Ultimate Frisbee is basically football with a frisbee instead of a ball. When team members pass the ball, the receiver has to catch it or the other team gets it and tries to throw it into their endzone.
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The game, explained as simply as possible
Ultimate is played between two teams of seven players on a large rectangular pitch. A line drawn across the pitch at either end creates two "endzones" (like in American Football). These are the goal-scoring areas. A goal is scored when a team completes a pass to a player standing (or more likely running) in the endzone they are attacking.
Players cannot run with the disc. When you get the disc you must come to a stop and try to throw it to another player (a bit like Netball). By passing from player to player, the offense attempts to work the disc up the pitch towards the endzone they are attacking. If the disc hits the ground or is intercepted or knocked down by the other team, then the opposition takes possession (a change of possession is called a "turnover", like American Football). Possession also changes if a receiver is outside the playing area when he or she catches it.
The defending team attempts to stop the team with the disc from making progress up-field by marking them (as in soccer or Basketball). The theory is that the offense won't want to pass to a player who is being marked closely, as it's likely to result in an interception. So it boils down to the offense players trying to get free of their markers to receive a pass, while the defense makes every effort to stay with them in the hope of forcing a turnover.
Photo by Jon Hope
Fouls and "Spirit of the Game"
Ultimate is essentially non-contact; any contact between players can be declared a foul. There's a variety of other minor violations, but that's the big one.
Ultimate is unique in that it is refereed by the players themselves, even at World Championship level, according to a code of conduct known as "the Spirit of the Game". This places the responsibility for fair play on the players themselves. In that respect, playing Ultimate is a completely different experience to playing other sports. And believe it or not, Ultimate's system of self-refereeing works. Beautifully.
Ultimate Frisbee is played seven on seven on a field slightly smaller than a football field. The goal is to throw the Frisbee to your teammates without dropping the disc. Once you get the disc into the end zone you get a point. However, the person with the disc cannot run with the disc. First to 13 wins. It is actually more competitive than people think.
1. 2 teams
2. played on a field
3. use a Frisbee aka disc
4. must throw off to other team after TD or beginning of game.
5. play to an agreed number (11 or 21)
6. started in Columbia High School, NJ
7. Played inter-scholastically.
8. players must be honest about calls
9. must release disc in 10 secs or less.
10. if person a waits to pick up disc, person b on other team can force person a to start holding the disc
1:no physical contact
2:must stand where disc last landed or at the line of the begging