Flying disc freestyle facts for kids
Flying disc freestyle, also known as freestyle Frisbee in reference to the trademarked brand name, is a sport and performing art characterized by creative, acrobatic, and athletic maneuvers with a flying disc. Freestyle is performed individually or more commonly in groups, both competitively and recreationally.
The Freestyle Players Association (FPA) is the governing body of freestyle, "dedicated to the growth of freestyle disc play as a lifetime recreation and competitive sport. The organization is involved in international tournaments and rankings as well as education grants and promotional activities. Every year, the FPA holds a world championship with divisions in Open Pairs, Mixed Pairs, Open Co-op, and Women's Pairs. Competitive freestyle is usually judged on execution, difficulty, and artistic impression by a panel of players.
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Getting started
Freestyle is performed indoors and outdoors, on fields and on the beach. The style and technique of players often depend on the conditions they play in, especially the wind. Freestyle jams, as they are called, involve anywhere from 2 to 15 people, but most hover between 2–5. A jam with more than 4 or 5 is often called a "mob-op" as opposed to pairs (2 players) or co-op (3 players). Most competitive freestyle today centers around the nail-delay with many players using what are called delay-aids (plastic nails and silicone sprays). There is also a faster throw and catch version that can be played without the use of delay-aids.
Equipment and play
Freestyle is performed with a lighter, usually 160 gram disc. The disc can be sprayed with some kind of lubricant for facilitating the nail delay such as silicone spray. In freestyle competitions, most advanced players wear fake nails made out of acrylic, some organic materials like bones or antlers, and other plastics, which are glued onto fingernails during play, though they are not necessary. A faster throwing and catching version of freestyle (fast-freestyle) can be played without the use of equipment (nail-delay paraphernalia, sprays and plastic nails).
Basic maneuvers
Tipping
Tipping is performed by poking the center of the disc with various body parts to cause the disc to "pop up," usually maintaining the angle of the disc and its spin. Tipping is performed with finger tips, elbows, knees, feet, and even the top of the head. Joey Hudoklin's famous tipping combo is considered the epitome of this technique.
Brushing
Brushing involves swiping the disc tangentially with the rotation of the disc. Brushing is performed with the hands, knees, and feet.
Rolling
Rolling, first demonstrated by Ken Westerfield in 1975, is performed when the disc rolls across any part of the body. The most common roll is the chest or front roll, which is performed when the disc rolls from one hand, across the chest, to the second hand to be caught or released for more maneuvers. Experienced players often perform front, back, and leg rolls, with and against the spin, in creative combination.
Delaying
The nail delay involves balancing the disc on the nail (or occasionally teeth, feet, and elbows) to manipulate the disc's position. The delay can be performed on the rim of the disc in vertical, angled, or centered/flat positions. Most players have a spin preference, preferring either clockwise or counterclockwise, but most players, especially advanced players can perform maneuvers with both spins. The delay is characteristic of more modern, technical freestyle, which uses the delay to perform more complicated maneuvers like turnovers and "against the spin" moves (manipulations that use angle and carefully applied friction to force the disc in a direction that its spin counteracts, a technique invented and mastered by Skippy Jammer).
Turnovers
A turnover is performed when the disc is changed from a right-side up position to an upside-down position. The turnover is a popular, technical aspect of the game that requires proper leverage, a pivot point, and usually a "spin change." A spin change involves changing the disc from counterclockwise to clock or clock to counterclockwise. The physics of turnover requires that the disc change spin, relative to the player, unless the turnover is a "360" turnover involving two spin changes, arriving back at the original spin.
Catches
Freestyle catches are generally split into two overlapping categories: blind and restricted. Blind catches are ones where the player cannot see the disc entering the hand and include popular moves such as scarecrow and phlaud. Restricted catches involve positioning the hand around some part of the body, such as under the leg or behind the back. One of the most famous and iconic freestyle catches is called "gitis" and involves catching a disc with one hand over and around the opposite leg. Catches can also be performed between the legs or by resting on parts of the body such as the back.
Throws
Freestyles often incorporate different kinds of throws to add difficulty and style as well as create various kinds of spin and angles. Basic throws include backhand, sidearm (forehand), overhand wrist-flip, staker, and helicopter. More advanced throws include blind, restricted, and special MAC throws (any throw that involves hitting the top of the disc mid-flight with a free limb, like the opposite hand, foot, or elbow, to create extra spin, slow the velocity, and change the angle).
Major events
- FPA Worlds
- World Urban Games
- Paganello
- World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) Championship
- EFC – European Freestyle Championships
See FPA Schedule of Events
