Seattle drill for ultimate frisbee

The Seattle drill for ultimate frisbee is a team warm up that runs out of a straight stack in an end zone. The player at the back of the stack cuts to a front corner and catches a pass, the thrower cuts to the sideline for the next pass, and the player at the front of the stack cuts up to the thrower's spot to catch the third. Then the same thing happens on the other side. It needs one disc and a marked end zone, and it keeps everyone moving through the line, so each player gets cuts, catches and throws before the first point.

How the Seattle drill works

The stack runs down the centre of the end zone, from the back line toward the goal line, and one player stands in front of it with the disc. Everyone else waits in the stack and moves up as the players ahead of them go. Nobody is defending, so the drill is about timing and clean throws rather than getting open.

Each throw leads to the next cut, which makes it a good warm up for throwing to a moving player. Aim for the space in front of the cutter rather than at the spot they are running from. After catching, a player sets their feet and looks for the next cutter straight away, so the disc doesn't sit still for long.

The cuts change direction from one to the next: a long diagonal from the back of the stack, a straight run to the sideline, then a run back up the middle. You can set the pace yourselves, so it works well once your team has jogged and thrown in pairs. It fits into the game day warm up alongside the three person marking drill.

Step by step

O1 starts with the disc, O2 is at the front of the stack and O7 is at the back. The end zone is on the left of the picture.

O7 cuts from the back of the stack at about 45 degrees to the front corner of the end zone. O1 throws to O7.

O1 cuts straight to the sideline. O7 throws back out of the end zone to O1.

O2 cuts from the front of the stack up to the spot where O1 started, and O1 throws to O2. O7 takes the place at the front of the stack, and O1 heads in toward the stack.

The sequence starts again on the other side. O6 is now at the back of the stack, so O6 cuts to the other front corner and O2 throws to O6.

O2 cuts straight to the other sideline, and O6 throws to O2.

O7, at the front of the stack, cuts up to the thrower's spot and O2 throws to O7. O6 comes in to the stack, and O1 moves into it.

O7 now has the disc and the sequence can start again toward the first corner. The players in the middle of the stack shuffle along as new players come in.

To practise it, walk through one full round on each side so everyone knows where to go next. Then build up to a steady jog, and only then to running. If the disc is dropped, pick it up and carry on from the same spot, because the point is to keep people moving.

The full play

You can take this playbook into your own account and change it for your team, for example with a shorter stack if only a few players turn up.

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