Ultimate Frisbee
Workshop for
Secondary School
Teachers
Athlone IT Sports Arena,
Friday 24th April 2015
Rebel Ultimate, the Cork Ultimate Players Association
(CUPA), and UCC Ultimate, in association with the PDST
and Dublin Youth Ultimate, present a workshop
introducing the sport of Ultimate Frisbee with a focus on
PE classes. At this event participants will be taught some
throwing basics before going through some suggested
drills and playing a quick game. This booklet contains all
relevant information from the workshop, as well as some
further resources. Questions and feedback throughout
are encouraged.
Ultimate Frisbee Workshop for Secondary School Teachers
Contact Info and Links Sheet
If you have any questions please contact us. If you would like help organising a PE class, we will talk
you through everything you need to know, or if resources allow, we could arrange for coach/coaches
to attend and help out on the day.
While this handout will help you organise: an Ultimate Frisbee PE session, multiple week PE module,
after school team, or even help teach this sport to other teachers, we'd still recommend that you
use the contacts listed below and seek advice from an outside coach/member of our community.
Also, we'd encourage refresher sessions every few years to discover new avenues for learning and
competing, as well as correct any misinterpretations that a teacher may have been coaching to
students. Maintaining ties with our National Governing Body and local Ultimate clubs/schools will
also help keep up-to-date with opportunities available for students to compete.
Discs (Frisbees): Discs are for sale from the contacts listed, typically for €10 each.
Contact details
Dónal Murray – [email protected] (086 085 9092)
Ireland
Irish Flying Disc Association (IFDA) The IFDA are the national governing body for the sport in Ireland
- [email protected], [email protected], www.irishultimate.com
Cork Area
Rebel Ultimate - [email protected], www.rebelultimate.com, facebook.com/rebelultimate
Cork Ultimate Players Association – [email protected], www.corkultimate.com,
facebook.com/corkultimate
UCC Ultimate - [email protected], ultimate.ucc.ie, facebook.com/uccultimatefrisbee
Dublin Area
Dublin Youth Ultimate - [email protected], www.dublinyouthultimate.com
Limerick Area
UL Ultimate - [email protected]
Websites of interest
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Example how to throw video (there are many on YouTube, check it out) –
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YARlOA07uhc
Example of an indoor game (there are many games on YouTube, check it out) –
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mox0BcSSQYk
World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF), rules are also available here – www.wfdf.org
Worldwide Ultimate Frisbee tournament finder - http://ffindr.com/
Manufacturer of discs (Frisbees) - www.discraft.com
UK Ultimate - www.ukultimate.com
They have an advanced junior and schools program
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Ultimate Frisbee Workshop for Secondary School Teachers
Contents
Contact details .................................................................................................................................... 1
Ireland ............................................................................................................................................. 1
Cork Area......................................................................................................................................... 1
Dublin Area ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Limerick Area .................................................................................................................................. 1
Websites of interest ............................................................................................................................ 1
Overview of the session ...................................................................................................................... 4
In 60 seconds, what is the sport? ....................................................................................................... 4
Goals when coaching Ultimate Frisbee to juniors for the first time ................................................... 4
Ultimate in 10 Simple Steps ................................................................................................................ 5
Part A: Fundamentals.............................................................................................................................. 6
1. Actual game play ............................................................................................................................ 6
2. Ethos and sport structure ............................................................................................................... 6
3. Throwing ......................................................................................................................................... 7
3.1 Backhand: .................................................................................................................................. 8
3.2 Forehand (flick): ........................................................................................................................ 8
Part B: Ultimate for a Secondary School PE Class ................................................................................. 10
A typical introductory Ultimate session............................................................................................ 10
Template of a typical Ultimate session ............................................................................................. 11
Why is it good for PE? (Why students will like it) ............................................................................. 11
Suggestions for drills ......................................................................................................................... 11
1.
Frisbee Fluency ......................................................................................................................... 11
2.
Throwing ................................................................................................................................... 12
3.
Throwing with a marker ............................................................................................................ 12
4.
Huck and Read .......................................................................................................................... 13
5.
Disc Races.................................................................................................................................. 14
6.
Under cut race .......................................................................................................................... 14
7.
Box drill ..................................................................................................................................... 15
8.
Piggy in the middle.................................................................................................................... 15
9.
Go to drill .................................................................................................................................. 15
10.
Give and go drill .................................................................................................................... 16
11.
Leading pass drill ................................................................................................................... 17
12.
Continuation pass drill .......................................................................................................... 17
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Ultimate Frisbee Workshop for Secondary School Teachers
13.
