(This page was borrowed from the Spastic Plastic Drills page.)

The drills are broken up into two sections: drills for 2-4 people and drills for the whole team. Some of these drills are well known (or variations/interpretations of) and some we made up. This page will always be developing, so comments, suggestions and new drill submitions are welcome.

Small Gourp Drills:

• Give-n-Go
• Throw-O-Rama
• The Weave
• The Windshield Wiper
• Mark-n-Bark
• Break the Mark
• Firing Squad

Team Drills

• Endzone Swing
• Huck-o-Rama
• Come-To
• Circle Drill
• Continuation
• The Ladder

Give-n-Go (or Give and you shall receive)

• Number of people: 2
• Short Info: 2-person Give-n-Go down the field and back up the field.
• Long: 2 people jog together down field, staying about 15 feet apart, throwing soft lead passes. Then reverse and do the same coming back upfield. Ideally, work on legal GiveNGo moves (i.e. thrower must release before third step).
• Strengths: Works on quick catch and release needed for real-life Give-n-Gos. Excellent drill to gauge wind's effect on short touch passes while running.
• Comments:
  • Good warmup drill. Players often like to spontaneously do this drill to jog around the field.
  • Make sure that each player reverses direction on the way back upfield, so that they can practice throwing both into and against the wind, both forehand and backhand throws.
  • Make sure not to travel, by catching and releasing the disc before three steps.

Throw-o-Rama

• Number of people: 2
• Short Info: Repetition drill for backhand, forehand, and hammer.
• Long: 2 people throw 25 backhand, 25 forehands, 25 hammers without dropping. Restart count upon a drop.
• Strengths: Helps people get into a groove. Weaker players in particular will benefit from repetitive practice.

The Weave

• Number of people: 3
• Short Info: 3 people run down field, weaving to catch short downfield passes.
• Long: 3 people across (A, B, and C) B has disc. A cuts downfield toward the middle. B throws to A and runs around A. C cuts downfield toward the middle, A throws to C, A runs around C. The disc should always be thrown mostly downfield, not side-to-side, otherwise people get out of position quickly.
• Comments: When done smoothly, it can go almost as fast as the 2-person Give-n-Go drill.
• Variations: There are several more complex variations, but they aren't discussed here.
• Diagram: A brief illustration.

The Windshield Wiper

• Number of people: 3
• Short Info: catcher runs back and forth between two cones. Stationary marker.
• Long: Picture a triangle, 10 feet on a side. Cones are on two corners, a thrower and marker on the other corner. Receiver swings back and forth between the two cones, catching a throw near one cone, throwing it back, running to the other cone, catching and throwing it back, repeating this for a couple of minutes. To make this go smoothly, the marker shouldn't mark hard at all. In fact, he should just stand still, crouched down slightly, with arms out.
• Strengths: Receiver has to stretch to both sides for catches, so the drill works on quick right and left-handed catches. Thrower has to quickly throw both forehands and backhands.
• Comments: Tom Arns gets credit for stroking this one out of his beard.

Mark-n-Bark (or standard marking drill)

• Short Info: Marking drill 3-4 people
• Number of people: 3 or 4
• Long Description: A receiver stands about 15 feet away from the thrower/marker pair. The receiver does not move. The marker starts a stall count at 6, and usually marks straight up. Thrower must somehow get disc to receiver. If there are only 3 people, then the thrower immediately runs over to the receiver and starts marking. The previous marker stays where he is and becomes the new receiver. With 4 people, people stay where they are.
• Strengths: Good drill for marking technique and for pivoting on offense. With 3 people, allows thrower to work on a quick first step for a give n' go opportunities. One of the best drills for allowing instruction to developing players.
• Comments:
  • Markers invariably forget to call UP, or if they do, they say it too late or too softly. Make sure people yell it out quickly.
  • This is a good drill for marking technique. Keep hands low!
  • Offense is forced to pivot, otherwise D will camp out.
  • This is a good drill for trying HRBs.
  • Markers should practice marking close to the thrower's body.
  • Works better with 3 people because of the extra running, and because of the quick-first-step practice.
  • This drill is a good format to help weaker players improve through instruction.

Break the Mark

• Number of people: 3
• Short Info: Break the mark 3 people
• Long: Marker picks a side and starts marking at stall count 6. Receiver 15' away cuts to one side or the other. Cutting towards the strong side is boring, but cutting towards the weak side forces the thrower to break the mark reasonably quickly (because of high stall count).
• Variations: Marker can mark straight up, making both sides a break the mark (or an easy strong-side throw, depending on how you look at it).

Firing Squad (or Disc Feed)

• Number of people: 4 or 5
• Short description: One person has to quickly catch and distribute multiple discs.
• Long: 4 people stand in semicircle (3-meter radius). Two of them have discs. One person stands in the center facing the other 4. One player in the semicircle throws to the center person, who catches and immediately throws it to another person. While he's throwing, the other disc is thrown to him. All throws go to the center person.
• Strenths: Works on quick catch and release coordination, peripheral vision.
• Comments:
  • This drill can be easily sped up to challenge anyone.
  • Feeder can work on catching and throwing with both hands.

