Participation is down. Local leagues are thinning. Youth programs are struggling to stay alive. And at the same time, other team sports are growing, especially with the exact age group ultimate should be attracting.

That should make us pause, not just because of the numbers, but because of what they might be pointing to. It’s easy to assume this is a marketing problem, or an awareness problem, or even a competition problem. But I think there’s a deeper possibility we need to be willing to consider.

What if the issue isn’t how we’re promoting ultimate, but how we’re introducing it in the first place?

Too often, we introduce kids to ultimate before we introduce them to frisbee.

We hand them a disc, explain a pivot foot, teach a forehand, and try to get them into some version of the game as quickly as possible. The intention is good. We want them playing. We want them engaged. We want them to experience what we love about the sport.

But a forehand in ultimate isn’t really a forehand in the way most people naturally learn to throw. It’s a constrained version of a throw that exists because of the rules of the game. When you’re just playing catch with a friend, you don’t stand still and establish a pivot. You move. You adjust. You experiment with angles and timing without even thinking about it.

That’s how people actually learn to throw.

If we start by teaching throwing inside the restrictions of ultimate, we’re not really teaching kids how to throw a frisbee. We’re teaching them how to operate within a system before they even understand the tool they’re holding. And that’s where things start to break down.

Part of the issue is that we’ve allowed ultimate to become synonymous with frisbee, when in reality it’s just one expression of something much larger.

Frisbee – disc sports more broadly – is much closer to track and field than it is to a single sport. It’s a collection of disciplines, each offering a different way to engage: distance, accuracy, freestyle, disc golf, self-caught flight, double disc court, and yes, ultimate.

When we only promote ultimate, we unintentionally narrow the doorway. We present one path and assume it will resonate with everyone.

But kids don’t all connect with the same things. Some are drawn to throwing far. Some like the precision of targets. Some enjoy creative movement and trick throws. Some will eventually love the team dynamics of ultimate. Others won’t, and that’s okay.

If we introduce frisbee as a whole, we give kids room to explore. We let them discover what the object can do before we tell them what it’s supposed to be used for. And in doing that, we create far more opportunities for genuine connection.

There’s also something structural about ultimate that makes it harder as a starting point, and it’s something we don’t talk about enough.

Ultimate is a team sport.

That means participation isn’t just about interest. It’s about whether your friends are playing, whether there’s a team available, whether there’s a place for you to show up and belong. Kids don’t choose team sports in isolation. They follow their social circles. If their friends are playing soccer or basketball, that’s where they’re going to go.

A frisbee, on the other hand, doesn’t ask for any of that. It doesn’t require a roster, a field, or a schedule. It can start with one other person, or even just one person on their own.

That simplicity matters.

Frisbee is easy to start. Ultimate is harder to sustain.

If we skip the easy entry point and go straight to the more demanding one, we shouldn’t be surprised when fewer people stick with it.

There’s also a developmental piece here that’s hard to ignore.

From Kindergarten through Grade 6, kids are still building the foundation of how they move. They’re developing coordination, balance, spatial awareness, timing, and control. They’re learning how to throw, how to catch, how to run, how to react. And they’re doing that best when they’re exposed to a wide variety of games and activities, not when they’re funneled into a single structured system too early.

Ultimate, as a game, asks for quite a lot. It requires spacing, decision-making, teamwork, and an awareness of others that develops over time. By the time kids reach Grade 7, many of them are far more ready for that environment.

If they already feel comfortable with a frisbee by then, the transition becomes natural.

If they don’t, we’ve made it harder than it needs to be.

When you look at the broader participation trends, it becomes clear that this isn’t just about high-performance pathways or elite competition.

This is an entry point problem.

Recent reporting from Ultiworld highlights a significant decline in participation, especially at the youth and casual levels, with fewer people playing and those who do playing less often. That kind of decline doesn’t usually come from the top of the sport. It comes from the bottom. It comes from fewer people finding their way in, and fewer people finding reasons to stay.

