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Teenagers from the Columbia High School in [Maplewood, N.J.]? invented the game of Ultimate initially as a joke in 1968. The school council president and newspaper editor [Joel Silver]? proposed a school Frisbee team on a whim in the fall of 1967. That spring a group of students got together to play what Silver claimed to be the "ultimate sports experience" by adapting the game Frisbee Football in 1968. Silver, now a Hollywood film producer ([48 Hours]?, [Weird Science]?, [Lethal Weapon]?, [Die Hard]?, The Matrix), first played Frisbee Football at a camp in [Mount Hermon, Massachusetts]? in the summer of 1967. The students were not very athletic, either nerds or druggies--a hallmark of Ultimate even today. While the rules governing movement and scoring of the disc have not changed, the early Columbia High games had no sidelines, no limit to team size, and allowed referees. Gentlemanly (and ladylike) behavior and gracefulness were held high. The first intercollegiate competition was held between Rutgers? and Princeton on Nov. 6, 1972, the 103rd anniversary of the first intercollegiate football game, and at the same site on the Rutgers New Brunswick campus. The popularity of the game quickly spread, taking hold as an free-spirited alternative to traditional organized sports. Men would often play the game in skirts, and some would smoke marijuana on the sidelines. In recent years college ultimate has attracted a greater number of "traditional" athletes raising the level of competition and athleticism while preserving its original spirited roots. |
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Teenagers from the Columbia High School in [Maplewood, N.J.]? invented the game of Ultimate initially as a joke in 1968. The school council president and newspaper editor [Joel Silver]? proposed a school Frisbee team on a whim in the fall of 1967. That spring a group of students got together to play what Silver claimed to be the "ultimate sports experience" by adapting the game Frisbee Football in 1968. Silver, now a Hollywood film producer ([48 Hours]?, [Weird Science]?, [Lethal Weapon]?, [Die Hard]?, The Matrix), first played Frisbee Football at a camp in [Mount Hermon, Massachusetts]? in the summer of 1967. The students were not very athletic, either nerds or druggies--a hallmark of Ultimate even today. While the rules governing movement and scoring of the disc have not changed, the early Columbia High games had no sidelines, no limit to team size, and allowed referees. Gentlemanly (and ladylike) behavior and gracefulness were held high. The first intercollegiate competition was held between Rutgers? and Princeton on Nov. 6, 1972, the 103rd anniversary of the first intercollegiate football game, and at the same site on the Rutgers New Brunswick campus. The popularity of the game quickly spread, taking hold as a free-spirited alternative to traditional organized sports. Men would often play the game in skirts, and some would smoke marijuana on the sidelines. In recent years college ultimate has attracted a greater number of "traditional" athletes, raising the level of competition and athleticism, and providing a challenge to its orignal spirited roots. |
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Following the "Spirit of the Game" (or simply "Spirit"), the game is self-governed. Players call their own fouls and line violations. If a call is disputed, the play is redone. This policy of self-governance has come under assault in recent years, as tournament play has become increasingly competitive, and prolonged disputes, unsportsmanlike conduct, and even outright confrontations became endemic. With the introduction of new rules (the X-Rules or Callahan Rules), referees, called "observers", have been introduced. An observer can only resolve a dispute if the players involved ask for his judgement. The only active calls observers have the power to make are line calls (in versuses out of bounds or endzones)and down calls (actively ruling if the disc has touched the ground). Misconducts can also be given by an observer, but they are extremely rare and the ramifications for misconduct fouls are not well defined. The introduction of observers is an attempt by the UPA to allow games to run smoothly and become more "crowd-friendly". The Ultimate community is split between two camps: those who hold the Spirit of the Game to be the very identity of Ultimate and those who believe Spirit to be an excuse for lazy, non-competitive play. |
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Following the "Spirit of the Game" (or simply "Spirit"), the game is self-governed. Players call their own fouls and line violations. If a call is disputed, the play is redone. This policy of self-governance has come under assault in recent years, as tournament play has become increasingly competitive, and prolonged disputes, unsportsmanlike conduct, and even outright confrontations became endemic. With the introduction of new rules (the X-Rules or Callahan Rules), referees, called "observers", have been introduced. An observer can only resolve a dispute if the players involved ask for his judgment. The only active calls observers have the power to make are line calls (in versus out of bounds or endzones) and down calls (actively ruling if the disc has touched the ground). Misconducts can also be given by an observer, but they are, as of 2001, extremely rare and the ramifications for misconduct fouls are not well defined. The introduction of observers is an attempt by the UPA to allow games to run smoothly and become more "crowd-friendly". The Ultimate community is split between two camps: those who hold the Spirit of the Game to be the very identity of Ultimate and those who believe Spirit to be an excuse for lazy, non-competitive play. |
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Still, most players try to preserve its egalitarian roots. There are many "pick-up" tournaments outside the championship circuit, including "hat tournaments," in which teams are selected on the day of play by picking names out of a hat. Pick-up tournaments are generally held over a weekend, and afford players the chance to socialize and party at night as well as play during the day. In addition, less formal games of pick-up are frequent in parks and fields across the globe, often with the same people who play on nationally or globally competitive teams. Nearly whenever people are playing Ultimate, or simply practicing throws, interested newcomers are welcome to join, with people willing to spend time teaching them the throws and maneuvers necessary to play. |
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Still, most players try to preserve its egalitarian roots. There are many "pick-up" tournaments outside the championship circuit, including "hat tournaments," in which teams are selected on the day of play by picking names out of a hat. Pick-up tournaments are generally held over a weekend, and afford players the chance to socialize and party at night as well as play during the day. In addition, less formal games of pick-up are frequent in parks and fields across the globe, often with the same people who play on nationally or globally competitive teams. Nearly whenever people are playing Ultimate, or simply practicing throws, interested newcomers are welcome to join, with people willing to spend time teaching them the throws and maneuvers necessary to play. |
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