to the break side.)
Most often we will force the thrower to throw a flick because it is more
likely to force bad throws. The hands
are low and active, threatening to disrupt the throw. A break-mark throw will usually come low,
unless it is a high throw like a hammer, scoober, or high release, which is
okay since it is a lower percentage throw. Be prepared to sprint off with your man as
the disc is released.
Setting the Mark
SETUP – Assuming the
force is flick and the handler is a righty, center
your body on the thrower’s left shoulder joint (black figure above). Recognize
lefties early, and switch over. Get up on the balls of your feet, knees bent
and bounce a little bit. Advanced
markers may center in a slightly flick side stance, with weight leaning toward
the thrower's flick side and the left elbow bent like an “L” and left hand
hovering next to the left knee, so at in an instant, lunging left, the left
hand can be thrust out into the disc flight path about 18" off the ground
and about 2 feet left of the original mark position.
ADJUSTMENT AGAINST
HANDLERS – We may play really good handlers flatter than others. Better to deny
the huck (and the invert pass) that gains yardage than give up a dump or a
swing pass. It’s hard to deny more than about a third of the circle around a
thrower; so make sure it's the most important third. Take a step back against handlers. Decrease
chances of a reach around break mark pass. Tight pressure works well on
rookies.
TAKE THEIR LINE AWAY - A
good handler will often release the disc below his knee, or even ankle height! Learn your handler’s habits and prepare to
take away the preferred space.
COUNT WELL - Some people
count too slow when they're tired. Many
newer players count too fast, especially as the count gets higher, which allows
a “fast count” call to reset the count. Keep the count steady, all the way to
10. If you reach the “T” in ten before
the disc is released it’s a turn-over.
BE ACTIVE – To keep your
body centered on that shoulder joint, move your feet with the thrower's
pivot. Only the thrower has to keep a
pivot foot. You are mobile! Stay on your feet.
"STALLING 5 . . ." - Better handlers really
do release low. Kick your foot straight out to the side once to give the
handler something else to worry about.
"STALLING 7 . . ." - Sneak a peek over your
shoulder to the force side. No cuts coming? Take away more of the swing pass by
moving around the handler, but be ready to slide back quickly! Cuts coming? Switch over when the thrower cocks his arm, and
then get back to your cover side again.
Go even further around, if you can get back quick enough to keep your
force.
"STALLING 8 . . ." As soon as you say the T in
Ten, it's a stall, so you are getting close! Where's the handler looking for
the dump? Say "8" and “9” loudly so your team can tighten down,
and move to deny the dump as well.
Switch your force at 8 or 9, and become more active. The thrower won't have time to fake and
throw.
COMMUNICATE - If you're
on the sideline, talk to the marker. Be the eyes in the back of the head.
Man-to-man Defense:
The job of a defender in
a man-to-man defense is to get a turnover, or to prevent his cutter from
getting the disc thus increasing the likelihood of a turnover and decreasing
the likelihood of a score. This is made easier by the marker, who only allows
throws in the direction of the force.
Where the defender’s position depends on who they are marking and where
the receivers are standing. The defender should generally attempt to stay
between his receiver and the disc or at least in position to get there
easily. That way the disc will have to
go through, around or over him to get to the receiver, making a turnover more
likely.
Defending near the
handler: Defending a player close to the disc is best done by fronting them, which means keeping
between them and the disc. Generally the
best area to set up is about 10 feet in front of the receiver, slightly towards
the open side (where the mark is forcing the handler to throw). The defender is relying on the marker to stop
any throws on the break side, so he allows a small amount of leeway on that
side. It is much more important to make sure the receiver does not get free on
the open side. The receiver will usually run at the defender, fake to throw the
defender off, and then run hard in some direction. To avoid the receiver
getting free, the defender needs to be able to stay in front of the receiver,
usually by running backwards so that he can see the receiver. As soon as the
defender has to turn around it is much easier for the receiver to get free.
Defending Long: Marking deep players is slightly different.
To mark the deepest player, the defender should usually stand just behind the
receiver, and on the open side. This is so that if the thrower hucks long, the
defender is in a better position to get the disc, since he is further back.
Obviously, it allows the receiver to make easier cuts in toward the disc, but
this is much better than having a goal scored.
+Focus when Defending Man-to-Man:
□
Face the receiver, but focus
on the disc as well. Sometimes you’ll
need to stand horizontal from the receiver so you can see both the receiver and
the thrower
□
Try and maintain the
distance between you and the receiver as the receiver runs at you
□
Avoid turning around,
turning your hips allows the receiver to turn and beat you
□
Watch for fakes of
direction change, commit when the cutter is committed
□
You can let the defender
get a little further in front on the break side than the open side, as the
marker should be forcing the throw to the open side
Zone:
Zone defenses are
characterized by one or more players defending an area, not marking a
player. By this definition, any defense
that is not entirely man-to-man could be regarded as a zone. "Zone defense" most often means
that there is a "cup" of chasers near the thrower at all times, and
this is what distinguishes zone from other sorts of non-man-to-man defenses.
