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Ultimate Frisbee |
"Ultimate frisbee combines speed, grace and powerful hurling with a greuling pace." The Wall Street JournalSpirit of the GameOne of the about Ultimate that sets it apart from other competitive sports is that it is refereed by the players themselves, according to a code of conduct known as "the Spirit of the Game". This code 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! Excerpts from the Official Rules of Ultimate: 10th Edition From the Preface:"The integrity of Ultimate depends on each player's responsibility to uphold the Spirit of the Game, and this responsbility should not be taken lightly." From Section 1. Introduction, item B. "Spirit of the Game. Ultimate relies upon a spirit of sportsmanship which places the responsibility for fair play on the player. Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense 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, belligerent intimidation, intentional fouling, or other 'win at all costs' behavior are contrary to the Spirit of the Game and must be avoided by all players." The GameThe game, explained as simply as possible. Ultimate is played between two teams of seven players on a large rectangular field. A line drawn across the field at either end creates two "endzones" (like in football). These are the goal-scoring areas. A goal is scored when a team completes a pass to a player in the endzone they are attacking. The FieldThe field is a rectangular shaped field and the dimensions are 120 yards in length and 40 yards wide. Simple RulesPlayers cannot run with the disc. When you get the disc you must come to a stop and try to throw it to another player. By passing from player to player, the offence attempts to work the disc up the field 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. This is called a turnover. 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 upfield by marking them. The theory is that the offence 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 offence players trying to get free of their markers to receive a pass, while the defence makes every effort to stay with them in the hope of forcing a turnover. FoulsUltimate is essentially a non-contact sport. Any contact between players can be declared a foul (but is not necessarily always a foul). There's a variety of other minor violations, but that's the big one. |