The Ultimate Misconception - What You Need to Know About Ultimate Frisbee

1. What makes ultimate unique?

Ultimate is a sport that almost anyone can be good at. Your basic needs are a good athletic body – and that is it. Of course, there are still skills you need to learn, and you must be able to learn the schemes your team will run. But it is not so complicated of a sport like football, where you must dedicate yourself to years of skill development, film study and strength training to compete at a high level. Heck, I can count on one hand the number of guys on this year’s men’s ultimate roster at Liberty who had legitimate ultimate experience before setting foot on campus. And this year’s team was the best Liberty has ever seen. - Simmons

There are several unique things about the sport, such as halftime rules and caps. But one of my favorite things about ultimate is the self-governance rules. Rather than having referees, the players on the field are the ones who decide if a foul or violation has occurred. The game has a strong spirit to it and integrity is a key value, which you do not see often in many sports. Rather than players flopping to sell a foul to a referee, players play aggressive, work through disagreements about fouls, and overall remain honest. - Taylor

2. What skills are required to play?

Aside from being athletically inclined, you will need to have an appropriate level of endurance. You can run anywhere from 16-20 miles over a weekend tournament (depending on how much you play), and ultimate is a fast-paced sport. You will need to at least be able to throw a backhand and a forehand, the latter of which many people struggle with. Once you gain confidence in those two throws, you can add more complicated throws to your arsenal. - Simmons

First, you must be physically fit and have strong levels of endurance. I have easily run 5+ miles in a game before. You must have strong athleticism, and while you do not have to be the guy who lays out for every disc or who has a 40-inch vertical, you still need to be athletic. Strong hand-eye coordination is involved both for throwing and catching the disc. Being able to read the game and know the right throw, the right cut to make, and being able to execute this are of course important too. Finally, mental toughness is huge. There are offensive plays, various kinds of man and zone defenses, and much more just like any other major sport. Trying to keep all this in mind while at the end of the second hour of the game with a championship on the line and having run multiple miles already can be extremely difficult. - Taylor

3. What is a common misconception about the sport?

Many think that ultimate frisbee is - for a lack of a better word - lame. I am no longer surprised by the bewildered look on the faces of my friends and family members when I mention that I play ultimate. The only exposure that most people must ultimate are the pick-up games in their backyards, which are a measly representation of the organized sport. In high-level competition, you will highly conditioned athletes who can jump incredibly high for acrobatic catches, dive for absurd layout blocks, throw the disc 60 yards with ease and who will run nearly 20 miles over a weekend tournament where they will play anywhere from 5-6 games. The organized version of the sport is anything but lame. - Simmons

I mean I feel like the things that jump out right away are the stereotypes from people who do not consider it a sport, but something that just hippies did, something that requires no athletic ability, or even just the same thing as disc golf. The sport is highly physical and athletic, just watch any highlight video on YouTube or any of the countless plays that have made SportsCenter’s Top 10. Players must be in physical shape and run as much as a soccer player, while having the athleticism more so of a wide receiver. To truly make it, you must be an absolute top athlete. - Taylor

4. Is it an NCAA sport?

The NCAA does not recognize ultimate as a sport because games are officiated by players and not referees. Players make their own calls and settle their own disputes, making sure to follow certain guidelines for conflict resolution during a game. Therefore, the highest-level of ultimate anyone can play in college is D-1 Club. - Simmons

No, it is not. Ultimate is governed by USA Ultimate and at the college level is considered a club sport. There are men’s, women’s, and a co-ed (mixed) division which is different from the NCAA. - Taylor

5. Favorite memory?

The ultimate season has three rounds of playoffs: sectionals, regional and nationals. We hosted our sectional tournament my first year, and on the last game of the first day, we squared off against William & Mary, one of the best teams in our section. We were down 9-8, and I had just made a deep cut down the near sideline. I looked at Dan Mills – who had the disc – and he and I both saw that if I cut to the opposite side of the field, I would have an easy score. Dan threw a dime into open space, and I ran and caught it to draw the score even at nine. I screamed at the top of my lungs after scoring, knowing the importance of that last play. I get goosebumps thinking about it. It was one of those rare moments of chemistry I have experienced with a teammate where we both understood the situation within a fraction of a second and executed it perfectly. On the next point, we broke William & Mary thanks to a layout grab by our captain Josh Sumpter to win 10-9. That was one of the most important games in our program's history, and we would go on to earn our first bid to regionals the next day. - Simmons

That is a great question. While I might risk sounding like a complete loser stuck in the past, I would have to say when my high school team won our conference championship. It was our first year as an official team and everything just came together at the end of the season. We had two guys who played college basketball on the team and even one guy who played in a couple of games who went on to be a football starter at the University of Georgia. Anyways, we hosted the conference championship game at our school against a team way better than us, but we had a solid 400+ people show up. Our previous best was no more than 5 parents. We absolutely crushed them, had all the “fans” rush the field, and the guy who made the winning score break his collarbone because of the rush. Overall, it was an awesome moment to be a part of. - Taylor

6. What is the professional outlook for the sport?

Although professional athletes do not make much money from playing, there is still a thriving professional scene across the country. From PoNY (Pride of New York) on the east coast to Seattle Sockeye on the west coast, the club scene boasts bright starts such as Jimmy Mickle, Dylan Freechild and Rowan McDonald. Additionally, the United States is gaining prominance in the national scene. In 2016, the American men’s team defeated Japan to take home gold in World Ultimate Championships and Guts Championships. - Simmons

The professional outlook is quite bright. Multiple leagues have come and gone, but the AUDL has been around for a few years now and seems to be getting stronger and stronger. Some of the most famous ultimate players, such as Brodie Smith, have played in the league and helped make it what it is today. In addition, “club” leagues run by USA Ultimate are extremely strong as well. Not all top players play in the AUDL, but almost every player playing post-college plays club ultimate. The national championships every year are incredible to watch. - Taylor

Authors - John Simmons and Christian Taylor