Endzone Swing

• Number of people: 7
• Short Info: endzone drill emphasizing a dump cut and swing pass before penetration.
• Long: Players form 2 lines in center of end zone, one line near the front and one near the back. One other player with the disc stands near a sideline, 10' outside of end zone. The 1st player from front line (A1) makes a dump cut away from the player with the disc. The player with the disc swings the disc to A1 (and then clears to the back of the back line). The first player from the back line (B1) cuts for corner of endzone (usually front of EZ, but back works too) on same side as A1. A1 throws to B1. B1 throws back to A1 (and clears to the back of the front line. The next person from the front line (A2) makes a dump cut on the opposite side as A1. A1 swings the disc to A2 (and clears to the back of the back line). The next player from the back line (B2) cuts to an endzone corner. A2 throws to B2. B2 throws back to A2 (and clears to the front line). The pattern then repeats (See diagram below).
• Summary: Everyone cycles through each position in this drill. Throw to endzone, get disc back from endzone, throw swing pass, clear to back of stack 2, wait till you're at front of stack 2, cut hard for the score, throw back out of the end zone clear to stack 1, wait till you're at the front of stack 1, make the dump cut, etc.
• Comments:
  • When first running this drill, people sometimes get confused because after catching disc in the end zone, they throw it right back. It usually helps to mention that in a real game, if it goes into the end-zone, it's a score, but in this drill we throw the disc back to the thrower 1) to allow us to use only 1 disc and 2) to sort of pretend that the end-zone cut was looked off, and thus the thrower now has to attempt a swing pass.
  • Cut hard for the continuation! Don't jog through it.
  • Cut hard for the swing, and make sure thrower makes a good swing pass, otherwise the invisible D will eat it.
• Variations: We add two defenders to cover the players making the dump cut, and then the swing throw.
• Diagram: A brief illustration.

Huck-o-Rama ( or Huck Drill)

• Number of people: 7+
• Short Info: 1 player repeatedly throws deep to covered offensive players.
• Long: two stacks (one O, one D) line up at mid-field, in the center of the field. One thrower stands along the sidelines. The O and D take off together. O makes (at most) one fake, and then runs downfield for the endzone, heading toward the back cone on the thrower's side of the field. The thrower attempts to lead the deep runner. If possible, thrower should make some fakes first.
• Strengths: Works on timing and communication between thrower and receiver.
• Comments:
  • Thrower has to lead catcher. Throwing up high for a free-for-all is unacceptable. Thus, weaker throwers should throw very early, and forget about trying to throw all the way into the end zone. Stronger throwers can wait longer.
  • Caution: Offense should NOT fake much! Faking will prevent the thrower from setting up properly. The right time for the fake (in a real game) is BEFORE the thrower has caught the disc.
• Variations: O can head for the far corner if they think the thrower can get it there. Thrower can line up at center field as well.

Come-To

• Number of people: 8+
• Short Info: two-way No-D Come-to drill
• Long: two stacks (A and B) face each other. First person in B (B1) and second person in stack A (A2) have discs. A1 cuts, B1 throws and then immediately cuts for A2's throw. Meanwhile, A1 clears to back of B stack. After A2's throw, he immediately cuts for B2
• Strengths: Good pre-tourney warmup drill. Lots of teams use it. Good way to fine-tune lead passes.
• Comments: A well-drilled team should run this one very smoothly, with almost no drops whatsoever, and a fast rhythm.
• Variations: We could add a marker. A1 cuts, B2 marks, B1 throws, B1 cuts, A3 marks, A2 throws, A2 cuts, B3 marks, B2 throws, B2 cuts... That's probably not desirable for a pre-tourney warmup though, since it might slow the pace down considerably.

Circle Drill

• Number of people: 8-10
• Short Info: 2-3 people in center try to prevent passes around the circle
• Long: 2-3 people in center play a cup-style D, people around circle try to play keep-away. D can start stall counts at 6.
• Strengths: Good workout for D. Good test of O skills against a tight cup.
• Comments:
  • This is a good drill to pressure the offense. Sometimes the D should purposely double-team on this. The handler should note this and call double-team instead of trying to get the disc off.
  • The offense can choose to wait until the D is set up before throwing, or it can choose to throw immediately. I prefer waiting, since throwing immediately doesn't seem to work on any skills for the D.
• Variations:
  • The strong-side neighbor of the thrower can help out on D, namely he can knock down any passes near him as long as he doesn't have to move.
  • Depending on how many people in the drill, handlers can throw to weak-side neighbor.
  • Thrower has to do a lap around the circle upon failure to successfully complete a pass.

Continuation

• Number of people: 8-12 people
• Short Info: Continuation drill with D
• Long: Two stacks, one short (stack A), one deep (stack B). Thrower (with a mark) stands 20' from front of 1st stack. A1 cuts, thrower has to get it to him (perhaps breaking the mark) and then throws a continuation pass to B1. A1 clears to back of B stack, B1 clears to back of A stack. After 20 throws or so, thrower and marker switch places.
• Strenghts: Works on proper timing of continuation cut, and proper lead pass.
• Variations:
  • The deep stack can go deep for the long pass, or it can come back to the disc for a short continuation.
  • The Marker on the thrower is optional. A defender can also be added to the first cut.

The Ladder

• Number of people: 8+ (ideally 12+)
• Short Info: Like a normal continuation drill, except that the first thrower runs all the way down field to receive the final continuation throw. No D.
• Long: Three or four stacks, each 10 meters apart. Stack B is a short (handler)stack, Stack C is a mid-field (mid) stack, (optional) stack D is a deep stack. Stack A faces them. B1 cuts, A1 throws and heads downfield. B1 throws a continuation to C1, who throws to D1, who throws to A1 (who has been hustling downfield for the end-zone score) After throwing, players rotate to the back of the next stack. B, C, and D should all cut to the same side of the field.
• Strengths: Excellent 'hustle' drill. Good practice for handlers to think about heading all the way downfield after a short throw.
• Comments:Set a minimum number of successive no-drop plays before the drill can end.