Modelling study

The paper will be based on the construction of a model that investigates how players in a game of Ultimate Frisbee decide where to pass.

As in the real game, the thrower's position is fixed, and he has a limited amount of time in which he must release the disc. The time limit can be specified by the user of the model. The model will consider two principal scenarios:

1) When the thrower has the disc, what is the best direction to throw, and at what speed, to ensure that the target catcher can receive it?

2) When the thrower has released the disc, where should the catcher run in order to intercept it?

In each case, there must be appropriate behaviour from a marking player on the opposing team, whose goal is to ensure that the person being marked cannot receive a pass from the thrower.

An additional scenario could be "When the thrower holds the disc, how should a teammate move, so that he is an eligible target for the pass?" In other words, in the presence of other players, all attempting to get into suitable positions, how should a teammate move to present a suitable target for the thrower's pass? This scenario is likely to be the most complicated one, and shall be investigated if there is enough time.

The user of the model should also be able to place a blocker near the thrower. The blocker's role is to limit the possible directions in which the thrower can pass the disc. At the most, only one player can act as a blocker. Once placed, the blocker is considered to have a fixed position.

The user should be able to vary the maximum acceleration and the maximum speed of both the marker and the catcher. This will allow him to experiment and see how those constraints influence the result.

It is hoped that this can form the basis for a simulation of an Ultimate Frisbee match.