I may start playing this game. Does anyone else play? Are these the general rules?
You should definitely start playing! Hubby and his law partner both played in law school. It is very big on college campuses. You will also find “club” teams in most areas.
The thing you might find most surprising is that Ultimate is a self-refereed game.
It is one hell of a workout, and injuries are fairly common as it is a run-stop-sudden change of direction-type sport. Stock up on ice packs, Tiger Balm and knee braces and enjoy!
When I was rowing in college, we’d play ultimate on our “fun” workout day. It can totally kick your ass as you basically wind up sprinting up and down the field after the frisbee. I pretty much suck a catching things so I’d just try to get in the other team’s way (kinda of scary when you’re a petite female and you’re playing with 6’+ guys. I don’t think you’re gonna have that problem, Wesley 
) and hope nobody would actually try to throw me the frisbee. And accidents can happen; one of the novice guys got a concussion from slamming into another player. So be careful. It’s fun but challenging…
You should definately start playing ultimate. I only started playing last year, and I love it. I’ve been to quite a few tournaments - both indoor and outdoor as well as beach tournaments. It is a great sport for having fun, and is a very good spirited game. It will, however, kick your ass if you’re not in shape. Or get you into shape which is always nice. It is a lot of running.
Yes. That pretty much sums up the most important rules that you need to get started. Another good site is this one. Here, you can find good descriptions on how to throw the disc, and basic strategy.
I hope that you do start playing, or at least go along to a practice or pick up game to see how you like it. There is usually a sense of an ultimate community which is always nice. If you have any more questions about it feel free to ask… I’ve never played in the US, but have played in the UK and now in NZ.
It’s much more fun if you play it with tackling. You can run with the Frisbee, but if you get tackled while holding it the other team gets it, so you have to throw quickly.
I started to play about 1.5 to 2 years ago. I play 3 to 4 times a week and have found the ultimate crowd to be the most welcoming group I’ve ever met. Most are extrordinarily patient with beginners. It takes a long time to learn how to really toss the disc really well.
First rule: It’s a disc, not a frisbee. Frisbee is a brand name.
Second rule: Learn what “spirit of the game” means and play by it.
Third rule: Have fun.
wolfman - You are thinking of rugby.
I have been playing Ultimate for 12 years now. Started in college and never really quit. The website on the parent post is a good begining explanation of the game basics. There is an Ultimate Frisbee organization called the UPA:
And there are lists of places to play, here is one:
http://www.upa.org/resources/pickup/pickup.shtml
Chances are any moderate size college town will have a frisbee team.
Ultimate is a good cardio workout, lots of sprints. You will learn different throws (to impress your friends at the beach), and meet a bunch of cool people. Ultimate players tend to be very inviting and encouraging, you shouldn’t be afraid to just show up to a game- someone will help you figure out how to play. I play in Chicago, your welcome here.
Peace,
Zoot
Been playing for years. Best sport ever. It’s as intense as full-on soccer, and is actually a better workout, since there is a significant upper-body component to it as well. It will hammer your ass until you get used to it.
For the official rules, go to www.upa.org. The UPA website has pickup and tournament games listed for all areas of the country, plus a store, photos, and rules.
I’d recommend playing for sure.
I’ve always wondered, actually, why it never became an Olympic event, in spite of years of players lobbying for it. It never seems to be taken seriously at all.
I used to play at summer camp. It was a lot of fun, god, those were the days. While about half the people I know who play now are the uber athletic types, the rest of us played for fun. At camp, we were all going through puberty and ergo akward as hell, I was 12ish, everyone else was male and 14ish, and we were all geeks, as I went to a camp for gifted children, ie, those too weird to fit in at normal summer camps. I miss it. I should find people to play with for fun here at school.
Oh, and my favorite way to describe it is that it is football with a Frisbee and less physical contact.
I play as well. It’s fun, a great workout, and the self-refereeing means that everyone keeps a pretty cool head most of the time.
The best part of learning Ultimate is being able to impress your non-Ultimate-playing friends with your repretoire of snazzy tosses. Like the hammer - it’s thrown over the head of the person guarding you and flies upside down through the air. Very cool once you master it.
Or the thumber! Or the push pass! Or the reverse discus! Or hell, the discus.
I love playing disc.
A player on my husband’s team in Boulder tried to perfect a “push-hammer” but it never worked quite right! 
I had a class in Ultimate and flag football my freshman year of college.
You gotta be in GOOD shape to play hard. I wasn’t, and I was gassed about 2 minutes in. The fact that virtually none of my teammates was in good shape either led to the development of our “hold the ball” offensive strategy, where you spread most of the field and bring the Frisbee forward slowly. That, and leaving someone back in defense.
It’s a fun game, and if I was living on-campus, I’d play more.
From what I’ve heard, the reason it isn’t an olympic sport is because it is self-refereed. This is unacceptable for the IOC. Observers are not a satisfactory option. Ultimate is definately hading in that direction though with drug tests being enforced at this years worlds. A poor decision IMHO.
Jesus christ, yes. Ultimate has drugs at the very deepest founding roots of it. Three quarters of the badass players I’ve ever known were raging potheads.