PORTLAND, Ore – Almost 5 million people around the world play one of summer’s hottest sports: ultimate Frisbee, or ultimate for short.
 
The elements of ultimate are simple: a field, people and a plastic disc (the name Frisbee is actually a registered trademark of the Wham-O toy company but is often used to generically refer to flying discs).
 
Ultimate was started by high school students in New Jersey during the 1960s after a group of friends decided to throw, chase and catch the disc. Forty years later, the game has now become popular among college students and all types of people.

The rules of ultimate are straightforward, borrowing elements from sports you probably already know to play (Click here for the official rules from the Ultimate Players Association).

To score a point, you catch the disc inside an end zone, which is like football. When you catch the disc in the middle of the field, no traveling is allowed and you must plant your feet. However, you are allowed to pivot, which is like basketball.

Since ultimate is a non-contact sport, you’re not allowed to tackle anyone. Still, ultimate can be a rough sport.

The game ends once a team reaches a certain number of points, usually to 11, 13 or 15.

To play ultimate, you need to master the basic throws. The backhand is how most people grew up throwing discs. Hold the disc with all fingers on it and set the proper pivot foot. If you’re a right-handed person, your proper pivot foot is your left foot. Then, swing the disc across your body in a straight line and release.

The other essential throw is the forehand flick. Hold the disc with only your pointer and middle finger inside the disc, keeping the same pivot foot. Step to the side, flick your wrist toward your target and release the disc.

When you’re out in the field on offense, run towards the end zone and try to catch the disc. Making sharp cuts gives the thrower options and is a good way to lose the people who are guarding you so you can be open for a pass because the thrower only has ten seconds to throw the disc.
 
When you’re on defense, you can slap down the disc or intercept a pass by the opposing team. Whoever is guarding the thrower has to count to ten saying “stall one, stall two” and so on.

Part of what makes the game fast-paced is the constant turnovers. Turnovers happen:

• when an opposing member slaps down the disc in mid-air
• when no one catches it
• when the person with the disc fails to throw it by ten stalls
• when the disc is thrown or caught out of bounds

For more information and a schedule of ultimate games and tournaments around Portland, visit the Portland Ultimate Frisbee Federation’s website.