Force drill for ultimate frisbee

A force drill in ultimate frisbee teaches the two halves of the force at the same time. One line works from the thrower's end, with a thrower and a mark. The other works downfield, with a cutter and a defender. The mark takes away one side, so the throw has to go to the other, and the cutter learns to get open on that side rather than wherever there happens to be space. You need six or more players, one disc and a small square of field.

How the force drill works in ultimate frisbee

The force only works if the cutters play to it as well as the mark. This drill puts the mark and the cutter on the same throw, so each one sees what the other is doing. When the mark holds the angle, a cut to the break side doesn't get the disc, and the cutter finds that out quickly. Which side is which, and why the whole team shares the call, is covered in how to force forehand in ultimate.

Set up two lines facing each other, about 15 to 20 yards apart in the middle of the square. The first player in one line has the disc and the second marks them. The first player in the other line is the cutter, and the second defends. Before each set, call the force so everyone knows which side is open.

The defender starts on the open side of the cutter and a little closer to the disc, because that is where the throw will go. They aren't trying to shut the cutter down completely at first. Early on, a defender who plays at about three quarter speed gives the cutter and thrower something to read without ending every round. As players improve, let the defender go full speed and contest the throw, using the same position as in how to guard a cutter.

The round ends with a catch, a block or the end of the count. Then each player moves on one place: the thrower marks the next thrower, and the mark goes to the back of that line. Downfield, the cutter defends the next cutter, and the defender goes to the back of the line. Players stay in their own line this way, so swap the two groups every few minutes and everyone throws, marks, cuts and defends.

Step by step

The drill is shown for a right handed thrower and a forehand force, so the open side is at the bottom of the picture. A is the thrower and B the mark, with E next in line. C is the cutter and D the defender, with F next in line.

B sets the mark on A's backhand side and starts the count. C jabs toward the break side, and D goes too, staying on the open side.

With B on that side, A has no easy throw there. C plants and cuts across to the open side, with D on the inside.

A throws the forehand past B and out in front of C, away from D. C catches on the run and D chases.

C throws the disc back to E, who becomes the thrower. A moves up to mark and B joins the back of the line. Downfield, F is the next cutter, C defends and D joins the back of the line.

The next round starts with the same force. After a few rounds, call a backhand force and run it the other way, so the open side and the cutter's work change sides together.

Walk through the first few rounds so the marks can set their angle and the cutters can see where the throw will come from. Then build up to full speed. If the cutter is covered on the open side, they can clear back and try again while the count continues, which gives the thrower practice at waiting for the cut rather than forcing a throw.

The full play

You can take this playbook into your own account and change it for your team, for example moving the lines further apart for longer throws, or adding a third player to the thrower's end as a dump for when the count gets high. The marking drill is a useful warm up before this one.

Playbooks can also be saved as a PDF if you would rather bring the drills to practice on paper.