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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
External match loads imposed upon
Ultimate Frisbee players: A comparison
between playing positions
Charges de match externes imposées aux
joueurs de Ultimate Frisbee : comparaison
entre les positions de jeu
1. Introduction
Ultimate Frisbee (UF) is a non-contact team sport where
the main team objective is to score goals by catching a
plastic disc in the attacking end-zone [1]. Matches can be
time-bound (2 × 30-min halves) or score-bound (first team to
score 15 points is declared the winner) [2]. It has been shown
that UF players cover a total distance of 4700 ± 470 m,
with 3490 ± 350 m covered performing low-intensity running
(0—13.9 km·h−1 ), 630 ± 140 m performing high-intensity running (14—22 km·h−1 ), and 210 ± 110 m sprinting (> 22 km·h−1 )
during matches [3]. Players are divided into different playing positions (i.e., cutters and handlers) due to their role
during the match. In this sense, while cutters mainly conquer the end zone of the opposing team, handlers facilitate
movement of the disc across the pitch, potentially creating
pronounced differences in the movements and subsequent
physical demands encountered according to position. However, no previous research has quantified the external loads
(e.g., distance covered at different absolute speed ranges
or short-term, high-intensity actions such as accelerations
and decelerations) completed by players during UF matches
relative to playing position. Consequently, this team-based
case study aimed to quantify and compare the external loads
experienced by cutters and handlers during UF matches.
2. Methods
Twelve national-level UF players competing in an elite
mixed-sex competition participated in the study. Players
were divided according to playing position (7 cutters and
5 handlers). All players participated voluntarily and procedures were conducted in accordance with the Declaration
of Helsinki (2013), approved by the Ethics Committee of
University of Isabel I. The official matches consisted of
2 × 30-min halves with a 5-min rest period between halves.
However, when full-time was reached, play continued until
a team scored as per standard rules in UF [3]. The average
duration of matches was 62.3 ± 13.8 min, during which the
players were active for 34.9 ± 11.4 min, and the remaining
27.4 ± 10.2 min was accounted for by breaks (no activity)
between points, referee discussions, and substitutions. The
playing pitch consisted of an outdoor, natural, grass surface,
spanning 100 m (including 2 × 15-m end zones) in length
× 60 m in width. An official referee tabulated the score and
ensured rules were followed during matches.
External load was monitored for each player in all
matches using microsensor units containing a 10-Hz
global positioning system (WIMU PROTM , RealTrack Systems,
Almería, Spain) [4]. Microsensor units were harnessed in a
tight-fitting vest worn by the players throughout matches.
The microsensor units were activated 15 min before the start
of each match, in accordance with manufacturer recommendations. Data were downloaded post-match to a computer
and analysed using a customised software package (WIMU
SPRO, Almería, Spain). The total distance covered was taken
as a key outcome measure with further distance measures derived for different locomotive categories according
to movement speed: low-intensity walking (< 3.9 km·h−1 ),
walking (4.0—7.9 km·h−1 ), jogging (8.0—13.9 km·h−1 ), highintensity running (>14.0 km·h−1 ), and high-speed running
(>22.0 km·h−1 ). Also, distance covered while accelerating
and decelerating was also determined for different intensity categories: low-intensity acceleration (LACC; 1.0 to
2.5 m·s−2 ), medium-intensity acceleration (MACC; 2.5 to
4.0 m·s−2 ), high-intensity acceleration (HACC; > 4.0 m·s−2 ),
low-intensity deceleration (LDEC; −1.0 to −2.5 m·s−2 ),
medium-intensity deceleration (MDEC; −2.5 to −4.0 m·s−2 ),
and high-intensity deceleration (HDEC; < −4.0 m·s−2 ).
Results are presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD).
Effect sizes (ES) with uncertainty of the estimates shown
as 90% confidence limits (CL) were used to quantify the
magnitude of the difference between playing positions. ES
were classified as trivial (< 0.2), small (0.2—0.6), moderate (0.6—1.2), large (1.2—2.0), very large (2.0—4.0) and
extremely large (> 4.0) [5]. Inference was classified as
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scispo.2020.02.014
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Please cite this article in press as: Raya-González J, et al. External match loads imposed upon Ultimate Frisbee players:
A comparison between playing positions. Sci sports (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scispo.2020.02.014
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2
Letter to the editor
Table 1 The external loads (mean ± SD) encountered during official Ultimate Frisbee matches according to playing position
with mean differences.
