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IMAGINE A SPORT with a little taste of basketball, football, soccer, lacrosse, and freeze-tag all molded together and linked by a flying disc. The game of ultimate frisbee blends principles visible throughout the American sports landscape into an exciting, athletic, competitive game. Conceived by the "flower generation," ultimate frisbee now claims more than 100,000 participants in over 42 countries. Better known simply as "ultimate," the sport has consistently gained in popularity since its creation in New Jersey more than 30 years ago. Ultimate frisbee exemplifies the American spirit. Where else could an organized sport blossom from a toy-fad? Hula-Hoops, Slinkies, and Frisbees took a nation by storm and intrigued the population with their simplicities. From the flying disc craze a team sport, representative of its time period, evolved. Known for its intensity, its fast-paced action, and its utopian outlook on the competitive instinct, ultimate dares to buck the norm in competitive athletics. For a sport with winners and losers, the mantra of "make love, not war," resides deep within its foundation. Ultimate players commonly display a respect for an arbitrary foe rarely seen in today's society. Those overtones feed the misconception that ultimate is a sport played by stoners and hippies. At a competitive level that stereotype is false. Ultimate requires endurance, hand-eye coordination, speed, strategy, and heart. The elite in ultimate compare favorably to the best of other mainstream sports in athleticism and skill. Ultimate expects fair play, not playing high. Recreational, club, collegiate, and professional leagues for all ages can be found across the globe. To those who embrace ultimate, the game has become an obsession and, at times, a way of life. The History- The Frisbee The flying disc, now lovingly referred to as the Frisbee, originated as the brainchild of Walter Frederick Morrison. Morrison pioneered the concept of selling a flying disc as a recreational toy. He marketed his early designs in southern California, and the toy quickly sprinkled itself along the beaches. In 1955 the owners of the toy company Wham-O approached Morrison about his product. Morrison agreed to a partnership, and a few years later the flying disc fad exploded. So, from where did the term "Frisbee," originate? The answer lies in a bakery in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The Frisbie Pie Company was founded in 1871 and continued to produce a variety of baked goods through the 1950s. The legend follows that Yale University students frequently purchased baked goods, including pies, from Frisbie. Unable to resist the temptation to throw things, the pies and their tin containers regularly became recreational projectiles. Entertained by their graceful flight, the activity of Frisbee-ing increased in popularity among students. When Wham-O executives sampled their innovative products at Harvard, they learned that their idea was not so novel. "Frisbee-ing," had apparently spread through the Ivy League as a quirky pastime. Wham-O, oblivious to the name's history, adopted the phrase, and the icon was born. "Ultimate" What started as a hoax at a high school newspaper ultimately became a structured after -school activity. A few students modified the rules of frisbee football and shaped them into the game now called ultimate. The original field for ultimate was a parking lot at Columbia High School in Maplewood, NJ. The lot hosted pick-up games through 1968 when the community began taking notice. On November 7, 1970, Columbia High School crushed Millburn High 43-10 in the first interscholastic game of ultimate. The same men who invented the sport as high school students sparked its popularity at the collegiate level. In 1972 the State University of New Jersey participated in the first intercollegiate ultimate frisbee game. Rutgers beat Princeton University 29-27 on the anniversary of another inaugural sporting event. One hundred and three years earlier, on the same field, the two New Jersey schools had faced each other in the first intercollegiate football game. The Basics At first glance, ultimate appears to be a simple game. Two teams attempt to move the disc from one side of the field to the other. To score, one team must possess the disc in its opponent's end-zone. The team which scores the most points wins the game. The remaining basics of organized ultimate are outlined below in ten simple rules as written by the Ultimate Players Association (www.upa.org): 1. The Field - A rectangular shape with endzones at each end. A regulation field is 70 yards by 40 yards, with endzones 25 yards deep. 2. Initiate Play - Each point begins with both teams lining up on the front of their respective endzone 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 endzone, 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. Foul - When a player initiates contact on another player a foul occurs. When a foul disrupts possession, the play resumes as if the possession were retained. If the player committing the foul disagrees with the foul call, the play is redone. 