Mini games ............................................................................................................................ 18
Game ................................................................................................................................................. 18
Common problems for students at the start .................................................................................... 18
6 week example PE module plan ...................................................................................................... 19
Appendix A: Plan for the workshop .................................................................................................. 20
Appendix B: Ultimate in 10 Steps ..................................................................................................... 21
Appendix C: Advanced gameplay...................................................................................................... 22
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Ultimate Frisbee Workshop for Secondary School Teachers
Ultimate Frisbee Workshop, Friday 24th April 2015
Athlone IT Sports Arena, 10 am – 12 pm
Overview of the session
This session will cover
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The fundamentals of the game: Basic rules, the sports structure, and the main throws.
Ultimate Frisbee for a secondary school PE class: Demonstrating a game and some relevant
drills.
In 60 seconds, what is the sport?
A non-contact, self-refereed sport using one disc (Frisbee). It is played between two teams of 7 players
(sometimes 5), on a rectangular pitch with endzones at either end. As the thrower is not allowed to
take any steps, the disc may only be moved by passing. A pass may be in any direction. A point is
scored when a player successfully passes the disc to a teammate in the endzone they are attacking.
Teams take turns with possession. Possession is lost if the disc hits the ground, is intercepted, blocked,
or goes out over the perimeter line. Once a goal is scored, play stops, and both teams are allowed
unlimited substitutions before the next point is played. Teams swap sides and line up at the front of
opposite endzones. Once both teams are ready, the team that scored throws the disc to the other
team and play resumes as normal.
Goals when coaching Ultimate Frisbee to juniors for the first time
It’s important to realise that this will be a completely new sport for most of the pupils, and goals for
an introductory session should consist of:
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Introduce students to a disc (Frisbee) so they feel comfortable throwing and catching.
Introduce a simple version of the game so they have an idea of how it is played.
Have fun playing with Frisbees.
In the space of one session nobody is going to become an amazing Ultimate player, nor are they
going to understand a huge amount about the sport. While there are many drills, rules, information
on offer in this document, they don’t need to be covered in the first session. Keep things simple.
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Ultimate Frisbee Workshop for Secondary School Teachers
Ultimate in 10 Simple Steps
More details can be found in Appendix C: Ultimate in 10 Steps, or also the official rules can be found
at: www.wfdf.org
1. The Field -- Rectangular with endzones at each end.
2. Initiate Play -- Points begins with the teams lining up at the front of their respective
endzones. The defending team throws the disc to the other team.
3. Scoring -- Each time the attacking team passes to a teammate in the endzone they are
attacking, they score a point.
4. Movement of the Disc -- The disc may be moved in any direction by completing a pass to a
teammate. Once a player has the disc they may not move from that spot.
5. Change of Possession -- When a pass is not completed, the other team will get a turn of
possession.
6. Substitutions -- Unlimited substitutions may occur after a score.
7. Non-contact -- No physical contact is allowed between players
8. Fouls -- When a player initiates contact on another player, a foul occurs.
9. Self-Refereeing -- Players are responsible for their own foul and line calls and resolve their
own disputes. If people disagree, they redo the play.
10. Spirit of the Game -- Ultimate stresses sportsmanship and fair play.
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Ultimate Frisbee Workshop for Secondary School Teachers
Part A: Fundamentals
1. Actual game play
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Pitch layout
 Rectangular with endzones at either end.
 Pitch size may vary depending on the space available, surface, and the amount of
players per team. When beginning the sport, aim for multiple smaller pitches (e.g. a
rectangle of 25 metres by 15 metres, and endzones 3 metres long), with games of
3v3 or 4v4 to ensure everyone is getting involved.
Game objectives
 To catch a pass in the endzone you’re attacking.
 To prevent the other team catching a pass in the endzone you’re defending.
Marking and the stall count
 The sport is non-contact. Once a player has the disc, a defender can only block
throws in the air, and get in the way, but may not rip the disc from the thrower’s
hands. To ensure the thrower doesn’t time-waste, the marker counts to 10 out loud
in 1 second intervals, and if they reach 10 before the thrower throws it, there is a
turnover of possession. This count by the marker is called a “stall count.”
If a pass goes out of bounds, hits the ground, is dropped, blocked, or intercepted, the
defending team now get to have the disc and become the attacking team.
How you win a game:
 A time limit and point limit is set beforehand. If a team reaches the point limit, they
win. If time is up, then play stops and the score line stands.
 In competitive tournament play, a team will usually play to a new point limit if the
original score limit is not reached after time is up, but this is often not suitable for a
PE class as it can drag on!
If interested to know more about typical positions, offensive formations, and offensive and
defensive concepts, they are touched on in Appendix B.
2. Ethos and sport structure
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Self-refereeing (spirit)
o Spirit is about many things including self-refereeing and self-control. It places
responsibility on players to referee themselves, and every seasoned player will know
all the rules. For games involving beginners, an experienced player or teacher can
supervise.
o Spirit provides a way of resuming play to simulate what would most likely have
occurred had there been no breach of rules. If a foul is called, the players directly
involved discuss what happened. If they agree then this guideline is followed, if they
do not agree then the disc goes back to the thrower who last had the disc.
o It is trusted that no player will intentionally break the rules or foul each other. This
honour is fundamental to the sport, and is similar to the honour that other sports
are played with (e.g. golf).