You don’t fix that by building better elite systems.

You fix it by making the first experience better.

Frisbee, in its simplest form, is one of the best entry points we have. But only if we allow it to be that.

This is something I’ve been thinking about – and working on – for a long time.

I’ve worked with more than 250,000 kids, over 1,000 teachers, and delivered more than 8,000 workshops, and one thing has become really clear to me. In schools, when I introduce kids to frisbee, I don’t start with ultimate. I start with the disc – throwing, catching, experimenting, and letting kids figure out what’s possible. And what I’ve seen, over and over again, is that when kids are given that kind of entry point, they engage differently.

They’re not trying to survive a system they don’t understand. They’re exploring something they’re curious about. They build confidence through small wins. They start to enjoy the feeling of a good throw, a clean catch, a moment where the disc does exactly what they hoped it would do.

From there, everything else becomes easier.

If you’re interested in how I approach this in schools, you can check out more here:
https://frisbeerob.com

If we want ultimate to grow, we may need to step back and rethink where we begin.

Not push harder. Not add more structure earlier. But actually create space for a better starting point.

Let kids play with a frisbee. Let them explore. Let them build comfort and confidence without pressure or expectations. Let them connect with other people through simple, shared play.

And then, when they’re older, when they’re ready, when the social piece is there, introduce ultimate as one of many ways they can continue that journey.

Ultimate is a great sport.

But it isn’t the starting point.

Frisbee is.

Some of the thinking in this piece has been reinforced by recent reporting from Ultiworld on participation trends and the broader state of the sport.

It’s also encouraging to see programs like Davenport University investing in the future of ultimate by offering scholarships and creating new pathways at the collegiate level.

Let’s face it – Canada has a Spirit problem.

Not the kind you bottle up and toast. The kind that’s supposed to guide how we play ultimate. Spirit of the Game. The big idea. The beating heart. The thing that supposedly sets ultimate apart from every other sport on the planet.

But if you’ve watched Canadian teams on the world stage, you’ve seen the cracks. The most glaring example? Canada vs Japan at WUGC 2012. It’s become the cautionary tale – the YouTube relic that refuses to die. That game was a masterclass in how not to play with Spirit: physicality turned to hostility, calls became currency, and the game turned into a chess match of egos and escalations.

And it’s not just that game. Canada has consistently struggled with Spirit scores at international events.

At the WUC 2024, Canada Mixed was near the bottom.

At WMUC 2024, Master Women’s, Master Mixed, and Grandmaster Men’s were all near the bottom.

At WUCC 2022, Mixed and Women’s were near the bottom.

At WUCC 2018, Battleship (Canada Mixed) were near the bottom.

So what’s going on?

1. Canada Is Divided – And It Shows
We like to think of Canada as one united front. But politically, culturally, and even linguistically, we’re a fragmented country. East vs West. French vs English. Rural vs Urban. Progressive vs Conservative. This isn’t just a national identity issue – it’s a team dynamic issue. There’s a national election going on and we’re seeing the real-time results of this. Families and relationships breaking up over differences of opinion.

When we assemble national teams, we’re not building chemistry – we’re stitching together cliques. Spirit of the Game is rooted in cohesion, trust, and empathy. If your team doesn’t have that internally, you can’t fake it on the field.

2. Ultimate Isn’t That Special
Let’s burst the bubble: Spirit of the Game is not unique to ultimate.

Every pickup sport – soccer, basketball, shinny hockey – relies on the same foundational principle: no refs, just players figuring it out. Disagreeing. Talking it through. Moving on.

I recently watched four teenage boys play 2v2 soccer. No adults. No whistles. They argued over fouls. Debated in/out calls. Voices got raised. But then they sorted it out. They kept playing. That is Spirit. Raw, unpolished, human.

So when ultimate players act like we’re guardians of some sacred moral code because we self-officiate – it rings hollow. Especially when our Spirit scores say otherwise.