Variables
All
(n = 38)
Cutters
(n = 21)
Handlers
(n = 17)
Mean difference;
±90% CL
Total distance (m)
Low-intensity walking (m)
Walking (m)
Jogging (m)
High-intensity running (m)
High-speed running (m)
LACC (m)
MACC (m)
HACC (m)
LDEC (m)
MDEC (m)
HDEC (m)
3955 ± 1000
938 ± 236
1164 ± 356
1113 ± 412
741 ± 280
77 ± 84
690 ± 224
438 ± 177
91 ± 164
483 ± 164
198 ± 82
63 ± 41
3965 ± 1127
883 ± 230
1089 ± 374
1191 ± 436
802 ± 334
80 ± 89
696 ± 251
461 ± 208
116 ± 100
504 ± 174
213 ± 99
74 ± 43
3942 ± 851
1004 ± 232
1256 ± 319
1016 ± 370
666 ± 174
74 ± 79
682 ± 193
408 ± 130
59 ± 36
456 ± 150
181 ± 54
49 ± 34
1.4; ± 15.0
14.8; ± 16.4
19.4; ± 21.4
−14.9; ± 18.7
−11.1; ± 17.7
−17.2; ± 82.1
0.3; ± 19.1
−4.8; ± 22.4
−8.8; ± 65.4
−9.3; ± 18.5
−6.1; ± 25.2
−29.9; ± 28.1
n: number of observations overall and for playing position; CL: confident limits; SD: standard deviation; LACC: low-intensity acceleration between 1 and 2.5 m·s−2 ; MACC: medium-intensity acceleration between 2.5 and 4 m·s−2 ; HACC: high-intensity acceleration
above 4 m·s−2 ; LDEC: low-intensity deceleration between −2.5 and −1 m·s−2 ; MDEC: medium-intensity deceleration between −4 and
−2.5 m·s−2 ; HDEC: high-intensity deceleration less than −4 m·s−2 .
Figure 1 Differences between cutters and handlers in the distances covered at different locomotive intensities (1A) and acceleration and deceleration intensities (1B) during official Ultimate Frisbee matches. LACC: low-intensity acceleration between 1 and
2.5 m·s−2 ; MACC: medium-intensity acceleration between 2.5 and 4 m·s−2 ; HACC: high-intensity acceleration above 4 m·s−2 ; LDEC:
low-intensity deceleration between −2.5 and −1 m·s−2 ; MDEC: medium-intensity deceleration between −4 and −2.5 m·s−2 ; HDEC:
high-intensity deceleration less than −4 m·s−2 .
unclear if the 90% CL overlapped the thresholds for the
smallest worthwhile positive and negative effects [5]. The
mean differences, CL and ES were calculated using a
customised spreadsheet Microsoft Excel® (v15.0; Microsoft
Corporation; Redmond, WA, USA).
3. Results
The external loads imposed upon all players as well as
according to playing position during matches are presented
in Table 1. Handlers covered more (small) distance performing low-intensity walking and walking than cutters, while
cutters travelled higher (small) distances undertaking highintensity running than handlers (Fig. 1A). Likewise, cutters
completed greater (small) distances completing HACC and
HDEC than handlers (Fig. 1B).
4. Conclusions
This is the first study to quantify the external match loads
imposed upon UF players competing at an elite level,
as well as the first to explore match demands relative
to playing position. The main results of this exploratory
team-based case study demonstrate playing position influences the external loads experienced during mixed-sex
UF matches. Specifically, handlers appear to completed
greater recovery opportunities than cutters as evidenced
by higher volumes of walking during matches. Conversely,
cutters experienced greater running demands, with a heavier reliance on intense accelerations and decelerations than
handlers during matches. These findings are not surprising
given cutters are key players in scoring points since they
must conquer the end zone of the opposing team. More
precisely, cutters usually execute high-intensity efforts to
Please cite this article in press as: Raya-González J, et al. External match loads imposed upon Ultimate Frisbee players:
A comparison between playing positions. Sci sports (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scispo.2020.02.014
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SCISPO-3442; No. of Pages 3
ARTICLE IN PRESS
Letter to the editor
create space between opposing players when on offence for
passing opportunities from handlers, who primarily facilitate movement of the disc across the pitch. These results
indicate coaching and performance staff of elite UF teams
should closely consider the specific demands of each playing
position when developing training programmes and recovery
strategies to optimally prepare players for competition.
Disclosure of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interest.
Acknowledgements
The authors are gratefully for the involvement of the Cidbee
Ultimate Frisbee Club in this study. Also, we thank all the
UF players who volunteered to participate in the study. This
study was supported by the University Isabel under agreement UI1-PI001.
3
[3] Krustrup P, Mohr M. Physical demands in competitive Ultimate
Frisbee. J Strength Cond Res 2015;29(12):3386—91.
[4] Bastida Castillo A, Gómez Carmona CD, De la Cruz Sánchez E,
Pino Ortega J. Accuracy, intra- and inter-unit reliability, and
comparison between GPS and UWB-based position-tracking systems used for time-motion analyses in soccer. Eur J Sport Sci
2018;18(4):450—7.
[5] Hopkins WG, Marshall SW, Batterham AM, Hanin J. Progressive
statistics for studies in sports medicine and exercise science.
Med Sci Sports Exer 2009;41(1):3—12.
J. Raya-González a
D. Castillo a,∗
A. Rodríguez-Fernández a
A.T. Scanlan b
a
Faculty of Health Sciences, University Isabel I, Burgos,
Spain
b
Human Exercise and Training Laboratory, School of
Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland
University, Rockhampton, Australia
∗
References
[1] Madueno MC, Kean CO, Scanlan AT. The sex-specific internal and
external demands imposed on players during Ultimate Frisbee
game-play. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2017;57(11):1407—14.
[2] WFDF. Rules of Ultimate 2017, 2017. USA 2016:1—16 [Available from: http://www.wfdf.org/sports/rules-of-play/cat view
/26-rules-of-play/32-ultimate/149-ultimate-rules-2013-2016].
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: danicasti5@gmail.com (D. Castillo)
Received 8 February 2019
Accepted 7 February 2020
Please cite this article in press as: Raya-González J, et al. External match loads imposed upon Ultimate Frisbee players:
A comparison between playing positions. Sci sports (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scispo.2020.02.014