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Ultimate Frisbee Workshop for Secondary School Teachers
o
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After games, both teams typically gather in one combined circle and quickly reflect
on their game and performance from a spirit viewpoint and congratulate each other.
The Ultimate Frisbee community
o The sport has a very loyal following and most love the opportunity to help in
promoting the sport and training beginners.
The main divisions are:
o Open: Usually a club/country’s best team of which every player can compete in.
o Women
o Mixed
o Juniors: For players under the age of 20 (who do not turn 20 in that calendar year).
o Under 17s (youngest competitive international tournaments available)
o Masters: For players over the age of 35.
Tournament structure:
o Usually games of Ultimate Frisbee are played in a tournament structure, where one
tournament takes place over a weekend and a team would play about seven games.
o The length of these games depends on the type of tournament but usually range
from 20 to 90 minutes long. This is a big difference to many sports, and is made
possible by the fact that teams are allowed unlimited substitutions between points.
o These tournaments allow a lot of game experience to be gained over just one
weekend while keeping travel costs down.
Tournaments available
o You can find a tournament calendar on www.irishultimate.com.
o There is usually an outdoor and indoor All-Ireland school championship held every
year.
o School teams can also take part in one or two club or intervarsity tournaments
during the year created especially for beginners and developing players.
o If you would like to travel and see the world you can find details of all upcoming
foreign tournaments at http://ffindr.com/. Also there are many hat tournaments
available if you do not have a full team, where you’ll find a unique and friendly
atmosphere and a lot of fun.
3. Throwing
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The joy of throwing and seeing a disc fly is what keeps many players coming back to the
sport, especially once beginners see the range of throws possible.
Due to defenders marking throwers, there is a need to throw from both sides of the body to
allow throws to teammates regardless of where the marker is standing. Sometimes there is
also a need to throw the disc up and over people and have it come down quickly. These
requirements lead to the backhand, the forehand and the hammer.
These three main throws are described in this YouTube video www.youtube.com/watch?v=YARlOA07uhc. The hammer will not be talked about here.
It typically takes about 3 or 4 trainings to gain comfort throwing the forehand.
Throwing technique:
o For all throws imagine you’re throwing around a defender and that you need to
maintain a pivot foot while you have the disc. This pivot foot can rotate but should
maintain contact with one point on the ground at all times. This pivot foot is the
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Ultimate Frisbee Workshop for Secondary School Teachers
o
opposite foot to the hand you use for throwing. This allows a thrower to gain as
much reach as possible to either side with the disc.
Discs fly because of spin, it is important to use lots of spin when throwing the disc.
This is achieved with the wrist, much like the motion of snapping a towel.
3.1 Backhand:
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This is the throw that people use when throwing to a friend starting off.
Grip the rim of the disc (like you would normally hold a Frisbee), and step out to the side
keeping your pivot foot on the ground. Try and stay balanced during throwing.
Use a small range of motion and not a big wind up. Use your wrist to put spin on the disc.
Look where you’re throwing to and do not have too much weight on your pivot foot, the
majority of you weight should be on the foot you step out with.
The follow through should end with your hand roughly pointing in the direction you’re
throwing.
3.2 Forehand (flick):
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This throw will feel awkward at first. To grip the disc, put your first two fingers underneath
the disc along the rim, while the other two fingers are outside the rim, and the thumb helps
grip the disc. Your hand should be at the front of the disc (the front being the part which is
closest to the target)
Step out a little to have your feet more than shoulder width apart and bend your knees
slightly. Face your chest where you want to throw and look at your target. The pivot foot is
the same as mentioned for the backhand and should not have left the ground. Lead with the
elbow and try to get lots of spin on the disc using the wrist movement (not finger
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Ultimate Frisbee Workshop for Secondary School Teachers

movement). Again use a small range of motion with a small windup, and finish pointing
where you want the disc to go.
In the beginning this throw will feel awkward, but it will become more natural the more you
throw. Also the disc might always curl one way and tilt during its flight. If this happens try
and overcompensate and get the disc to tilt the other way during its flight. If you can do this,
then getting it to fly flat will come naturally.
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Ultimate Frisbee Workshop for Secondary School Teachers
Part B: Ultimate for a Secondary School PE
Class
A typical introductory Ultimate session
Frisbee Fluency: Start the session off with Frisbee Fluency (discussed later) so that everyone can get
their hands on a disc and practice catching.
Make pitches and teams: Set up 2 or 3 pitches about 20x15x6 metres each. If there are space
restrictions, these can be made smaller. Having multiple pitches allows for more people to be
involved at once. Target numbers would be teams of 4 and teams of 3 are better than teams of 5.
