Ultimate Frisbee: A Beginner's Guide

Ultimate Frisbee is one of the fastest growing sports in both the UK and USA – but something of a mystery to many.
We’ve worked with a range of Ultimate Frisbee teams over the years, and have been privileged to be part of the growth in the UK and Europe.
Although we are seeing this growth, the general consensus within the sport lies with a basic misunderstanding of the fundamental rules. With that in mind, we’ve written a brief introduction to help you understand the sport easily.
In its basic form, Ultimate Frisbee is a game with two teams – generally with seven players in each team.  It is mainly played on grass (although sand is also a popular surface) and features a pitch that can be compared to the length of a football field with less width.
Either side of the pitch are the ‘end zones’ – this is the 18m zone at the end of each end  that a teams attacking players will be running into to receive the frisbee and, if caught, score. Players cannot run with the disc in hand and when a player catches the disc, they must come to a stop – therefore sharing similarities with netball movement.
The way a team moves upfield is by working together, throwing it from player to player. The defending team can take possession if the frisbee touches the ground from a player by the attacking team that has failed or, alternatively, if they intercept the frisbee by catching it or knocking it to the ground whilst mid air.
Fouls can occur if there is contact between players; it has to be stressed that Ultimate Frisbee is a non-contact sport with strict rules outlawing any type of man-handling.
The winner of an ultimate frisbee match is determined by which team hits a previously decided number of goals – this typically being between 15 and 17 goals at which point the match will end.
Why the sudden popularity within the sport?
It is a sport whereby women can play with little disadvantage to men, because it is not a contact sport, and qualities such as speed and agility are just as important as height/size. It is also a sport that is not often played at school and therefore it is relatively easy to become a competitive player in a short period of time unlike other sports that can take years to reach a level of competitive play.
This makes ultimate frisbee a fun sport to play in a group while providing a healthy form of exercise and strong social gatherings amongst a close community.
To find out more about Ultimate Frisbee or to find a local team, visit the official governing body’s website by clicking here. If you’re already part of a team and looking to purchase ultimate frisbee kit, you can view our range by clicking here.