Zone defenses are often
used when weather conditions are less favorable for passing, for example when
it is windy or rainy. They are also effective against an offense with some weak
throwers. A zone usually forces many more passes to gain the same amount of
ground and relies on the offense making a weak or reckless throw in that
period.
Instead of trying to
block passes altogether, a zone tries to block all of the easy and
ground-gaining passing lanes. The zone allows passes backwards and sometimes
sideways because they do little harm to the defense. The zone also allows
throws over the top, such as hammers, high backhands, and scoobers because
these throws are generally high risk and have a good chance of being dropped or
intercepted. Another advantage of a zone
is that when possession changes the opponents will usually find it difficult to
mark up quickly, as they have not had a player marking them, so there may be a
number of people open.
Generally our zone
consists of three people in the “cup,” or surrounding the thrower. Two are the Points (the markers) and the
other is the middle-middle (or crotch), but are off the thrower by ten feet to
avoid a double-teaming violation. Behind
the cup are two Wings, a Short Deep/Middle and a Deep.
Positions:
The Points: The job of Point
requires a fair amount of fitness and good marking skills, as they must sprint
from handler to handler. The entire cup tends to do a lot of running as they
run to the disc after each throw. The cup must move as a unit. It does no good for one person to make it
across the field without the other two. The three players in the cup (left P, M
& right P) have to decide which way the cup is going to force the thrower.
This will often be towards the middle of the field, although there are
instances when always forcing to a particular direction (ie.
into a cross-wind), or forcing line is good.
The mark sets up, and the other two cup players extend the cup by taking
positions ten feet from disc with hands up, creating a wall that denies passes
through the cup or break mark throws.
Communicating is key to deny cutters sneaking in for break mark
throws. Dumps and passes over the top
are expected.
The Middle or Crotch: (M) has the task of
coordinating the cup, defending against throws through the cup, and marking any
receiver that runs into the cup (known as a popper). Coordination involves
telling the points who will mark a particular thrower, how wide the cup should
be spaced and which way to move. M should also listen to calls from S as to
where poppers are. The M can turn around a lot of the time and cover any man
who is near the cup. S should alert M to warn them when a man is near the cup
by saying "coming in!"
Moving the cup: When
broken down field the cup must sprint to get in front of the handler. The best
way to approach is to run down field from the new handler, setting up with
hands out, then moving in to close the cup.
The Short Deep: (S) covers the area
directly behind the cup. This usually involves marking man-to-man on anyone
that comes into this area, until they leave it or they run through the cup.
Once a cutter enters the cup, they are the responsibility of the Points or M,
and should be ignored. The other job of S is to talk to the cup. If a receiver
is coming into the cup, M needs to be told to close the cup up on that side.
The cup may also need to be told if it is too open or too close together. The Short listens for help calls from the
Deep, in case multiple receivers go deep.
The Wings: Conceptually, the Wings have the simplest job
on the field. They each have one side of the field to mark, and the aim is to stop
passes up either of the sidelines. Usually, if a throw gets around the edge of
the cup, the thrower will be looking up field for the next pass. W's job is to
find and stop any cutters to that throw. This involves going man-to-man while
the cutter is a threat to receive. If the player gets the disc, the wing should
drop back (contain!) and let the points mark the thrower. It is not W's
job to mark the player with the disc.
The wing away from the disc should anticipate the throw over the top or
looping throws across the field. The
wing nearest the disc can anticipate throws over the top and attempts to break
mark. What makes the wing one of the
most difficult positions on the field (even though it seems easy) is that you
have to adjust based on the location of the disc. If the disc is on the opposite side of the
field, you must compensate towards the middle to try and stop throws around
that side of the cup. Once the disc swings
towards your side, you must make sure you make it to the cutoff point before
the offense can get the disc up field.
You also have to make sure you don’t overrun, because until the cup gets
set, you also must make sure that the disc doesn’t get thrown up the field to
your middle side.
The Deep: D has the task of
intercepting any long throws put up by the offence. The deep-deep must be able to anticipate most
throws. Any hesitation from the
deep-deep and he/she is out of position.
A good thrower will have no problem throwing to a receiver if the
deep-deep is out of position. This
position is one where you must constantly be moving and adjusting so that the
throwers don’t get a good estimate of where you will be. A well played deep-deep will get many D’s
especially when other teams choose the long throw. The deep must be aware of attempts to split
two cutters out and be ready to call for help from the Short Deep. “Help deep!”
The Deep should also communicate with the Wings (“right!” “left” “coming in” “behind you” etc.) to
let them know when a deep cutter is coming in, or when a receiver takes up a
poached position (wide open) behind them or down the line.