Games: Main rules: stand still when you are holding the Frisbee, non-contact (for attacking and
defending) and catch in the endzone you’re attacking to score. Consider two modified rules of
1. Allowing a team 2 turnovers where they pick up and play on, and after the third the other
team get possession. This lets people get a feel for playing without constantly changing from
attack to defend.
2. After a score, the player should just put the disc on the ground and the other team will pick
it up and start playing again. This means there is no changing ends, no pull and no confusion
about suddenly going in a different direction. They will figure out a lot themselves as they
go.
After 5 or 6 minutes stop the game and bring everyone together, explain how the 2-drop rule was
just for that game and that the real rule is that if it hits the ground, the other team gets it. Go back
into another game with this rule. Again go for 5 or 6 minutes and then bring them back together.
Ask them which kind of passes were caught most often. This leads nicely into practising throwing
and catching.
Throwing: While some don’t like the regimented style of two lines, everyone facing their partner, it
is still the best setup to minimise the chances of people getting hit in the back of the head by discs
flying in multiple directions. It’s also the easiest way to see what everyone is doing and who needs
assistance (help beginners understand a pivot if you notice some people are confused).
If they look capable, do a 10 throw challenge (10 throws each, count the number of complete passes
and remember if for later). Give some pointers and let them throw again. Try another 10 throw
challenge at the end.
Games: After this throwing, get everyone back in to games. If possible, have each team play against
each other one.
Spirit: By playing against everybody, you can get the teams to vote on spirit at the end - ”Talk with
your team mates and decide which team was the best at playing by the rules, listening to you when
you had something to say and was generally good fun to play against”. It is pleasantly surprising how
excited teams get when they receive a spirit vote.
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Ultimate Frisbee Workshop for Secondary School Teachers
Template of a typical Ultimate session
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Warm up and stretch (optional – depends of length of the session available)
Throwing
Drill 1 (Huck and Read – often an exciting drill for new players)
Drill 2 (races) (or modified drill 1)
Game
Warm down and stretch (optional)
Why is it good for PE? (Why students will like it)
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Little and inexpensive equipment needed. 175 gram discs are standard (not the ones in €2
shops), and they cost about €10 each. Discs, cones and bibs are all that is required.
Honourable sport that teaches respect and fair play to participants
Most students will be beginners and at the same level when starting the sport (and will be
ahead of most players who end up playing the sport once they go to college)
Non-contact
Mixed
Physical gains. Allows participants to develop skills with a disc instead of a ball. Most sports
use balls, and a disc flies very differently. Different concepts are to be understood to throw
and catch a disc
Skills sport, team sport, competitive
Easily transferred indoor to outdoor
The sport is played all over the world for all age groups and often there are hat tournaments
that anybody can sign up for
Suggestions for drills
The following list of drill suggestions can be adapted and changed as you see fit. You can even come
up with new drills and games with a disc. Usually games that relate to other games are very effective
for younger students, e.g. Frisbee rounders, disc golf, longest throw competition, etc.
If going outdoors, reconsider playing games with a disc if it is windy.
1. Frisbee Fluency
Frisbee Fluency is trying out different actions to help get familiar, comfortable and confident with
discs. It allows people to practice catching without the threat or fear of being hit by someone else's
throw. It introduces the three main types of catch: Crocodile/Pancake (one hand above the other,
ready to bring palms together), High (fingers above thumbs), Low (fingers below thumbs), and gives
everyone time to practice each. All participants should have a disc and enough space to not hit
anyone else by accident.
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Bounce. Bounce the disc off your knee/thigh and catch it. Catch with 2 hands, catch with one
hand only. Try a crocodile catch high and low.
Head drop. Balance disc on your head and place hands at waist height. Nod your head
forward and catch. Alternative: Nod your head backwards. Progression: Catch only you’re
your hands not by trapping the disc against your body (especially behind back).
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Ultimate Frisbee Workshop for Secondary School Teachers
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Waiter pose (High catch). Disc up in eye line resting on finger tips. Slight push up then flip
hand over and make a high catch. One hand then the other. Try with the disc upside down
too. Progression: One and two handed catches. Note, this is an important skill to practice,
catching like this helps prevent getting hit in the face with a disc.
Flip (Low catch). Disc held in front of body, fingers below disc. Flip disc towards self and
catch in same position. Progression: Add more flips. Catch with same hand, or other hand, or
two hands. Flip away from body.
Spin. Disc held with thumb near picture, fingers underneath. Disc vertical, spin up to self.
Small spin, it’s not about height. Progression: Attempt to get more spin without adding
height.
Frisbee Fluency in action - http://tinyurl.com/frisbeefluency
2. Throwing
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Put out cones to direct where and how far apart you want the students to stand. Keep the
distance short at first.
Preferably have one disc amongst two students.
Arrange the cones and discs as shown below. Try not to have another pair of cones and
people behind this set, as this will result in some discs hitting people in the back of the head.
