Company Ultimate Frisbee

The Company Section Ultimate Frisbee competition will be held on Friday 16th June at New Grounds, Harlington, starting at 7pm.  This competition will only work outside. It is recommended that players wear boots with studs to minimise slipping, especially if wet.

The basic rules of Ultimate are as follows:

• The two teams begin at opposite end zones and try to advance the disc to the other end zone. The disc is put into play by one team throwing off to the other team. This throw-off is called the pull. Once in play, the disc may be moved only by passing, so the player holding the disc must stay put (but may pivot on one foot). If a team successfully advances the disc into the end zone, that team scores a point, the teams swap directions, and the team that scored pulls to the other team. If a defender intercepts the disc in the end zone no point is scored and the game simply continues with the defender throwing the disc to a team mate. If he or she fails to throw the disc within a counted ten seconds, possession will pass back to the other team who must then complete a pass in the end zone to score a point.

• If a pass is incomplete, intercepted, or caught out of bounds, the opposing team immediately gains possession and tries to move the disc in the other direction. Another way to change possession is that the player holding the disc, called the thrower, has a limited time to throw the disc: A defensive player within 10 feet of the thrower may loudly count to 10 (unless counted by the referee), and if the disc is not thrown within 10 seconds, the defense immediately gains possession. This defensive player is called the marker, and the audible count is called the stall count.

• The game is played until a time limit is reached (probably 2 halves of around 4 minutes). We will play games for a set period of time depending upon the number of teams taking part. If there are extra boys or girls attending we will try to form a scratch team to ensure everyone who wants to play can.

• Under the professional rules, there are four 10-minute quarters. At the end of four quarters, whoever has the most goals wins. If there is a tie at the end of four quarters, an additional 5-minute OT period is played. If there is a still a tie after the OT period, one point is played and whoever scores wins.

• The club game is typically played until an end condition is reached, typically a time limit or when one team reaches a certain number of points.

• A club regulation game features teams of up to 7 players each, with substitutions allowed between points and during injuries. Five players may be on the field of play at any one time. A USA Ultimate regulation field is 110m by 37m, including end zones each 23m deep. We will use a pitch of a size in proportion, as close as possible, to this size.  Ignore the brick mark shown below.

One key aspect of Ultimate is that it is self-refereed; the spirit of the game is important and fits well along-side what we'd expect from a BB competition:

While Professional Ultimate uses a refereed system, club Ultimate is known for its "Spirit of the Game", often abbreviated SOTG. Club Ultimate's self-officiated nature demands a strong spirit of sportsmanship and respect. The following description is from the official rules established by USA Ultimate:

Ultimate has traditionally relied upon a spirit of sportsmanship which places the responsibility for fair play on the player. Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of the bond of mutual respect between players, adherence to the agreed upon rules of the game, or the basic joy of play. Protection of these vital elements serves to eliminate adverse conduct from the Ultimate field. Such actions as taunting of opposing players, dangerous aggression, intentional fouling, or other 'win-at-all-costs' behaviour are contrary to the spirit of the game and must be avoided by all players.

Many tournaments give awards for the most spirited team, as voted for by all the teams taking part in the tournament.

People may wish to visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_(sport) for more details. We will encourage self-refereeing but ask officers in charge of each team to supervise as necessary. We will have a final arbiter present (a current Bangor University player) in case clarification or dispute resolution is required. Her decision will be final.

Ultimate is a non-contact sport so SS and CS boys and girls can be on the same team. However, given the inexperience of the players, the organisers reserve the right to limit the use of large Seniors in teams where their behaviour appears to constitute a threat to the safety of other players.

There will be a tuck shop but players are advised to bring a water bottle as well as spending money. Hopefully hats and sun cream will also be required!

Please contact Martin Wallis Wednesday 14th June to confirm your entries.