Work with the space you have. If you’re playing in a backyard, don’t worry about measuring it off. Just set up two end zones at each end of the yard to give each team a territory, then start playing.
The absolute minimum of players would be four–two per team–but that would be a challenging game. It’s usually best with between five and seven players, per side. Regulation Ultimate Frisbee teams have seven players on each side, though the roster can include as many players as you want. Players may be substituted any time after a point is scored.
175 gram Frisbees are recommended for playing Ultimate Frisbee, which are widely available at sporting goods stores. The Discraft Ultra-Star 175 is the official playing disc for the USA Ultimate Championship Series.
The player in possession of the Frisbee may not move and must not hold the Frisbee for longer than 10 seconds. The rest of the players will move around the field and attempt to get open for a pass. If a pass is dropped, goes out of bounds, or is intercepted, play is turned over to the defending team at the point of play. Meanwhile, the team not in possession of the Frisbee will attempt to intercept the disc and otherwise disrupt the passes made by the team in possession.
The opposing team will stand at their end zone and “pull” the disc to the other team, essentially tossing it in the air for someone to grab, much as a ball is kicked off in American football. This will also happen after each point is scored. The puller should make sure everyone is ready, then toss the Frisbee high toward the opponent’s group of players. All the pullers teammates should immediately run toward the opposition to start playing defense.
A point is scored when a player passes the Frisbee to another player who is standing in the end zone, and that player makes the catch successfully. At that point, play ends and the defending team will receive possession of the Frisbee. Substitutions may be made in the transition period after a point is scored and before the other team takes over possession of the disc.
It is up to the defender guarding the player in possession of the Frisbee to count to 10, usually aloud. It is this defenders job to police 10-second infractions.
Sometimes an “observer” is used to offer some objective party, uncommitted to each side, who may be used for procedural details, such as keeping track of the time.
Try a sidearm toss. Place your index and middle fingers under the disk, and curl them against the lip of the disk. Place your thumb on top. Twist your body slightly towards the disk, and flick your wrist to release the disk. Make sure you twist your hand towards your body when you throw to put enough spin the disk to fly. This throw is very useful when you are being defended by an opposing player, but takes practice.
Don’t worry about making “hail mary” passes that launch all the way down the field. These types of passes are low-probability and will more often result in picks, than in long point opportunities.
Like in soccer, you can move in any direction when you’ve got possession of the disc. If you need to make a few passes backward to regroup and control the field, do so. You generally want to be going forward and not back, but it can be a good way of strategizing.
Learn to make crossing patterns in your cuts, taking short routes across the path of the player in possession of the disc, rather than moving parallel. This will result in higher probability passes and help you control the disc. It gives the player in possession more options.
If the player in possession knows what kind of route you’re likely to run, the passes can go to open space and allow players to run them down.
Defenders need to give the offensive player a bubble, at least a yard around the point of possession. You can’t get in close enough to physically touch the player in possession of the disc. Remember: no contact. When you’re running with players on defense, try to watch their hips instead of watching for the Frisbee. Stay between them and the player in possession of the disc, to give yourself the best chance of picking one off.