Disc
Direction
of throws
Cone
Rating: A good drill (setup) for students of all ages to allow them practice throwing the disc and
catching it. You can keep this fresh by changing the emphasis.
o
o
o
o
Instead of throwing backhand, throw a forehand.
Try catching with one hand instead of two.
Try catching with your bad hand.
Make it competitive: See who the will be the first pair to get 10 (or 5, or whatever is
a realistic attainable goal) catches in a row without any drops.
3. Throwing with a marker
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Set up the cones and discs as in 2 above. Maybe have more room between throwing pairs.
Again a thrower at one cone will throw to a person at the other cone. This time there will be
a marker (defender) on the thrower who’ll stand in front of him/her and try and block
throws without touching the thrower.
Once the thrower has released the disc, they will run to the person they threw to and
become the defender trying to prevent the thrower making a successful pass. The original
marker stays at the cone and is now the new receiver.
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Ultimate Frisbee Workshop for Secondary School Teachers

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This rotation continues. I.e. marker remains at the cone once the thrower throws it, and the
thrower follows their pass and becomes the new defender.
To practice marking and putting the thrower under pressure, the defender should count to
10 (or 5 to make it more difficult)
Rating: This drill can be difficult at first as they are learning to throw, but it’s a great way of
demonstrating how to defend in a non-contact way. It also gives throwers a chance to
demonstrate remaining calm under pressure.
If throwers are able to complete passes, proper games will be much better. Recommendation
would be to introduce it for a few minutes and see how people get on.
4. Huck and Read
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Set up cones as below.
The bottom purple cone is where the thrower will throw the disc. This throw will be a huck
(an Ultimate term for a long throw), to be thrown by the teacher, coach, or someone who is
good at throwing.
The top purple cone is where the receiver will run from, when they are ready.
The player at the yellow cone will run once someone from the purple cone goes. In this drill
the person at the purple cone is who the thrower is trying to throw to, and at the yellow
cone is a defender.
Once the players are running, the disc will be thrown and they have to “read” where it will
go based on the tilt of the disc and if there is any wind.
Lines of people stand behind both these cones, and players swap what cone they start from
after every turn.
Once a pair has run, they loop around, staying out of the way of the thrower and drop the
disc off at the throwing cone.
Cone
Cone
Direction of run
Discs
Direction of throws
Rating: This is a well-liked drill, and doesn’t rely on the players to have good throwing skills, but
instead focuses on what many are good at – running. It has a big competitive element that kids
enjoy. For this drill to work well though, the thrower will need to be good. Try and match up pairs in
terms of speed and height, to challenge all players no matter their ability.
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Ultimate Frisbee Workshop for Secondary School Teachers
5. Disc Races
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In this drill, start off with two people and a disc. Their task is to pass the disc to each other
up the pitch until they catch it in the endzone. When they have the disc they can’t move, so
to move up the pitch they have to pass it to each other.
To ensure they learn to value possession, if the disc is dropped or hits the ground they have
to start again. Let them find and learn the best distance to stand apart that works for them.
Race one pair against one or more other pairs.
Rating: This drill teaches people to establish a pivot point and to stop moving once they have the
disc. This will have huge benefits for proper games later on. The drill is well liked once players find
the throw distance that works for them. It’s surprising (but also great fun) how many players drop
the very last pass. You can add to this drill and keep it fresh:
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Vary the length of the race.
Vary the amount of players on each team, or make it a relay between two groups
6. Under cut race
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A “cut” in Ultimate is a decisive run to get free of a defender. An “under” cut is one towards
the thrower. This drill has a similar setup to the huck and read drill except the players are
running towards and not away from the thrower.
Players line up behind both cones on the right
Once the thrower gives the nod (situated at the left cone below), players at each cone run
towards the thrower, who throws it in between them for one of them to catch.
They give the disc back and loop around to the back of the line. They can change which cone
they start running from and who they are running against.
Direction of run
Direction of throws
Rating: Sometimes it can be difficult to catch under so much pressure, but the competitive element
keeps everyone interested. Try and make sure the thrower is accurate with their throws. Also this
drill is much more controlled than huck and read and less likely to suffer from wayward discs, but
kids also run for a shorter time and bump into each other a little more. You can vary the drill so one
runner has a little head start.
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Ultimate Frisbee Workshop for Secondary School Teachers
7. Box drill
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In this drill, four cones are set out to make up a box, e.g. 12 metres x 12 metres.
The drill consists of two teams of three players each in the box with one disc.
The idea is for a team to get five passes in row while staying in the box to get a score. And
play a game to three. There should be a “stall count” said out loud by whoever is marking
the thrower.
If the disc, hits the ground, goes out of bounds, is blocked, or is intercepted, then the other
team gain possession and try to complete passes to get scores.
You may need to have someone outside the drill count the passes out loud.
Rating: The drill can get very tiring, very quickly.