We’re not special because we have Spirit. We’re just another sport that has to practice Spirit.

3. We’ve Built a Culture of Ego, Not Empathy
Somewhere along the way, Canadian ultimate started glorifying the wrong things.
We talk about community, but we prioritize performance.
We preach inclusivity, but operate as an exclusive club – especially at elite levels.
We reward intensity, but neglect humility.

High-performance training? Absolutely. But where’s the training on emotional regulation? On de-escalation? On actually listening during a conflict instead of posturing?

When the game gets tight, ego often wins. Spirit becomes a performance, not a principle.

4. Thinking Ultimate Will Change the World Is Dangerous
There’s a myth in ultimate that we’re going to revolutionize sport. That our Spirit-driven model will reshape how kids compete, how adults resolve conflict, and how nations build peace.

That’s a beautiful dream – but let’s not get carried away.

The reality? Ultimate needs to stop acting like it’s above sport and start acting like it belongs in sport. We need to stop preaching to the choir and start working with the other musicians.

That means learning from other sports. Collaborating with them. Humbling ourselves enough to admit we don’t have it all figured out. Because we don’t.

So…Why Does Canada Have Poor Spirit?

Because we’ve mistaken self-officiation for self-righteousness.
We’ve mistaken community for cliques.
We’ve mistaken uniqueness for superiority.

And we’ve mistaken Spirit for something you “have” instead of something you do – every game, every conflict, every call.

It’s time to recalibrate.

Let’s build national teams that value trust as much as tactics. Let’s create cultures that reward respect as much as results. Let’s stop pretending we’re the moral compass of sport and start acting like participants in something bigger than ourselves.

Because if we can rediscover real Spirit – the messy, hard, human kind – then maybe, just maybe, Canada can lead not with arrogance, but with integrity.

Want to help build a better Spirit culture from the ground up?

That’s what I do through my school visits, frisbee programs, and community leadership. Whether it’s teaching kids how to manage conflict through play or guiding coaches on how to model respect under pressure, this work isn’t just about sport – it’s about life.

What Makes an Ultimate Disc Unsafe for Dogs?

1. Too Heavy for Safe Catching
   Ultimate discs typically weigh 175 grams, which is far too heavy for a dog’s mouth and jaw. When a dog jumps to catch an ultimate disc, the weight combined with its speed can put immense stress on their teeth and jaw, potentially leading to chipped teeth, dental fractures, or even jaw injuries.
2. Hard Plastic That Can Damage Teeth
   Ultimate discs are made from a hard, stiff plastic that is designed for durability and flight stability. While that makes them great for ultimate, it makes them dangerous for dogs. Unlike dog-safe discs, which are softer and have more give, an ultimate disc doesn’t compress on impact. This rigidity can result in broken teeth, gum injuries, or even serious mouth trauma over time.
3. Deep Rim That Can Catch a Dog’s Jaw
   The deep rim of an ultimate disc is another issue. It’s designed to be gripped and thrown easily by human hands, but for a dog, it can create a problem. Some dogs, especially those with smaller muzzles, can get their lower jaw stuck inside the rim, leading to discomfort, panic, or even injury if they try to shake it off.
4. Slippery When Wet
   Ultimate players know how an ultimate disc gets extra slippery when wet, and dog slobber makes it even worse. When a dog bites down on a saliva-covered ultimate disc, they might not get a solid grip, increasing the risk of missed catches and awkward landings. This makes it harder for dogs to safely play and can even lead to muscle or joint injuries from bad jumps.

What Disc Should You Use Instead?

If you want to play frisbee with your dog, you need a disc designed for canine use. The best options come from Hero Disc USA, which makes discs specifically for dogs, ensuring safety, durability, and performance. Here are two great choices:

Hero Xtra 235 – This disc is lightweight, and flexible, making it a great option for medium to large dogs. It flies well while also being soft enough to protect your dog’s teeth and mouth.

