Ultimate Frisbee

A member of the Davis Dogs prepares a pass, Spring 2005.

Ultimate frisbee is a game that is popular at many college campuses. Many can be seen playing it in the quad or a park on a nice day.

In recent years, Ultimate Frisbee (aka: Ultimate) has become a competitive sport. UC Davis has two ultimate frisbee club teams: Pleiades (women) and the Davis Dogs (men). In addition to the club teams, there is also an IM league during Fall, Spring, and Summer quarters and Physical Education classes.

For more competitive play, there is one known club team in Davis, Night Train, that practices at Russel occasionally. You'll often see them doing sprints, Plyometrics, and drills. Also, every year on the first weekend in April, the Davis Dogs and the Pleiades host a tournament called the Davis Ultimate Invitational. The two teams will also host Northwest Regionals this year in mid-May.

Games in Davis include:

• PE Class Students only
  

• Intramural Sports UCD "people" only
  

• Davisultimate.com Goaltimate & Ultimate pickup and teams
  

• Yahoo Pickup Ultimate discussion & pickup game
  

• "Ticks" Pickup Very active Sunday pickup game
  

• SUPA Ultimate league, hat tourneys, discussion, etc.

The game requires two teams and a frisbee. Ultimate is governed my the "Spirit of the Game." There are no referees and players are encouraged to rat on themselves and play the game fairly and cleanly.

Rules:

• Each team has seven players on the field at one time (possibly more or less if it's a pickup game).
  

• The Field is a rectangular shape with endzones at each end. A regulation field is 70 yards by 40 yards, with endzones 25 yards deep.
  

• Each point starts with both teams lining up on the front of their respective endzone lines.
  

• Play begins with a long throw made by the defense to the offense. This serves as the kickoff. We call it a "pull".
  

• The offense moves the disc up the field by completing passes between teammates. Players may not run with the disc.
  

• The offensive player with the disc ("thrower") has ten seconds to throw the disc. The defender guarding the thrower ("marker") counts out the stall count.
  

• The defense tries to prevent this movement of the disc by forcing a bad pass or intercepting/knocking down a pass. A variety of "zone" and "man-to-man" defenses can be used. When a pass is not completed (e.g. out of bounds, drop, block, interception), the defense immediately takes possession of the disc and becomes the offense.
  

• Each time the offense completes a pass into the defense's endzone, the offense scores a point. After a score, there is a pause in the action during which both teams make substitutions and call plays. Offense becomes defense, and play resumes with a "pull" by the scoring team.
  

• Games are not timed, they are played to a score (traditionally, 11 or 13). A typical game lasts between one and two hours.
  

• Ultimate is a non-contact sport. A foul occurs when contact is made, however, incidental contact is often not considered a foul.

(Rules info taken from the Pleiades website at http://sportclubs.ucdavis.edu/womens-frisbee/)

For another fun game of flying discs, check out Disc Golf. Several other varients exist including goaltimate and Hot Box.