Basics of Ultimate Frisbee

Offense

Cutting

The best way to make a cut (trying to get open when you don't have the disc) is to take several hard steps in one direction, and then sprint full out in the direction you'd like to receive the disc. Trying to "shake off" your defender, or "spin around" him or her will waste time and not work. Sometimes you won't even need a fake--simply sprint hard to the place you want to catch the disc.

Types of Cuts

• In cut: A vertical cut that goes toward the handler.
• Deep cut: A vertical cut that goes away from the handler.

The Stack

The offense forms a line of players toward the middle of the field creating field space to the left and right of the handler. Players cut one at a time from the back of the stack toward the force side.

• Clearing: If you don't get the disc when cutting or the handler calls you out sprint back into the stack so that space is clear for the next person to cut.
• Make Vertical Cuts: Cut vertically, or up and down the field, rather than side to side. Horizontal cuts cut off players who are cutting after you and are more difficult to complete.

Defense

The Force

This strategy has 2 components:

1. The defender on point-d (defense on the handler) tries to take away all the throws to one side of the field so that
2. The rest of the defense "cheats" to the other side trusting that throws will only go up on that side.

The side that the field defenders try to take away is called the force side while the side that the point-d tries to take away is called the break side.

• Force Forehand: the point-d forces the handler to throw to the "forehand" side of the field.
• Force Backhand: the opposite.