List of Frisbee Games

This resource is intended as a collection of games which can be used with Junior teams to add variety to coaching sessions while still concentrating on the basic disc skills needed for Ultimate.  Many of these games are actually played by senior players and some even have international competitions.

Beginners

Intermediate

Advanced

Throwing Race

12 players (6 teams of 2);6 discs;4 cones

Split up into pairs.  Each pair is competing against the other pairs of players.  Stand 10 metres apart and all pairs commence throwing at the same time.  The aim is to complete (ie catch) as many passes as possible in pairs.

If the disc has to be retrieved, then the receiver must return to their original position before the return throw.

Score 1 point for a completed backhand pass, 2 points for a forehand, the first pair to reach 20 wins.  Alternatively, give the pairs a limited time (like 2 minutes) to maximise their points.

Variations

For more advanced players, try these variations:

  • Increase the distance apart
  • Award 3 points for a hammer
  • The receiver may not move their feet to catch the disc

Captain Disc

6 players; 1 disc; 3 cones

Line up in groups of six, have a disc placed 5 metres in front of the line, with the players facing it.  The playes need to be well-spaced, at least arms length apart.  On "go!", the leftmost player runs out and picks up the disc.  They pass it to the first (rightmost) player, who passes it back.  Then to the second player and so forth until the end of the line is reached.  When the last player catches the disc, they run out the front to become the captain and the previous captain runs to the right-hand end of the line to become the first receiver.

If a player has to retrieve a disc, they must return to their place before throwing the return pass.  Continue until the original captain runs out the front again and the whole team sits down to finish.

Variations

Make all throws forehand.

Disc Golf

2 players; 1 disc

 Canadian Pairs
 3 pairs in each group
Disc golf is played just like ball & stick golf, except the targets or "holes" can be whatever is available.  Each shot must be taken from behind where the disc comes to rest, and the object is to minimise the number of shots to hit the target.  An innovative aspect of disc golf is to include mandatories, such as requiring the disc to go around a tree before hitting the hole.  If a tree is the hole, it is usual to make the target the trunk below the first branch, so that branches and leaves do not count.

Form into pairs, taking alternate shots.  After each hole have someone new choose what the next hole will be.  Encourage imaginative holes, eg "through the fork in the tree and hit the rubbish bin," but keep it simple.

Bottle Guts

12 players; 6 discs; 12 cones

Bottle Guts involves two teams of six facing each other in a line, with each player having a cone in front of them (the bottle).  Give each team three discs.  The object is to knock over the opposition's bottles.  Players must throw from behind their bottle, and may only throw when their bottle is upright.  Each player starts with three lives.  Each time a player's bottle is knocked over, they lose a life.  When they have no lives left, they are out of the game and must sit down.  Any player may retrieve a disc from the "no-man's land" between the teams, but cannot go behind enemy lines.  No goal-tending is allowed, a receiver cannot touch a moving disc until it passes the line of bottles.

Variation

For more advanced players, throwers lose a life if their throw is caught one-handed on the full.

Frisbee Rounders (Frisbee Baseball)

18 players (2 teams of 9); 1 disc; 7 cones

Set up a diamond, similar to baseball.  There is no pitcher (like teeball), otherwise the fielding positions are similar.  The "batter" simply throws the disc from homebase, and must rethrow if it is a foul or doesn't travel at least 5m.  The batter may run up to throw, but if they release too late, then it is also a foul.  Three fouls mean the batter is out..  The batter is also out if their throw is caught on the full.  Runners are out if the disc reaches the base they are running towards before they do. Only the fielders on a base (the basemen) may run with the disc; everyone else must throw it to a baseman.  The batting team gets a run each time a runner reaches home base, when they get 3 outs the teams switch roles.  For safety reasons, the fielders should be required to be at least 5m away from the batter.

Discathon

4 players; 4 discs; cones; arrow signs

 Use cones or (better) natural obstacles such as trees to mark out a course.  A park is the ideal setting.  Use arrow signs to indicate which side of trees etc the course runs.  Each player starts behind the start line with a disc.  The players must run around the course, making their disc follow the course exactly.  The players can run anywhere they like.  Each successive throw must be taken from behind where the disc last stopped.  If a throw misses a turn, the player must go back around that turn.  The winner is the player whose disc first crosses the finish line.

Variations

With older children, put the winners into a final.  Make the course difficulty match the throwing ability of the players.

Flutter Guts

6 players (2 teams of 3); 1 disc; 4 cones

This game can be used to increase eye-hand co-ordination.  Two teams of three players stand facing each other about 2 metres apart.  One team "serves" a slow, wobbly throw to the other team which must try to catch it with one hand.  The disc must pass between the head and the knees and must be soft or it is a no-throw and must be thrown again.

The disc may be bobbled and touched by any team member before it is caught, but no two hands or players may touch it at the same time.  Also, "trapping" is not allowed, where the disc is trapped between the hand and another part of the body.  The disc may be kept alive by hitting it with any body part as long as it is not a trap, and the receiving team may move anywhere they like to make a play on the disc.

