Played in more than 42 countries by hundreds of thousands of men and women, girls and boys, ultimate combines the non-stop movement and athletic endurance of soccer with the aerial passing skills of football. Ultimate is the third-most popular organized youth-sport in King County!
Ultimate Frisbee is a non-contact, self-officiated team field sport played with a Frisbee. USA Ultimate defines ultimate as a “Player defined and controlled non-contact team sport played with a flying disc on a playing surface with end zones in which all actions are governed by the ‘Spirit of the Game™.”
There are more than 5 million ultimate players worldwide, and more than 7,000 people play ultimate in Seattle.
Team Composition
A game is played by two teams of seven players. If they are mixed teams, the gender ratio is typically 4 men and 3 women. Players can only sub between points.
Field Setup
The field is a rectangular shape with two endzones at each end of the field. The field is 40 yards wide, 70 yards long with additional 20-yard long endzones at each end.
Objective
The game begins with each team in opposite endzones—sides and possession is determined by the flip before the game. The team with the disc indicates they are ready to start by raising a hand; the opposing team does the same when they are ready. The team starting with the disc is on defense, the team receiving the disc is on offense. Once a representative from each team has raised their hand, the initial pull (throw to the opposing team) is made and the disc is in play. To score, a team must pass to teammates, without traveling with the disc, and score in the endzone they were facing at the beginning of the point. The team that scores stays in the endzone they scored in while the other team walks to the opposite endzone. The next point begins once 7 players are on each endzone line and each team has indicated they are ready for play by raising a hand. Games are played to 15 points or to a time cap—usually 2 hours. Half time occurs when a teams scores 8 points.
The “Spirit of the Game” (SOTG) is a fundamental part of Ultimate that emphasizes fair play, conflict resolution, and respect for opponents. It is a self-officiated sport that places the responsibility of fair play solely on the athletes themselves, requiring each player to know the rules and make their own calls, without the help of a neutral official.
At BIU, we teach our students about the SOTG and encourage them to embody these values both on and off the field. We believe that by playing Ultimate, students can learn how to resolve conflicts peacefully, take responsibility for their actions, and show respect for others.
Playing Ultimate has many benefits for our student-athletes, including:
Physical Fitness: Ultimate is a fast-paced sport that requires players to run, jump, throw, and catch. By playing Ultimate, students can improve their cardiovascular health, endurance, agility, and hand-eye coordination.
Teamwork: Ultimate is a team sport that requires players to work together to achieve a common goal. By playing Ultimate, students can learn how to communicate effectively, collaborate with others, and build strong relationships.
Sportspersonship: Ultimate is a self-officiated sport that emphasizes fair play and respect for opponents. By playing Ultimate, students can learn how to resolve conflicts peacefully, take responsibility for their actions, and show respect for others.
from USA Ultimate, with thanks to Steve Courlang and Neal Dambra, 1991, for the development of “Ultimate in Ten Simple Rules”.
