What is ultimate frisbee, and how do you start?

Ultimate looks like a park game that got serious, and in a sense it is. The disc floats, curves and hangs in the air in ways a ball never does, players sprint and dive, and then, astonishingly, everyone sorts out their own disagreements without a referee. For a team sport, it has an unusually friendly culture, and adult beginners are welcome almost everywhere it is played.

The game in plain words

The World Flying Disc Federation's rules sum it up neatly. In our own words:

• Seven players a side on a rectangular field, about half the width of a football pitch, with an end zone at each end.
• Score by catching a pass in the end zone you are attacking.
• No running with the disc. Once you catch it, you stop and pass in any direction to a teammate.
• Turnovers. Any time a pass is incomplete, dropped, intercepted or goes out, the other team takes possession and attacks the other way.
• Non-contact. Physical contact is not part of the game.
• Self-officiated. Players call their own fouls and sort them out themselves.
• Games are typically played to 15 goals or around 100 minutes, according to the WFDF rules; social games are often shorter.

Each point begins with a "pull", a long throw from one team to the other, a little like a kick-off.

The spirit of the game

This is what makes ultimate unusual. The WFDF describes the Spirit of the Game as a core part of the sport, more strongly emphasised than ordinary sportsmanship. Players are responsible for knowing and applying the rules, and the game assumes nobody will break them on purpose. When there is a foul, play resumes roughly as it would have done without it, rather than with a punishing penalty.

Good spirit includes being fair and honest when making calls, listening to the other side, withdrawing a call you no longer believe in, avoiding contact, and staying calm. After games, teams often score each other on spirit, and at tournaments there is a spirit award, which many players care about as much as the trophy.

For a newcomer, this means the atmosphere is usually encouraging, and disagreements are short conversations rather than shouting matches.

Mixed teams

Ultimate is played in single-gender and mixed formats, and mixed teams are a familiar sight in social leagues. The WFDF rules say mixed games should use an alternating 4:3 ratio on the field, so each point has four players of one gender and three of the other, switching through the game. It is one of the few team sports where mixed is a normal, competitive format rather than an afterthought.

How to start

• Find a club or social league. Search for ultimate clubs in your city, or check your national flying disc association. Many clubs run beginners' sessions, especially at the start of the season.
• Universities often have teams, and some clubs welcome adults of any age.
• Turn up in sports kit. Trainers are fine to start; many players later buy football or rugby boots with moulded studs for grip on grass.
• Learn the backhand throw first. Someone at the session will show you. The forehand, or flick, comes later.
• Ask questions. Players are used to explaining rules mid-game and are generally delighted to.

What to expect at first

You will spend a lot of time running towards where the disc was rather than where it is going. Catching a spinning disc is a new skill. Your throws will wobble. All normal. Most beginners find that within a few sessions they are making useful cuts, catching reliably and loving the game, and that the team social afterwards is half the point.