How to cut in ultimate frisbee

To cut in ultimate frisbee, move your defender first and then go where they aren't. The basic cut is a few hard steps deep toward the end zone, a sharp plant, and a sprint back under toward the disc on the open side. The deep steps make your defender turn and run with you, and when you change direction they are a step behind. If the thrower doesn't throw it, keep running through the lane and out to the side so the next cutter has room.

How to cut in ultimate frisbee

A cut only works if your defender believes the first part. Jogging a few steps deep and then turning back gives them nothing to react to. Run the deep part hard enough that they have to turn their hips and go with you, because a deep throw would score if they didn't. Three or four strong steps is usually enough; you aren't trying to get to the end zone, just to make them commit.

The change of direction is where you win the space. Plant on the foot furthest from where you are going, drop your weight and push back the other way, rather than running a wide curve. A curve lets your defender cut across the inside of it and stay level with you. A sharp plant leaves them still moving the wrong way for a moment.

Come back toward the disc and slightly toward the open side, the side the defence is forcing. The mark is taking away the other side, so cutting to the open side gives the thrower an easy target. Keep your eyes on the thrower and show them your hands. Catch the disc moving toward it, not standing still waiting for it to arrive.

Timing matters as much as speed. Start your cut when the thrower is ready to throw: after they have caught the disc and turned to look upfield, not while the disc is still in the air to them. If two cutters go at once, they end up in the same space, so the stack works on one cutter at a time, starting from the front.

If the throw doesn't come, don't stop in the lane. Keep running through and out toward the sideline, then work your way back to the stack. A cutter who stops where they wanted the disc fills the space the next cutter needs.

Step by step

The offence is in a vertical stack with O1 holding the disc and O2 behind as the dump. The defence is forcing forehand, so the open side is down the picture, and the stack defenders stand a half step downfield on that side.

O3, at the front of the stack, drives a few hard steps deep on the open side. D3 turns and runs with O3 to protect the deep space.

O3 plants and cuts back under toward the disc. D3 is still moving deep and is now a step behind.

O1 throws to O3 as O3 comes back toward the disc, on the side away from D3.

O3 catches and turns upfield. D3 sets the mark, and O1 moves behind O3 as the dump, with D1 following.

O3 has the disc with the stack still in place, and O4, now at the front, is ready for the next cut.

To practise it, line up a thrower and a row of cutters about 15 yards away, with no defence at first. Each cutter drives deep for three steps, plants and comes back for the throw, then goes to the back of the line. Once the plant is sharp, add a defender who starts a half step downfield, and the cutter has to make them turn before coming back. The vertical stack article shows how these cuts fit together in the full offence, and how to guard a cutter shows the same cut from the defender's side.

The full play

You can take this playbook into your own account and change it for your team, for example drawing the cut to the break side if your team practises against a backhand force.

Playbooks can also be saved as a PDF if your team would rather have the plays on paper before a game.