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Vary the size of the box
Vary the number of passes for a score
Vary the number of scores to win
Vary the stall count limit. Instead of 10, try 8 or 6. Once the stall count is reached and the
disc hasn’t been thrown there is a turnover of possession
You could also play for a certain time limit. Use bibs if possible to distinguish teams. If teams are able
to complete this drill, then you can be certain games will be enjoyable as passes will be completed
under pressure, and people will be able to find space for passes.
8. Piggy in the middle
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People stand in a circle, passing to each other, while a player or two in the middle tries to
block.
If any pass is incomplete, the player who caused the incompletion goes into the middle to
defend, and a middle player takes their spot in the circle.
The key to this drill as a supervisor is finding the balance of having a few complete passes in
a row but not too many that leaves a player in the middle for too long.
Rating: This drill is easy to understand and many kids have played a form of it before. It helps with
player’s vision, and teaches them to look for an open pass. Having 2 middle players is usually better
as if there is only 1 they might remain there for some time and feel isolated. Experiment with:
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The size of the circle. How far the players can stand apart.
If the players of the circle can move to catch a wayward pass or not.
The amount of players that form the circle: 5, 6, or 7.
The amount in the middle: 2, 3: Whoever’s turn it is to get out of the middle of the circle, is
next to get out.
If the players in the circle can throw to players immediately adjacent to them or not.
9. Go to drill


Setup the cones as shown below. Lines of players stand behind each cone, with players near
the front of both lines with discs. Typically 5 people in each line and at least 3 discs per line.
The front of one line throws a pass out to one side. In the diagram below the person at
either cone, would throw a backhand if right handed.
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


Once a player throws a pass, they run to the other line and slightly to their right to try and
catch a throw from the other line.
Once this player catches the pass, they continue running and join the back of the queue
from which they received the pass.
It is important to run slightly to one side, as in a game it’s likely a thrower has a marker in
front of them that makes direct passes very difficult.
1. Direction of
throw
2. Direction of run
Rating: This drill is a real team effort and gives people practice throwing to a moving target. Trying
to get a lot of complete passes in a row can become very competitive, and challenging. Challenge
them to beat their previous best. The drill can be modified a number of ways.


Throw to the right and run to the left to practice flicks/forehand (if right-handed).
Using a cone, introduce a few steps of a run away before they can run towards the thrower.
This simulates the action of faking to lose a defender and can allow throwers more time to
prepare their throw
10.
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Give and go drill
Setup the cones as shown below. A line of players stand behind cone 1.
One player stands at cone 2, and one player stands at cone 3.
A player from cone 1, throws the disc to the person at cone 2, runs straight down the pitch
to collect the pass from this person. Then comes to a stop before throwing to a person at
cone 3 and running again to collect the pass.
They then loop around out of the way to the back of the line at cone 1, ready to go again.
Rating: This simple drill that can be tried at their first session to create the habit of coming to a stop
before throwing, and also moving as soon as you throw. Throwing while running is against the rules.
Cone 1
Run 1
Run 2
Throw 2
Throw 1
Cone 2
Throw 4
Throw 3
Cone 3
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11.
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
Leading pass drill
Setup the cones as shown below. Lines of players stand behind each cone, with players near
the front of both lines with discs. Typically 5 in each line and at least 3 discs per line.
The front of one line runs diagonally down, and the front of the other line throws the disc
straight down the line to this person.
Once the person throws the disc they run diagonally. And the front person of the other line
throws a straight pass down the line for this person to catch.
In the diagram below the person at the top cone should throw a backhand, and the person
at the bottom cone should throw a forehand if they are right handed.
Once players catch the passes, they continue running around and join the back of the queue
from which they received the pass. They should try and stay out of the way of throws when
they do this, and hurry back to give someone in the line a disc.
This rotation continues; throw, run, catch, join the back of the other queue.
Rating: This drill is difficult at first, but very rewarding to do well. It requires a more challenging pass
than in the go-to drill. This drill shouldn’t be attempted until players have become comfortable with
throwing; otherwise there’ll be lots of waiting around as players chase wayward passes. Start with
the cones close together to keep passes short while they get used to the drill. Count continuations.
1. Direction of throw
1. Direction of run
2. Direction of run
2. Direction of throw
12.
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Continuation pass drill
Setup the cones as shown below.
Players stand in lines behind each of the cones, discs are at the first cone. Typically have 3
or 4 at each cone.
The front of the line at the first cone makes a pass to a player from the line at cone 2 who
ran away first (fake) before receiving the disc running towards the thrower.
This person now throws (from standing, not running) to a person from cone three who did
the same running movement. This person in turn passes it to player from cone 4 who also
did the same running movement.
The players rotate as follows: Once you do your job at cone 1, you join the back of the queue
at cone 2, and this is the same for all cones (do your job at cone 2, go to the back of cone 3
and wait your turn again). Once the player from the line at cone 4 catches the disc, they hold
onto it and loop around the back of the drill, to the back of the queue at cone 1.
