The Wake

Ultimate frisbee began in 1968 and has been growing ever since. It took off on the West and East coasts, but over the years colleges have been adding ultimate to their list of club sports. The sport, originally laid-back, has become more competitive. At the University of Minnesota, ultimate is a club sport that has become a passion for its 30-plus team members.

The ultimate team at the U of M has enjoyed success over the past few years. Last year, the team finished with an impressive 24-8 record. They went on to win the sectional tournament for the first time in 15 years, defeating Carleton College, whose team is known for having consistently strong squads.

At the regional tournament, the U of M finished third, an impressive feat considering the two teams that finished ahead of them have each won the national championship over the past five years. As impressive as their third-place finish was, the team missed out on a chance to compete in the national championship in May. Only the top two finishers at regions are rewarded with a trip to this prestigious tournament.

The fall season for ultimate is laid back compared to the intensity of the spring season. The fall is mostly used to work out kinks and figure out which players will play for the A team and B team; the lower-ranked team is used to develop players’ skills in the hope that they’ll be able to play for the A-team in the future. According to sophomore, A-team member Andy La Bonte, “Fall is preseason for ultimate…you have practice twice a week for three hours and you‘ll go play tournaments periodically during the semester.” Unlike other club sports, the teams’ fall tournament records don’t carry over to the spring season.

When spring arrives, things heat up for the ultimate team. Players have to be more focused and the time commitment increases: the team has practice two to three times a week in addition to workouts. A normal practice includes throwing and conditioning drills, and scrimmages. For the workouts, the team runs stairs.

Spring competition for the ultimate team begins in February when they travel to the South for tournaments. Last year, the team traveled to New Orleans during Mardi Gras where they went 3-2. The team also traveled to Kansas and Georgia in the spring of 2005. Last year, they went 5-2 at College Terminus in Georgia, and 3-2 at Fool’s Fest in Kansas.

Team members must fork over cash in order to compete. Each player pays dues to the UPA, the Ultimate Players Association. The cost-per-year for each player at the college level is $30. In addition, each player must pay a fee to the university in order to play a club sport. The team also pays for transportation to and from tournaments.

Ultimate is a non-contact sport, yet there are plenty of injuries. “There have been people who’ve been laid out into chairs and punctured their lungs. There have been people who get concussions because two people go up for a disc and bang their heads,” La Bonte says. “Ambulances have had to come to tournaments to take people off on stretchers.”

Rules of the Game

Ultimate is a combination of soccer and football; the sport combines the passing skills needed in football and the stamina involved in soccer. The game begins when one team “pulls” the disc to the opposing team. This is similar to a kickoff in football: once a player receives the disc, they are not allowed to run with it. This is repeated after each point. A disc can be passed in any direction on the field.

The game is played to 15 points, which are scored by completing a pass into the opponents’ end zone. Unlike most competitive sports, there are no officials or referees. Fouls are called by the players when contact is made, and the players settle disputes amongst themselves. The game is meant to be played at a fast pace, so disputes should be settled in a timely fashion.

Possession is lost when the disc is thrown out of bounds, intercepted, dropped or when a player holds on to the disc for more than 10 seconds. The 10-second count is done by the defender of the person with possession of the disc.

Substitutions may occur after a point is scored or during an injury timeout.

To be eligible you may not pass four years of participation, just as it is for most other sports. Teams may have any combination of graduate and undergraduate students, as long as they haven’t exceeded their eligibility.

This exciting game can be seen at various tournaments around the state this fall. If you are interested in joining the ultimate team at the U of M, or would like to check out a tournament, visit .