Ultimate

Ultimate (also known as Ultimate Frisbee in reference to the Frisbee brand of flying discs) is a non-contact team sport played with a flying disc. The objective of the game is to score points by passing the disc to a player in the opposing team's end zone, similar to an end zone in American football or rugby. Players cannot run with the disc, and must keep a pivot while holding the disc.

History

The sport was developed in 1968 by a group of high school students in Maplewood, New Jersey. The first official rules of the game were drawn up in 1970. Ultimate has since grown globally, with millions of players in more than 80 countries.

Gameplay

Each game starts with both teams lining up on their respective end zones. The defense throws ("pulls") the disc to the offense. A regulation game has seven players per team.

The disc is advanced in any direction by completing a pass to a teammate. Players may not run with the disc. The person with the disc ("thrower") has ten seconds to throw the disc. The defender guarding the thrower ("marker") counts out the stall count.

If a pass is not completed (e.g. out of bounds, drop, block, interception), the defense immediately takes possession of the disc and becomes the offense.

Spirit of the Game

Ultimate stresses sportsmanship and fair play. Competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of respect between players, adherence to the rules, and the basic joy of play.

Governing Bodies

The World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) is the international governing body for disc sports, including Ultimate. In the United States, the sport is governed by USA Ultimate (USAU).

See Also

• Disc golf
• Guts (flying disc game)
• Double Disc Court