Ultimate Tips
Here are some tips on the game of ultimate. Beginners may find some useful information here. Experienced players may find some things they should know but never do!
Stolen from Surrey, who stole it from Brunel, who stole it from ultimatehandbook.com
Spirit of the Game: Ultimate’s underlying philosophy is sportsmanship and fair play. Competitive play is encouraged, but never be at the expense of respect between players, adherence to the rules, and the basic joy of play. Play safe.
Travelling: If you are right handed keep your left foot on the ground, this is your pivot foot. And vice versa.
Pivot!: Even if it’s just a fake. Confuses marker and gives you space to throw.
Home: Where our stuff is, away is the other side.
Communication is vital: Tell your team mates where you are cutting. Use UP and TURNOVER calls. Remember to call what side you are forcing, HOME or AWAY.
Transition: Turnovers happen all the time. When you notice a turnover shout TURNOVER and get straight on D. Mark whoever was marking you and point at him so your team knows who is marking whom.
Attack the disc!: The disc is yours! On defence AND offence. Don’t wait for it, don’t stop running until you have caught the disc.
Read the disc: Just learn! Go where its going to be, not where it is. If its banking its not coming straight down!
Offence
The Stack
If you are standing still you will not get the disc, your defender will.
So you need to run into a space to receive a pass. No matter how fast your defender is, if you start running first you will get there first.
If we all stand in a line down the pitch there are two large spaces either side to cut into.
After making a cut, clear out! Don’t stand in the open space. Get back in the stack.
And don't just jog back into the stack, SPRINT!!!
If being forced to the line make stack on the other side of the pitch.
Possession: If we have it they can’t score. Take the easy/safe option and keep possession.
Dump: An easy pass back to one of the handlers. Better then throwing it away.
Swing: Pass across pitch to change side of play. Creates space.
Chase down swill: Possession is the key. Any discs in the air should be chased down, even if it wasn’t passed to you.
Basic Positions
Handler: Players with good throwing skills. Play from the back moving the disc
Middles: Players that make cuts to gain ground.
Longs: Players with speed and good catching skills who cut into endzone to score.
Flow: Ideal indoor point is for first handler to pick up disc. Handler cuts to the open side and towards thrower, receives. A middle then times their cut to the same side so that the disc can be released immediately down the line. Then long cuts in the same way to the open side of endzone to score. 3 pass score. If play breaks down, ie defence cuts off line pass, disc is reset to handler and try again.
Breaking the force: throw where your defender doesn’t want you to throw.
Catching: Don’t be afraid of the disc. Catch with two hands, one on top and one below. Stand behind disc and bring it into your body.
Making good cuts
Straight line cuts with changes in direction. No banana cuts, easy to cut down. Make eye contact when you are expecting the disc.
Sprint, and time cuts so catcher can release disc immediately, but don’t cut too early.
After you pass, clear out! Don’t clog up.
Handler: Cut towards the disc, fake to get marker off-balance first.
Middle: Cut more to side of pitch, not disc itself, to gain more ground.
Long: We always need a long option! Don’t stand in the endzone, cut into it.
Fake it: Both when cutting and when throwing. Don’t wait to see if marker buys it.
Defence
Reducing open space
To reduce the available space, force your man to throw the disc to one side of the pitch.
We know where the disc is going so stand to that side of your man. He has to run through you so you get a few feet head start.
Holding the force: Spread your arms. Look big. Bounce on your toes, be active. Stand between 45o and 90o to the thrower. Back hand high to stop overheads and front one low to stop passes. Your only job is to prevent throws to the closed side of the pitch.
UP Calls: If the player you are marking throws the disc call UP very loudly. If you see the disc released call UP even if it wasn’t your player. Also call HOME or AWAY or HAMMER.
Defence: On your toes, be proactive. Make sure you stand on the open side of the player. Stand between him and where we are forcing. Give him some room to run through you.
Switching: On a turnover mark the player who represents the most immediate threat. The one cutting to the endzone, not the man with the disc. Requires lots of communication.
Face marking: Stand facing your man so you know where he is going. Chase him down. Be aware of up calls. Used for marking handlers only.
Marking Handler: Face mark standing a few yards towards the disc. This covers close cuts to the open side and you are far enough ahead to run across to the closed side.
Marking Middles: Side marking so you can see disc and player.
Marking Long: Stand behind him! You are the last man. Zone defence: Marking space, not your man.
Wall: Used to run down the clock. One or two chasers forcing middle. All others stand on the end zone line covering cuts. All players on their toes moving from side to side and forwards and backwards.
Clam: Against inexperienced teams. Force line. One player on closed side, one on open short cuts, one on open middle cuts and one as last man.
Trapping: Simpler than the clam. Force line with one player in the passing lane.Offence.
Ultimate Tips
