Ultimate Frisbee is a gender-neutral, non-contact, strategic and competitive team sport. It’s history traces back to 1968, when Joel Silver introduced the idea of the sport to the Columbia High School student council in New Jersey. When he proposed that the game be integrated into the school curriculum, the council passed the motion ‘as a joke.’ Anthony Nunez, coach of the school’s Ultimate team during the 1990s, explained that the sport was originally conceptualised as being an ‘anti-sport’ given how different it was from more popular forms of competitive sports at the time, such as Basketball or Rugby.
In 1972, the first ever college Ultimate match was held between Princeton and Rutgers. As time progressed, Ultimate Frisbee became popular not only within the United States, but also in France, the United Kingdom and eventually in India as well.
Given the sport’s history, a question that is often raised is whether Ultimate meets the criteria in order to be considered a ‘real-sport.’ However, given that there are over 5 million players who participate in Ultimate Tournaments in the United States alone and that the Olympic Committee officially recognises the game as a legitimate sport, its credibility can no longer be questioned.
When I joined Ashoka last year, I was exposed to the various sports that were offered on campus. While forms such as basketball and football were unsurprising, I (like many other Ashokans) could not miss the sight of discs flying through the air while people ran across the vast green field, looking at the sky to catch the disc. We soon learned that this unique game was called Ultimate Frisbee. Unlike the more common varieties of sports on campus, Ultimate was rather underrated. People had brushed it of as being a ‘cult’ of people who did not know how to play ‘an actual sport.’
My reckoning regarding Ultimate came after my best friend began participating in Ultimate Tournaments in our first semester in college. Before her inclusion in the team, I too was of the belief that Frisbee was not a serious sport. Her participation in frisbee helped me to pay more attention to the game, understand its nuances and I learnt that that there is more to Ultimate than what meets the eye.
Most forms of sports stress on competition. Victory is the driving force behind each game. Ultimate, however, focuses on ‘the spirit of the game.’ The emphasis is on working together as a unit, creating effective team strategies and planning. While competition in not discouraged, it is against the game’s philosophy to disrespect one’s fellow players in the process. Ensuring the maintenance of the spirit of Sportsmanship and enjoying the sport for what it is are important aspects of the game.
Ultimate is influenced by the principles of sports such as Rugby, Chess and Basketball. It is generally played on a rectangular field with ‘end-zones’ on each end. Seven members of each team line up at the end-zone line. One team is generally the offence, making the other the defence. The defence line throws the disc to the offence side (referred to as a pull) after which they run towards their scoring zone (the opponent’s end-zone). If the offence manages to complete a pass in their competition’s end zone, they score a point. Each point resets the game and the players return to form their lines at the end-zones. If the disc is dropped or intercepted, there is a change in possession that takes place.
The entire game is self-refereed. Players shoulder the responsibility of calling fouls and settling any misunderstandings. Disputes are always resolved in a peaceful manner through deliberation.
Ultimate was brought to Ashoka University by a group of Young India Fellows. Ever since then, the sport has been played extensively by members of the Undergraduate and YIF batches. Ashoka University is represented by two teams, the Ashoka Hawks and the Ashoka Hammerheads. Through their participation and their countless victories, they have made the University incredibly proud.
Drawn by people’s fascination to the sport, I participated in a few Ultimate practice sessions. From an outsider’s perspective, I can say that the sport is everything that it promises and more. The players are not just teammates or friends. They are practically family. The usual tension that one sees in competitive sport forms is absent in Ultimate. Everyone constantly encourages one another. Drops or fouls are not looked down on, instead everyone reassures the players and encourages them to keep their heads held high and play on. Constant chanting and hooting are used as a mechanism to boost confidence. The overall atmosphere is overwhelmingly positive.
Ultimate frisbee is more than just a sport, it a medium that teaches us that there is more to life than victory. While the game tests your endurance and reflexes, it also teaches you what it means to be a real sportsman. Perhaps the next time you stroll by the cricket fields and spot a disc in flight, take a moment or two out of your day and join in for a quick game. You will quickly learn why Ultimate is considered to be the University sport at Ashoka.
Edited By: Ananya Khandelwal