Frisbee Points-Tracker Graphic

Visual method to track the gender ratio and points in the ABBA system

San Francisco Winter League, Winter 2023

Background

Co-ed Ultimate frisbee is played with 7 players, an odd number. We still try to balance the playing time of male-matching & female-matching players. Since 2024, USAU has used the ABBA system to alternate between the gender-matching ratios. For example, if the game starts with 4 female matching players (FMP):

  • Point 1 - A: 4 female matching players

  • Point 2 - B: 4 male matching players

  • Point 3 - B: 4 male matching players

  • Point 4 - A: 4 female matching players

  • Point 5 - A: 4 female matching players

  • Point 6 - B: 4 male matching players

  • … and so forth

It can be hard to mentally keep track of which point has which gender.

Commission & Usage

To proactively assist with tracking, the commissioner of the San Francisco Winter League commissioned me to make a system that would help track the current gender ratio. After some prototyping and iteration, I made following graphic:

Usage

Score is tracked with metal clips on the outside border. The white team is on the left or right side, either works. Likewise, the dark team can be tracked on the top or bottom.

Line up the current score to see the current gender-match that is in the majority. For example, if the white team has 3 and the dark team has 11, then this point should have a majority of male-matching players (MMP). Additionally, the small “2” on the lower right of the icon signifies that this point is the second male-matching point in a row, indicating that the next point will switch to female-matching “1”.

Fun fact: the male-matching and female-matching icons are from the WFDF graphic for hand signals, although I changed their shirt colors for clarity.

Distribution

I freely distributed copies of the tracking graphic to other captains of the SF Winter League. These graphics were printed double-sided, one side starting with an FMP, and the back showing the complementary graphic starting with a MMP.

Additionally, these graphics can be downloaded here:

If you have suggestions for improvement, please head on over to the “contact” page and let me know!