D. Communication:
There are a
number of ways the team benefits from communication. Players on the sidelines can also make a huge
impact directing the play on field and warning on-field players of actions that
might be missed. Helping from the
sideline is ABSOLUTELY essential. It can
give players on the field eyes in the back of their heads. (We will have enough people at most of our
games for everyone on the sideline to be talking to 1 person on the
field.) Often it is hard for the marker
to make "Up" and "Break" calls loudly and quickly. This can
be because they are out of breath or because they are more easily fooled by
fakes. Also, the sideline has a better perspective on the game than the players
on the field, so they can call to specific players, for example if
they can make a play on the disc, but have their back to it. The sideline can see where cutters are cutting
and where the greatest points of danger are on the field. They are therefore in
the best position to communicate with the marker and tell the marker what to
do. This may include telling them which way to force, warning of break mark
attempts, coaching for a switch of force, alerting to get hands up or down,
etc.
"Up!", or "Up long!"
are very common. Every time the disc is
thrown, the mark and any teammates on or off the field who see the throw,
should yell “Up!” or if it’s a huck “Up Long!” so those running or focusing on
their man can react. Anticipating a throw and making an early call from the
sidelines will often save a score or create an opportunity for a D. You can always shout “no throw” if the person
doesn’t actually throw it after you have called “Up!”
"Break!" called by the mark to
let defenders know the force has been broken and the disc is up.
“Disc in!” communication used to
signal that the disc is in play.
"No break!" is called by defenders
when a receiver is on the break side, open or cutting, so the marker knows and
can make doubly sure by adjusting that there is no break of force, even if the
open side throw becomes much easier. (Very important to
the cup when playing zone.)
"Strike!" tells the marker to jump
over and switch the force to the other side for one or two seconds to shut down
an incoming open-side cut. (Should be called only from the field since
defenders are better able to judge when they have been burned.)
“Help!” is a call for momentary help from another
defender allowing you to catch up but denying the pass. The other defender gives momentary help and
then gets back to his man.
“Switch!” tells another defender you are
switching coverage. Point at both your
man and the man you are switching to cover.
If your teammate picks up your man, then run to pick up the cutter he
was covering, if not then keep running to your man and pick him up as soon as
possible. This is used where the
defender has been burned and needs help, or a switch can shut down the throw.
“Run Through!” after a turnover, tells players not to
touch the disc but to make a cut or get in the stack because a handler behind
them is picking up the disc, which allows more receivers downfield.
“Point!” on defense or switching
to defense. You should claim a man to
cover by pointing at the man you are covering so there is no cutter left
uncovered accidentally
E. Rules to Know:
There are a
number of rules that impact play and should be known. Your teammates will count on you to call
fouls, strips and picks for yourself.
Here are the basics according to UPA 10th ed.:
□
Out-of-Bounds: The lines and anything outside the lines are
out-of-bounds. When catching, the first
body part to touch the ground must be totally and exclusively in-bounds to
retain possession. The disc can fly off
the field and come back in without effect.
A receiver who runs out-of-bounds after catching keeps possession, but
walks back onto the field before establishing a pivot foot..
□
Turnover: Any incomplete, intercepted, or knocked down pass, or a
pass that lands out of bounds or a dropped disc is considered a turn over. Change of possession also occurs when the
stall count reaches the “T” in ten, or the disc is handed off, or handler
catches their own untouched pass.
Whoever touches the disc first after a turnover must put the disc in
play, so only handlers should pick up the disc after a turnover.
□
Foul: physical contact
between opposing players that affects the outcome. If you think you’ve been fouled yell
“foul.” If you think you fouled someone
call it as well. Incidental contact is
not a foul. If a foul, pick or strip is
called everyone freezes where they are.
□
Strip: If a defensive player
touches the disc in possession of a handler and causes loss of possession it is
a strip.
□
Pick: If an offensive player
moves in such a way that a defensive player is obstructed while within ten feet
of the player they are defending, it is a pick.
□
Travel: the thrower must
establish a pivot on the field and may not change or release that point until
the disc is thrown. A player has three
steps to stop and plant a pivot OR throw the disc, after a running catch.
□
Stall: a defensive player may
initiate a ten second count when within 10 feet of the handler by saying
“stalling” and then counting to ten, so all can hear.
□
End Zone Possession: Taking possession in the end zone, the
handler must make an immediate decision to throw from the point or bring the
disc forward to the line.
□
Scoring: If a catch is made
in the end zone, the scoring player must acknowledge the score, so look at your
position before throwing again if you might be in the endzone. If the scoring player continues the play and
a turnover occurs, no score is awarded and possession turns.
F. Warm up:
Many good players warm up before they
play, every time. Run around the field
twice to get blood into muscles. Make
mental notes of obstacles, holes or bad spots you might encounter on the field
during the game. Stretch your legs
including hamstrings, quads, IT bands, groin, calves, and ankles. Stretched muscles fire better.
Throw 10 good passes of each throw
you own (or 10 attempts of the ones you don’t yet own). Throw 10 straight flicks, 10 straight
backhands, 10 hammers, 10 outside-in flicks, 10 outside-in backhands, 10 invert
backhands. Concentrate on putting the
disc exactly into the belly button of the receiver. Practice fake-then-throw combinations as
well.
Catch everything two-handed and
practice watching the disc all the way into your hands. Watch your hands catch the disc.