About
Ultimate
Here is a simple overview of the game of Ultimate Frisbee, courtesy of
the official UPA website.
Combining the non-stop movement and athletic endurance
of soccer with the aerial passing skills of football, a game of Ultimate
is played by two seven-player squads with a high-tech plastic disc on
a field similar to football. The object of the game is to score by catching
a pass in the opponent’s end zone. A player must stop running while
in possession of the disc, but may pivot and pass to any of the other
receivers on the field. Ultimate is a transition game in which players
move quickly from offense to defense on turnovers that occur with a dropped
pass, an interception, a pass out of bounds, or when a player is caught
holding the disc for more than ten seconds. Ultimate is governed by Spirit
of the Game™, a tradition of sportsmanship that places the responsibility
for fair play on the players rather than referees. Ultimate is played
in more than 42 countries by hundreds of thousands of men and women, girls
and boys.
Ultimate in 10 Simple Rules
1. The Field: A rectangular shape with
end zones at each end. A regulation field is 70 yards by 40 yards, with
end zones 25 yards deep.
2. Initiate Play: Each point begins with both teams lining up on the front
of their respective end zone line. The defense throws ("pulls")
the disc to the offense. A regulation game has seven players per team.
3. Scoring: Each time the offense completes a pass in the defense's end
zone, the offense scores a point. Play is initiated after each score.
4. Movement of the Disc: The disc may be 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.
5. Change of Possession: When a pass in not completed (e.g. out of bounds,
drop, block, interception), the defense immediately takes possession of
the disc and becomes the offense.
6. Substitutions: Players not in the game may replace players in the game
after a score and during an injury timeout.
7. Non-contact: No physical contact is allowed between players. Picks
and screens are also prohibited. A foul occurs when contact is made.
8. Fouls: When a player initiates contact on another player a foul occurs.
When a foul disrupts possession, the play resumes as if the possession
was retained. If the player committing the foul disagrees with the foul
call, the play is redone.
9. Self-Officiating: Players are responsible for their own foul and line
calls. Players resolve their own disputes.
10. 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.
For the complete offical rules of Ultimate, visit this
section of the UPA website.
All the following photos are by Bil Elsinger.
