Strategic Movement
•Year 9
•Ultimate Frisbee
•Check discs for cracks or damage before lesson; have spares available courtside
Alternative: Flying discs, training discs (175g regulation weight preferred)
Organised by team before tournament starts to minimise transition time
Alternative: Coloured bands, team pennies
Set up tournament pitches before students arrive with clearly marked end zones (10m x 20m playing areas recommended)
Alternative: Markers, witches hats, corner flags
Distributed to teams before tournament with clipboards and pens
Alternative: Digital assessment on tablets, peer assessment recording sheets
Include space for match results and spirit of game scores
Alternative: Score sheets, digital scoring apps
Set for match durations (8-10 minute matches recommended)
Alternative: Visible countdown timer, whistle for time signals
Include ice packs for potential impacts from disc or collisions
Alternative: N/A - mandatory
A core principle of Ultimate Frisbee emphasising sportsmanship, fair play, and mutual respect, where players are responsible for their own conduct and rule enforcement
Players are responsible for making their own foul calls and resolving disputes without external referees
Loss of possession that occurs when a pass is incomplete, intercepted, goes out of bounds, or a violation occurs
Keeping one foot planted on the ground whilst moving the other foot to create passing angles
The ability to track both the disc and defensive players simultaneously to make effective offensive decisions
An offensive formation where players line up vertically to create cutting lanes and organised movement patterns
A player positioned near the thrower who receives short passes to maintain possession and reset the stall count
A player who makes runs to receive longer passes towards the end zone
The defender counts to 10 seconds whilst the thrower has possession; if reached, it results in a turnover
A defensive strategy where the marker positions to make the thrower throw to one side of the field
Understanding where pupils are coming from and where they're going
Communication skills: verbal cues during gameplay, tactical discussions, explaining rules to peers. Oracy: articulating tactical ideas, peer assessment feedback, and reflection discussions. Vocabulary development: technical terminology specific to Ultimate Frisbee. Debate: discussing disputed calls and rule interpretations.
Forces and motion: analysing the physics of disc flight including lift, drag, and gravity. Trajectory: understanding optimal release angles for distance. Human biology: cardiovascular response to exercise, muscle groups used during throwing and catching, benefits of warm-up and cool-down. Aerodynamics: how disc shape creates flight.
Spatial awareness: understanding positioning on field, creating and exploiting space. Mapping: representing playing areas, end zones, and movement patterns diagrammatically. Directions: using directional language (left, right, forward, diagonal) during tactical instruction.
Digital scoring: using apps or spreadsheets for tournament management. Video analysis: recording matches for tactical review. Data presentation: creating graphs of tournament results and statistics. Research: investigating Ultimate Frisbee history, professional leagues, and international competitions.
Tournament scoring and standings calculation. Statistics: calculating pass completion percentages, success rates. Geometry: understanding angles of throw and optimal flight paths. Data handling: recording and presenting match results in tables and graphs. Problem-solving: fixture scheduling for round-robin format ensuring all teams play each other once.
Teamwork and collaboration: working effectively within sport education teams. Leadership development: team captains managing groups and resolving conflicts. Resilience: coping with competition pressure, disappointment, and setbacks. Integrity and honesty: self-refereeing requires strong moral character. Respect and sportsmanship: Spirit of Game principles develop empathy and fair play. Managing emotions: appropriate responses to winning and losing.
Stand at central point with 360-degree visibility of all tournament courts during matches. Position yourself at corner of quadrant if four courts running simultaneously. During 3v3 assessments, position at side of court with clear view of all players. During plenary, central position facing all seated students.
During tournament: Watch for throwing accuracy under pressure, effective defensive positioning, honest self-refereeing, communication between teammates, and Spirit of Game maintenance. During 3v3 assessment: Focus on specific skills for assessment matrix - forehand/backhand accuracy, pivoting technique, shadow marking, and tactical awareness. During warm-up: Monitor safety, appropriate intensity, and full participation.
Intervene immediately if: Unsafe play occurs (dangerous layout dives, excessive physical contact), self-refereeing completely breaks down requiring mediation, rules being consistently misunderstood causing game disruption, Spirit of Game being compromised by poor sportsmanship, signs of overexertion or injury. Minimal intervention during tournament to allow student autonomy, but don't hesitate if safety or fairness compromised.
Demonstrate: During warm-up, show exaggerated safe tagging technique and proper star jump form. During 3v3 briefing, demonstrate establishing pivot foot, proper marking distance, and foul calling/resolution procedure. During cool-down, demonstrate each stretch with exaggerated correct form showing full range of motion. Use students as demonstration partners when possible to increase engagement.
Minimum 30m x 40m total area required for multiple tournament courts. Each playing court 10m wide x 20m long with 3m end zones. Minimum 2m buffer between courts to prevent inter-court collisions.
Dry, flat, even surface free from hazards such as holes, debris, or water. Grass or sports hall surface suitable. Check for trip hazards before lesson begins.
If injury occurs: Stop play immediately with whistle. Assess injury severity. Provide appropriate first aid (ice for impacts, support for sprains). Contact school first aider or emergency services if serious injury. Complete accident report form. If minor injury, allow student to rest with ice/support before deciding on return to play. Never allow student with head injury, suspected fracture, or severe pain to continue participation.
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