Ultimate teams made up of seven players gather at their respective end of the field in anticipation to start the game. Defense starts the point by throwing the Frisbee (or disc) to the offense.

“The main reason I play [ultimate] is because it is good cardio. It’s also just a lot of fun,” said ultimate player Devin Smith.

The disc can be thrown in any direction, but players cannot run while holding the disc. However, players can pivot in any direction and have ten seconds to throw the disc. A team is able to score by passing the disc to a teammate in the opposing team’s end zone.

When the offense doesn’t complete a pass by either throwing it out of bounds, dropping it, throwing an interception, the opposing team blocking it, etc., the defense
takes possession.

Ultimate is a “no contact sport.” This means players cannot come into physical contact with another player. If a player does, a foul is called.
However, ultimate is typically played as a self-refereeing sport. Fouls have to be called and resolved by the players.

Columbia High School students, more specifically David Leiwant,
started ultimate Frisbee in 1968 according to www.ultimatehandbook.com.

“That year, staff members of the school’s newspaper, The Colombian, and student council members developed an entirely new sport as a gag and an activity for their high school nights. Led by Joel Silver — the willful, if somewhat arrogant, member of the Council and the newspaper — the students adapted the rules of Frisbee football and ultimately invented the fast-moving team sport we know today. The sport of ultimate,” according to
www.ultimatehandbook.com. 

Katie Petersen