Ultimate FAQ

Imagine the intensity of defense in basketball, the joy of running across a grassy soccer field, and the diving catches and touchdowns of football. Now add a piece of flying plastic - that's a good estimate of what Ultimate is like!

Ultimate Frisbee or Ultimate Disc (more commonly known as frisbee, or simply, ultimate) is a non-contact sport for folks of all ages! It's usually played on a grass or turf field that's a little shorter and skinnier than a regulation soccer field, and usually played with 7 on 7, though you can play with any number of people on any surface (even snow). Each point starts with a kickoff-like throw, and then it's off to the races!

Here's the catch: you can't move if you're holding the disc, and you can only hold it for 10 seconds before you need to throw it again. The team on offense tries to score by passing (throwing) the disc up the field and eventually catching it in the opposing team's end zone, while the team on defense tries to block or intercept the offense's passes, or make them run out of time to throw a pass. You win by reaching 15 points, or by being ahead of the other team when time runs out, but watch out: if both teams are tied with no time left, it's sudden death! The game ends with a winner-take-all "universe" point.

Ultimate is a self-refereed sport! It relies on players knowing the rules, explaining them to each other, and calling their own fouls (whaaaaat?) when they occur during the game. For more info, check out usaultimate.org/rules or Ultimate in 10 Simple Rules.

There's no quick and dirty way to get better besides practicing! Throw discs and play ultimate with your friends, your family members, anyone who's willing to. Go play at a pickup game of ultimate somewhere in your area, or go to a clinic! If you're feeling ready, register for a league and see how it goes.

The bottom line is that to get better, you have to play more. Sure, watching games online helps (see our watch ultimate section), but going out and throwing for 20 minutes a day helps more. The more you get used to the mechanics of throwing, the easier it will be to focus learning the game. The more you get used to the basics of the game, the easier it will be to focus on fine-tuning your skills.

If you have 20 minutes in a day where you can throw with someone, practice going through your basic throws. Throw 10 consecutive backhand throws to each other. Then throw 10 consecutive forehand throws to each other. Try to make sure that you throw the disc completely flat; you don't want it to curve away from your partner, rise high into the air, or sink quickly into the ground. Then start to see how far away you can get and still complete the throws. Figure out your sweet spots and what you want to work on!

Each day you do this kind of focused throwing, add a new focus or change a detail. Maybe you start throwing more throws to each other, like 20 per person. Maybe you start figuring out how to step into your throws, and how to get low when you throw without altering your throwing form. Maybe you start to experiment with putting angles/arcs on your throws rather than trying to throw it perfectly flat. Keep at this work every day! Before you know it, throwing will feel so natural that you'll forget you ever didn't know how to throw a disc.

There are a ton of places you can find good quality ultimate games online! Check out the Watch Ultimate section of this site's header to find some of the places you can watch ultimate for free. If you're yearning for more and have the money to spend, check out ultiworld.com/video, which will require a paid subscription to access additional video content.