Hammers, Championships, and Spirit: A Fresh Look at Ultimate Frisbee

With two minutes left on the clock, Grant Lindsley of the New York Empire launched a forehand throw from midfield. Cowbells clanged and “oohs” and “ahhs” filled the air as the frisbee darted 50 yards across the field, its white shell piercing the purple clouds of the summer evening sky. As the disc began its descent, two players sprang up from the ground, one vying to catch the disc and the other vehemently attempting to knock it away. The audience watched in suspense as it hung in the air until it was finally caught by the tallest person on the field—6’6’’ Empire player Ben Jagt—who came down with the disc tightly secured in both hands. With that, the Empire’s lead over the Dallas Roughnecks increased to 25-22, garnering immense applause from the bleachers. It was momentous for the Empire, as the team had all but sealed its victory in the 2019 American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL) Championship game.

The NY Empire went on to win the national championship game with a final score of 26-22, capping off a season that was historic in many ways. The Empire went undefeated throughout the entirety of its season, becoming the first team in AUDL history to do so and leading the franchise to its first-ever championship.

While several teams from other sports have also experienced a level of success and dominance similar to that of the Empire, only a tiny fraction of mainstream sports fans are aware of the undefeated AUDL champions’ existence.

Ultimate frisbee, also referred to as ultimate, is one of the most underrated and under-covered sports in the world. Very few people know how to play ultimate, let alone follow the various frisbee leagues and teams that play throughout the country. While it’s not yet part of mainstream sports culture, there are many aspects of ultimate that make throwing frisbees more than just everyone’s favorite picnic activity.

Ultimate frisbee was invented in a New Jersey high school in 1968 and has been expanding ever since. Ultimate is played in a similar fashion as football or soccer, but it has its own unique rules and tempo. Each team consists of seven players who work together to score by completing a pass into the opposing team’s endzone. Players have 10 seconds to throw the frisbee to a teammate, and they are not allowed to move while they are holding the disc. If the disc hits the ground or is caught by a player from the defending team, a turnover occurs, resulting in an immediate change of the team in possession of the disc. Everyone but the person in possession of the disc is in constant motion, so all players must be capable of playing both offense and defense. There are two standard positions in ultimate: cutter and handler. Cutters mostly operate downfield, while handlers are the main throwers on the team. However, both positions are very fluid, allowing players to fill in as needed.

Ultimate utilizes elements from other sports, but it still stands out in many key ways. Like in football, players have to make their way down the field and score in one of the two end zones. Like in soccer, players pass the object of play—in this case, a disc—back and forth, and are constantly moving until either team scores. However, unlike most sports, no score can be executed unassisted, making ultimate a true team game. The assist—and the assist to the assist—is just as valuable as the catch in the end zone.

One of the most unique traits of ultimate frisbee is that it is mostly self-refereed. From high school leagues to club championships, it is very rare to see referees, whistle in hand, running back and forth on the sidelines. Instead, players call their own fouls. In the case that foul disputes do occur on the field, players must resolve it amongst themselves. Sometimes observers —designated people who provide sideline perspectives— are present, but the final ruling comes from the two players involved, proving that ultimate truly is a sport that prides itself on sportsmanship and competition. Ultimate encourages players to embrace the “spirit of the game,” an official phrase in ultimate terminology that reinforces the idea that competitive play progresses with respect between players. Allowing the players to discuss foul calls is a testament to the integrity that all ultimate players are proud to possess.

It is one thing to learn the rules, but another thing to actually play the game. One of the most beautiful yet challenging aspects of ultimate is that there are many more ways to pass a frisbee than to throw a football or shoot a basketball. The basic throws that all players learn first are the forehand and backhand. Overhand throws are trickier to learn, but are very useful as they are hard to stop. Hammers and scoobers, two types of overhand throws, can be uncorked just outside the reach of any outstretched arms. Another challenge most throwers face is knowing how to precisely angle the disc before releasing it and the amount of spin that needs to be applied in different playing conditions. Even a little bit of wind warrants a large adjustment to throwing mechanics; throwing against the wind is vastly different from throwing downwind or without wind at all. Playing ultimate on the highest level requires familiarity with all of these variables; mastering every frisbee throw is a true test of skill and technique.

Many ultimate frisbee leagues have emerged since the sport was invented over half a century ago. It is played at the college, club, and professional level in America, with many players playing in multiple leagues at the same time. The AUDL held its first season in 2012 and has been the longest standing professional men’s league since. However, many national club teams have existed even before the creation of the AUDL, displaying skill levels equal to, if not better than, those displayed by professional teams. Club teams even have their own Triple Crown Tours, consisting of the U.S. Open, Pro Championships, and National Championships.

There are also a few notable international tournaments. The World Ultimate And Guts Championship is held every four years, and the World Junior Ultimate Championship is held every two years with U-24 (under 24) and U-20 (under 20) age groups. For these two tournaments, the best players from each participating country come together to compete for their respective nation. In addition, the World Club Championship, which features games between the best club teams in the world, is held every four years. Tournaments are usually divided into men’s, women’s, and mixed divisions, each of which further divides into different age groups.

While ultimate frisbee is still not considered a mainstream sport, it has gained plenty of attraction in the past couple of decades. Frisbee will be getting more national airtime, as the AUDL has recently signed a two-year deal with Fox Sports 2. In addition, Youtuber and Empire player Marques Brownlee, better known as MKBHD, exposed millions of people to the sport through his posts on social media. Though the sport was excluded from the 2024 Olympics in Paris, the World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) will apply to be included in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Given the rich history of frisbee in the United States, there’s a decent chance that the proposal will go through.

The sport has grown quite a bit in New York City, and Stuyvesant is no exception. Started in the early 1980s, the Stuyvesant ultimate frisbee team, the Sticky Fingers, has enjoyed plenty of success in the city league, state championship tournament, and tournaments around the country against out-of-state teams. Head coach Devon Huang took over in the 2008-2009 school year and is still the man in charge today. Not being a part of PSAL allows Stuyvesant ultimate frisbee to be a three-season sport, with out-of-state tournaments held in the fall, conditioning practices held in the winter, and the city league held in the spring. Stuyvesant has three frisbee teams: the boys’ A Team, boys’ B Team, and girls’ team, with the boys’ A team and girls’ team being strong competitors for the city and state titles every year. After both teams won their respective leagues in 2018, the Stuyvesant High School Alumni Association set up an endowment for the teams, marking a huge step forward for ultimate frisbee at Stuyvesant.

Ultimate may not sell out giant stadiums like football and basketball do, but the future's still bright for this rising sport. Maybe one day the AUDL will rival the NBA and NFL as powerhouse leagues in America. But until then, the popularity of ultimate frisbee will continue to grow and the level of competition will continue to increase as new players discover the beauty of this exciting sport and veterans continue to push the bounds of the game they love so much. Hammers will be thrown, championships will be won, and athletes will play frisbee out of spirit and joy for the game.