After the disc hits the ground or is caught, the receiving team then serves the disc.  Score a point for a successful catch.  The first team to 11 wins.

Frisbee Tennis

12 players (2 teams of 6); 1 disc; 8 cones

This is really played similar to newcombe ball, with six players a side on either side of a tennis net.  There is a "dead zone" 2 metres either side of the net, which is out-of-bounds.  The receiving team scores a point if the disc lands out-of-bounds.  Dropping the disc, or taking more than three passes to get it over the net, scores a point for the opposition.  The game is to 15 points.

Use a cone to mark where the server serves from, making this the back of the court for advanced throwers.  This game can be played without a tennis court or net by setting up your own playing area.

Five Hundred

6 players; 1 disc

Two groups of three are separated by a distance of about 20m.  One group throws a high disc above the other group.  If someone catches it, that person scores 100 points.  That group then throws another high, floaty throw back and they get a chance to score points.  The winner is the first person to score 500 points.  The game is non-contact; no pushing or holding is allowed.  This game is very good for pracitising positioning, jumping and reading the flight of the disc.

Frisbee Soccer

12 players (2 teams of 6); 1 disc; 8 cones

In frisbee soccer, you are not allowed to run with the disc, but the disc is allowed to touch the ground, or roll along the ground.  Once the disc is on the ground, either team may pick it up, but maintain the non-contact rules, so once a player has picked it up, their marker must retire 1m away.  If two players pick up the disc simultaneously, then the offence retains possession.

The game can be played on a soccer or football field, or a similar field set out with cones.  Score by throwing the disc through the goalmouth.  Modify the number of players to suit the field size.

Keepings Off

8 players (2 teams of 4); 1 disc; 4 cones

Form a 20m square with the 4 cones.  The aim of the game is to retain possession of the discby passing to teammates for as long as possible.  As in ultimate, players may not run with the disc and have a stall count of 10.

Variations

  • For more of a challenge, reduce the stall count to 7 or even 5.
  • Use a scoring system where a team scores a point each time everyone on the team touches the disc.

Goaltimate

8 players (2 teams of 4); 1 disc; 6 cones

Goaltimate is played just like ultimate, but with the aim being to throw the disc into a goal (football or hockey) rather than catch it in an endzone.  A simple goal could be made between two cones.

Variations

A variation is to play half-court goaltimate, requiring a team to pass the disc outside a box before attempting to score (eg the penalty box around a soccer goal).

Double Box

10 players (2 teams of 5); 1 disc; 8 cones

This is a miniature game of ultimate, and more fast-paced.  There are 2 scoring goals, 5m x 5m boxes, separated by about 20m.  One teams starts with the disc in their box and is attacking the opponent's box.  Each time a team scores, they immediately are attacking the other box.  Otherwise, the rules are the same as Ultimate.

Play games to 3 or 5.  Unlimited substitutions are allowed at any time.

Hot Box

10 players (2 teams of 5); 1 disc; 8 cones

Hot Box is like the half-court version of double box.  The field can be much more congested with both teams attacking the same goal.  The goal is a 5m x 5m square in the centre of a 20m x 20m square. Teams are 5-a-side on the court with unlimited subs.  The aim is to catch the disc in the goal to scor a point.  When a team gains possession of the disc, they must complete a pass outside the outer box before they can attack the goal.  Otherwise, the rules are the same as for regular Ultimate.

After scoring, the scoring team retains possession of the disc and must move the disc out of the outer box before they can score again.  Unlimited subs are allowed during play.   Play games to 3 or 5.

Variations

For more advanced players, reduce the size of the box to 3m-a-side and the number of players to 3 or 4 per team.

Indoor Ultimate

8 players (2 teams of 4); 1 disc

Indoor ultimate is played on a netball or basketball court.  The endzone is the goal circle (netball) or keyhole (basketball).  Each team has four players.  After a player catches a goal, they touch the disc to the ground and start again, attacking the opposite goal.  Each team has two substitutes.  Substitution can happen at any time by tagging the player on the sideline.  A game is usually played for 15 minutes.

Double Disc Court (DDC)

4 players ( 2 teams of 2); 2 discs; 8 cones

The court is two 10m x 10m boxes separated by a 5m wide no-man's land.  The court can be outdoor or indoor.  A pair of players stand in each box, each pair with one disc.  Each team serves simultaneously and aim to land the disc in the other team's court.  If the disc lands out or rolls out then the receiving team gets a point.  If the disc lands in and stays in then the throwing team gets a point.  If the receiving team catches the disc, then they can throw it back.  If the receiving team drops the disc, the throwing team gets a point.  If a team is touching both discs at once, that is a "double", and the other team scores two points.

After a point is scored, the discs are returned to each end and the other players serve.  Change ends every 5 points.  The winning team is the first to reach 11.

Variations

Increase the size of the courts and spacing between them.  A full size court is 14m squares separated by 14m.  See the WFDF Rules for comprehensive rules.