Hero Supersonic 215 – A slightly smaller disc than the Xtra 235, the Supersonic 215 is perfect for all dogs. It’s more durable than the Xtra 235 and is the disc I used to go endzone-to-endzone with Sailor the Touchdown Dog (video below).

Conclusion

While ultimate discs are fantastic for human gameplay, they are simply not designed for canine use. The weight, hard plastic, deep rim, and slipperiness make them unsafe for dogs, increasing the risk of injury. If you love playing frisbee with your dog, choose a disc that’s specifically designed for canine athletes, like the Hero Xtra 235 or the Supersonic 215. Your dog’s safety should always come first—so leave the ultimate discs for the field and grab a dog-safe disc for your furry teammate!

Last year, I started a youth ultimate frisbee club called Hooligans Frisbee Club, and we only run a Spring and Summer League. Both myself and the co-founder (who is a father of a teenager) agree that kids should play other sports, meet other kids, have a variety of coaching styles, and take a break from ultimate.

As passionate ultimate frisbee players, coaches, and advocates, it’s easy to want kids to play the sport year-round. Many communities offer fall leagues and indoor winter programs, and kids who fall in love with the game often want to keep playing. But just because they can play ultimate all year doesn’t mean they should.

In fact, taking a seasonal approach to ultimate—playing in the spring and summer while exploring other sports in the fall and winter—is better for kids in the long run. Here’s why.

1. Multi-Sport Athletes Build Better Physical Literacy

Physical literacy—the ability to move confidently and competently in different environments—is developed through exposure to a variety of movements, sports, and activities. Ultimate is fantastic for running, jumping, cutting, throwing, and catching, but it doesn’t train all aspects of athleticism.

Kids who play different sports develop a more well-rounded skill set:

• Basketball improves agility, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness.
• Soccer builds endurance, footwork, and game sense.
• Hockey strengthens balance, reaction time, and lower-body power.
• Gymnastics or martial arts develop flexibility, body control, and discipline.

By playing a mix of sports, kids become stronger, more adaptable athletes—and when they return to ultimate in the spring, they bring those new skills with them.

2. Meeting New Friends & Coaches Helps Social Development

Team sports are about more than just competition; they foster belonging and community. Many kids get into sports because their friends play, and ultimate is still growing at the grassroots level. Unlike soccer, basketball, or hockey, ultimate doesn’t yet have a deep-rooted culture in most communities.

By playing other sports in the off-season, kids:

• Meet new friends and expand their social circles.
• Learn from different coaching styles and leadership approaches.
• Gain exposure to different team dynamics, strategies, and cultures.

And the best part? Kids who play other sports in the fall and winter can invite those new friends to try ultimate in the spring, helping grow the sport in a natural, inclusive way.

3. Reducing the Risk of Burnout & Overuse Injuries

Repetitive motion injuries are a major concern in youth sports. Ultimate involves a lot of sprinting, cutting, and lateral movement, which can lead to muscle imbalances and overuse injuries if played year-round without variation.

By taking a break from ultimate and engaging in different sports:

• Kids develop different muscle groups, reducing the risk of repetitive strain injuries.
• They get mental and emotional variety, which keeps sports fun and engaging.
• They avoid burnout—a major reason kids quit sports altogether.

When ultimate remains a seasonal sport, kids return to it in the spring refreshed, excited, and ready to improve.

4. Ultimate Isn’t “The Best” Sport—And That’s Okay

No single sport is the best for every kid. The best sport is whatever makes a child happy, healthy, and engaged. As much as we love ultimate, we have to recognize that different kids will find their passion in different activities.

As adults—whether we’re parents, coaches, or organizers—it’s our responsibility to guide kids toward well-rounded experiences. That means encouraging variety, not just in ultimate but in all sports.

