Beyond the Disc: Positional Differences in Morphological and Physical Performance Characteristics Among Male Ultimate Frisbee Players

TL;DR

This study compares physical and performance characteristics of male Ultimate Frisbee players based on their positions, finding differences in body composition and speed.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into how positional roles in Ultimate Frisbee influence body composition and physical performance profiles.

Findings

Handlers have higher body fat and endomorphy compared to cutters.

Cutters show better speed, agility, and vertical jump performance than handlers.

Intermittent endurance, upper-limb power, and balance are similar across positions.

Abstract

Background: Ultimate Frisbee (UF) is an intermittent team sport with distinct positional roles (cutters and handlers), yet evidence integrating anthropometric, body composition, and physical performance profiles by playing position remains limited. This study aimed to examine positional differences in these variables among male UF players. Methods: Forty male players (age: 25.13 ± 3.76 years; 7.0 ± 2.5 years of training experience) participated in this cross-sectional design, including 20 cutters and 20 handlers. Anthropometry, body composition, and dynamic balance variables were analyzed using independent-samples t-tests or Mann–Whitney U tests, as appropriate. Positional differences in somatotype and physical performance were analyzed using a one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Results: No positional differences were observed in general anthropometric variables (p > 0.05). However, handlers exhibited higher body fat percentage (14.32 ± 2.37 vs. 11.95 ± 2.45; p = 0.028), fat mass (11.08 ± 2.51 vs. 8.95 ± 2.67 kg; p = 0.049), and endomorphy (4.15 ± 1.22 vs. 2.99 ± 1.30; p = 0.002) than cutters. In contrast, cutters demonstrated higher speed (20 m sprint: 3.11 ± 0.17 vs. 3.21 ± 0.15 s; p < 0.05), agility (10.16 ± 0.69 vs. 10.69 ± 0.61 s; p < 0.05), and vertical jump performance (Counter Movement Jump: 40.93 ± 6.54 vs. 36.38 ± 4.71 cm; p < 0.05; Abalakov: 46.39 ± 7.88 vs. 40.20 ± 4.68 cm; p < 0.01). No differences were found in intermittent endurance (Yo-Yo Intermitent Recovery Test1): 982 ± 354 vs. 940 ± 348 m), upper-limb power, or dynamic balance. Conclusions: These findings indicate that playing position in UF is characterized by distinct body composition and lower-limb neuromuscular performance profiles, whereas intermittent endurance, upper-limb power, and balance represent shared physical requirements across positions.

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