Ultimate, as with all sports, demands great athleticism, endurance and technical ability at its highest levels, but the rules of the game are basically very simple and so it’s easy for newcomers to get involved and enjoy the great game that it is.
Ultimate is a non contact sport played on a large rectangular pitch, similar to that of American Football, where you have two ‘end zones’: one on either end of the pitch. To score a point the team must catch the disc in the end zone, which they are attacking.
Players cannot run with the disc; so whilst they are in possession of the disc, they are limited to pivoting about one foot.
The basics of offence involve players without the disc trying to create space as team and then individually beating their mark to capitalise on the space created, so that they can receive the disc. In this way the disc is worked up towards the end zone.
A change of possession, or ‘turnover’, occurs when: the disc hits the floor, as a result of a drop or throwaway; an interception; or if the disc is caught out of bounds.
The defending team can either use a man marking or zone system to try and get a turnover.
Unique to ultimate is the ‘spirit of the game’. There are no referees and so the responsibility of fair play rests on the shoulders of the players. It might sound odd to newcomers, but this system of self-refereeing works and doesn’t detract from the sport’s competitiveness at all, if anything it adds to the game.
You can find out more about the rules online, but the best way to learn is by joining in and learning first hand.