Rating: This drill will be difficult at first, as it relies on lots of players to throw and catch the disc in a
row. Once done well it gives huge benefits in games, and allows players to think about timing their
run for a pass so they can catch it at an appropriate distance up-field, while running hard to gain
separation from their defender. This drill shouldn’t be attempted until the players have become
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comfortable with throwing, as otherwise there will be too much waiting around while players run
after wayward passes.
In the drill below backhands should be attempted if you are right handed, and forehands if you are
left handed. You can vary the drill by


Changing which side of the cones they run to and therefore practice flicks for right handed
players, and backhands for lefties.
Change their runs so they run towards the thrower at first (a fake run), and then run away
from the thrower to get a leading pass (this is much more difficult).
Throw 1
Cone 1
Throw 2
Run 1
Cone 2
13.

Throw 3
Run 2
Cone 3
Run 3
Cone 4
Mini games
Using facilities, try to create multiple mini pitches (e.g. pitch size of 20 metres long, by 12
metres wide with 2 metre deep endzones) to have games of 3v3.
Rating: This will ensure everybody touches the disc frequently, and is kept active as on a team of 3
each person is needed to get involved. These games can tire people quickly so keep an eye on
energy levels, and ensuring teams aren’t too one sided helps too.
Game
We will get you all to play a quick game to demonstrate how a game works.
Try playing games in the PE sessions. This is what most beginners love. At first there will not be
much flow as players get used to rules and the increased freedom they have to move about
compared to the drills. But after a few sessions, they’ll be able to express their skills more and more.
Common problems for students at the start




Throwing: remain patient and allow time for some muscle memory to develop.
Marking the thrower: The defender isn’t allowed to touch them, so to ensure the thrower
doesn’t waste time, the defender counts to 10 out loud in one second intervals. If the
thrower hasn’t thrown it by the time the marker reaches 10, there is a turnover of
possession. Oftentimes defenders forget to do this or count too fast.
Bad technique with the pivot foot and body shape when throwing. Let them know and help
them on a one-to-one basis as some problems will not be common to the group. Try to
correct this as soon as you see it.
Forgetting to pivot: Pivot during the game to give the thrower space away from a marker to
make a pass. Think about designing a drill that encourages them to pivot.
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
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Travelling: Throwing while moving the pivot foot or just throwing while running. Point this
out to people and let them know you can’t move with the disc.
Panicking in games when they have the disc and just throwing it immediately high up into
the air towards the endzone, instead of looking to pass it to a teammate. As the sport is noncontact, there is no need to worry about getting tackled and possession should be valued.
This problem might be due to habits formed in other sports where if you don’t get rid of the
ball soon you will be tackled.
Concept of possession/turnover. A team has possession until a pass hits the ground, is
blocked by the other team, is intercepted, goes out over the sideline etc. Once any of these
things occur, the other team get to pick up the disc and play.
o Note. If the disc hits a defender and it then hits the ground, then that defender’s
team get possession, as they didn’t have possession of the disc when it hit off them
(having possession means having it in your hands).
Marking/defending. Stick to your man/woman whether they are throwing or not. It is a foul
for a thrower to be marked by more than one person when no teammates of the thrower
are nearby. Encourage every player on the team to each mark one player from the other
team and make it difficult for them to catch a pass or to make a throw. I.e. every player has
their own job on the team, this is teamwork. Once a player catches it you’re not allowed to
rip it out of their hands.
Spirit vs. referee: Fouls (GAA, soccer, etc carry over). Self-refereeing works for playground
soccer or for golf, and it even works in the Ultimate Frisbee world championships so believe
in it as a teacher. Let them know that it’s in other sports and encourage them to play with
honour and to try to win with skill rather than cheating.
6 week example PE module plan
A 6 week plan is shown below based on the drills described. This is a fluid plan is only here to
provide suggestions. It is likely that you’ll have to leave out one of the suggested drills each week
due to time constrains.
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
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
Week 1: Throwing
o Frisbee fluency, backhand, forehand, huck and read (teacher throwing) or modified
games, games 4v4
Week 2: Throwing to someone moving
o Backhand, forehand, leading pass short, go to, games 4v4
Week 3: Throwing with marking
o Pivoting, throws with a pivot fake first, Luke Skywalker, piggy in the middle, leading
pass with loose force, games 4v4
Week 4: Cutting, and throw and then move
o Short throwing by themselves, give and go drill, under cut race, huck and read,
games 5v5
Week 5: Continuation passing and throw and move
o Disc races, give and go drill, continuation pass drill, games 5v5
Week 6: Spacing and clearing.
o Box drill, Games of various pitch size and team size, 4v4, 5v5, 7v7
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Appendix A: Plan for the workshop
Instructors to bring cones and bibs, discs, and camera. While arriving: Write down name, phone
numbers and school of each PE teacher present
Intro – 30 mins
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
Introductions
Overview of the session (mention contact details in the handout)
Frisbee Fluency
In 60 seconds, what is the sport?