9. Self-Refereeing- 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. The Details A common misconception is that ultimate players merely run erratically while throwing a disc. The intricacies and nuances of running, throwing, and catching separate the elite of the sport from the casual participant. RUNNING. Players should not and do not run rampant and randomly across the field. Complex schemes, routes, and detailed plays are executed to perfection by the premier in the game. Learning the features of an effective zone or man defense is as integral to a squad's success as it is in basketball or football. THROWING. Throwing a disc is sort of like a tennis stroke or a golf swing. Standards exist that some abide by, but each player possesses a unique style which defines his or her throw. The forehand, backhand, hammer, and scoober are just a few of the more common throwing styles. Learning when and where to use a type of throw is part of the ultimate learning process. CATCHING. Catching a disc is not that easy. On a windy day at the beach many otherwise coordinated individuals prove that point. Several styles of catching exist, and refining one's ability to make the difficult catch is integral to his or her success. The Distinguishing Factor The tenth basic rule included above distinguishes ultimate from other sports. What may seem like a futile attempt at "fair play" is held sacred by those most dedicated to the sport. Below is an excerpt from the Official Rules of Ultimate (ninth edition) regarding "Spirit of the Game": Ultimate has traditionally relied upon a spirit of sportsmanship which places the responsibility for fair play on the player himself. Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of the bond of mutual respect between players, adherence to the agreed-upon rules of the game, or the basic joy of play. Protection of these vital elements serves to eliminate adverse conduct from the Ultimate field. Such actions as taunting of opposing players, dangerous aggression, intentional fouling, or other 'win at all costs' behavior are contrary to the spirit of the game and must be avoided by all players." Some involved with the sport frown on the connotation commonly associated with "the spirit." The code in no way implies that ultimate is a no-contact sport played by the frail and addicted. It merely holds those who compete to a level of ethics unparalleled in modern sports. The identity of the game, and those who play, is directly linked to this idealistic code. Players do not just honor "the spirit" in theory; each game played showcases the prevalence of "the spirit" and its effect on the game. NO REFERREES. That's right, at almost all levels this game is completely player-officiated. Only at the premier events will "observers" mediate any discrepancies. Even at these highest levels the game is called by the players with the "observers" assisting only when necessary. No other organized competitive sport can make this claim. In the vast majority of cases the competitors respect the rulings made by their opponents. The concept, to some naïve but certainly refreshing, works incredibly well. NO PENALTIES. It is understood that in the heat of battle fouls will transpire. If a foul should occur the guilty team is in no way penalized for the infraction. The other team is simply granted the disc in a position consistent with where it might have ended if the infraction did not occur. Why not penalize a team? The lack of premeditation separates the infractions in ultimate from those in other sports. The game assumes fouls to be unintentional and handles them as such. Fouls are inevitable but intentional infractions are rare in ultimate. THE STALL COUNT. When guarding a player the "mark" begins a count to ten. The holder must pass the disc before the count of ten or turn the disc over. So, how does ultimate guarantee a fair count? The simple answer is, it doesn't. If a player believes a "mark" counted fast, he or she will call "fast count." The holder then receives two additional seconds to hold the disc. In most sports this loose rule would often become a point of contention. In ultimate the respect between opposing teams significantly limits any conflicts. THE CELEBRATIONS. Many sports include some show of sportsmanship at the end of a game. Soccer players exchange jerseys and football players shake hands. Songs of respect, entertaining chants, and late night social gatherings commonly bring to close a weekend of ultimate games. How and why to get involved All you need is a disc. Even at the highest level, no differences exist between the 175-gram flying discs other than cosmetic preferences. For a few dollars an entire team can be ready to play. Pick-up games of ultimate pop up at local parks and fields nationwide. As an alternative to the established sports of today, ultimate offers a unique and uplifting opportunity for exercise. It is complex enough to leave room for improvement, yet simple enough to pick up quickly. Ultimate frisbee may also be the one game which truly abides by an overused but truthful cliché: It is just a game. For more on ultimate and to get involved go to: Brett Zarda B-GS doesn't play ultimate, but enjoys long walks on the beach and candlelight dinners. |
copyright © 2002, The College
Hill Independent
last updated 11 22 02
If Brett Zarda weren't such an athlete, he'd have to play pen