Games of 3v3, or possession game in a square (complete 5 passes to score but once
you have the disc you may not move with it).
Ultimate in 10 Simple Steps, including some more detail on actual game play
Ethos and sport structure: mentioning self-refereeing, our school teams/set up,
opportunities to travel
Skills and drills – 40 mins

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
Backhand
Forehand (flick)
Huck and Read (full pitch)
PE plan and Q and A – 10 mins

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
Template of a typical Ultimate session in PE
Why is it good for PE? (Why students will like it)
Q and A
Games – 25 mins

Game 5v5 (captains will be us)
Debrief and Q and A and chats – 10 mins
-
Common Problems at the start
Handout booklets and go though it covering resources available to them.
Feedback about how the session went. Q and A
Extra drills - ?
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
If there is time, go through drills or even other throws available (overhead throws).
Suggestions of drills not documented in this:
o Throwing with one person moving (e.g. kill drill).
o Box drill with 4 corners (catch the disc .
o Races with a disc (once you have the disc you can’t move, but you throw to your
partner who is moving down field to gain yards, if you drop it you start from the
start).
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Appendix B: Ultimate in 10 Steps
1. The Field -- Rectangular with endzones at each end. An outdoor pitch is 100 meters by
37 metres, with 18 metre deep endzones as shown. A full size indoor pitch is about 40
metres by 20 metres with 5 metre deep endzones. Indoor pitch sizes may vary depending on
the facilities available.
2. Initiate Play -- Each point begins with both teams of seven players (five players if played
indoors) lining up at the front of their respective endzones. The defending team throws
("pulls") the disc to the attacking team.
3. Scoring -- Each time the attacking team completes a pass to a teammate in the endzone they
are attacking, they score a point. Play stops, teams swap sides, may make unlimited
substitutions, and play is initiated again.
4. Movement of the Disc -- The disc may be moved in any direction by completing a pass to a
teammate. Players may not run/walk with the disc and instead need to establish a pivot
point/foot. The person with the disc (“thrower”) has ten seconds to throw the disc. The
defender guarding the thrower (“marker”) counts this “stall” count out loud.
5. Change of Possession -- When a pass is not completed (e.g. out of bounds, hits the ground,
dropped, blocked, intercepted), the defending team takes possession of the disc and
becomes the attacking team.
6. Substitutions -- Players not in the game may replace on-field players after a score and during
an injury timeout.
7. Non-contact -- No physical contact is allowed between players. Picks (blocking someone
from running at any stage) and screens (same idea) are also prohibited. A foul occurs when
contact is made.
8. Fouls -- When a player initiates contact on another player, a foul occurs. When a foul
disrupts possession, the play resumes as if possession were retained. If the player
committing the foul disagrees with the foul call, the play is redone.
9. Self-Refereeing -- Players are responsible for their own foul and line calls. Players resolve
their own disputes.
10. Spirit of the Game -- Ultimate stresses sportsmanship and fair play. Competitive play is
encouraged, but never at the expense of respect between players, adherence to the rules,
and the basic joy of play.
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Appendix C: Advanced gameplay
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
Positions – handlers, cutters.
 Handlers usually stand at the back of play and throw the majority of passes. If there
is a turnover of possession, a handler will usually pick up the disc to initiate play.
 Cutters run downfield and attempt to lose their marker, to offer a clear passing
opportunity to help get the disc closer to the endzone their team is attacking.
Basic offensive formations – vertical stack, horizontal stack
 A stack is arranging the downfield players (cutters) in a line.
 These formations create space for the attacking team’s players to run into, get free
of defenders so as to offer clear passing opportunities for the thrower. If a player
doesn’t get the disc after their run, they should run back into the stack to create
space for a teammate to use.
 2, 5 vertical stack: This formation uses 2 handlers at the back of play and 5 cutters in
a vertical stack up field. As shown it opens up space on either side of the field.
Direction of play
Thrower with
disc (handler)
Cutters in a vertical
stack
Handler


3, 4 horizontal stack. This formation has 3 handlers at the back of play and 4 cutters
in a horizontal stack up field.
Basic defensive concepts and positioning: Forcing, forcing home, forcing away
 Ultimate is a non-contact sport. Usually a defender can only effectively defend
against a thrower throwing to one part of the field. With this in mind, team defence
is usually divided into two main areas of responsibility: the person marking the
thrower defends against throws to one side of the pitch, and defenders marking
other attackers try to prevent them catching it on this side of the pitch.
 In terms of the terminology, the defender marking the disc is forcing the thrower to
throw to one side of the pitch. Teams specify which side of the pitch the force is
before every point. As often no landmarks are obvious, teams use the word “home”
to refer to the side of the pitch their gear is on, and “away” refers to the other side.
In the diagram below the force is home.
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Direction of play
Defending team’s gear
Defender
Thrower
Marker
Cutter
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