Final Thoughts: Playing Ultimate Year-Round Isn’t the Answer

If a child truly loves ultimate, they’ll come back to it. Giving them the chance to explore different sports makes them better ultimate players in the long run, while also helping them grow socially, physically, and mentally.

So let’s keep ultimate a spring and summer sport for kids. Encourage them to play hockey, basketball, soccer, or any other sport in the off-season. Let them rest, recharge, and come back to ultimate with new skills, new friends, and a renewed love for the game.

Because sometimes, the best way to grow ultimate isn’t to play it all year—but to step away and come back stronger.

Under the leadership of head coach Mike Zaagman, this program is determined to redefine the collegiate Ultimate Frisbee experience. Unlike any other program in the nation, Davenport covers all tournament bid fees, travel, hotels, and more for their athletes. They also provide personal trainers, athletic trainers, and access to top-tier facilities.

But it doesn’t end there! The team is hosting two virtual open houses on December 12th for potential players to learn more about the program, meet the coaches, and explore degree options at the University. This is a unique opportunity for both Undergraduate and Graduate students worldwide to join a team representing five different countries.

What makes this offer even more attractive is that Davenport University, a Division 2 institution, offers a focus on Business, Health, Education, Technology, and Art + Sciences.

Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to elevate your game while earning a world-class education. For more information, please contact head coach Mike Zaagman. You can find more information about the program and the upcoming open houses at the following link: https://linktr.ee/ultimatedavenport.

Remember, this is more than just a game. It’s a chance to join a global community, advance your athletic career, and secure your future. Make your move today!

The two teams fielded 8 players (4 men and 4 women) and battled stiff wind to a 2-1 win by the Edmonton All Stars.

After the game, the players tossed 250 limited edition frisbees into the crowd.

Huge thanks to the entire Stamps organization and the fans for having us out!

Buy online: https://wham-o.com/collections/frisbee%C2%AE/products/frisbee%C2%AE-ultimate%C2%AE.

In the Strength of the Pack documentary, Varsha shares the powerful story of the Under-23 Indian Ultimate Frisbee team’s journey to the 2015 World Championship. Varsha said “It took me six years to realise I wanted to tell a story about Ultimate Frisbee. Once I started playing Frisbee, I couldn’t think of anything else”. The 2015 Under-23 team is the first fully sponsored national ultimate frisbee team that was selected through UPAI’s nation-wide merit-only selection process to represent India in a world championship.

The name of the documentary comes from a poem: “As a coach of the Indian team I saw my role as one of inspiring confidence in young people – to help them to realise their potential. I love the poem the Law of the Jungle. The few lines of the poem I shared with the team were ‘the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack’. To me that’s about understanding and being confident in yourself as well as sharing that confidence with your teammates – because it’s contagious! A little bit of self confidence can go a long way” explains Coach Dan Rule.

This Strength of the Pack exclusive International Womens’ Day premiere is also the launch event for a two-day virtual India Student Hub Indian women-in-sports extravaganza Fempowered Films Festival. Fempowered Films Festival 2021 Determination & Grit Indian Women in Sports celebrates women by amplifying the good and collectively striving to strengthen the sports ecosystem for women and girls in India.

The Festival includes:

• High energy 20-minute fitness workouts
• Women leading Women in Community Sports Roundtable
• Exclusive sign-ups for a virtual “Lets Talk Run” workshop
• Spotlighting world-class athletes and Fit India/Khelo India
• Crowning winners for sports documentary contest
• A networking session to ask questions & share your experiences on careers via sports, cross-border experiences in sport, and more.

Fempowered Films is a free event on 19 & 20 March 2021. See more at www.fempoweredfilms.com.

When: Saturday, March 13 Noon-2pm EST

Who will present and what topics will be discussed:

• Melissa Witmer (The Ultimate Athlete Project): The importance of mental training techniques and why now is a perfect time for athletes to develop these skills.
• Sofia Pereira (Best Health): The importance of respecting bio-individuality, nutrition (and budgeting tips), and how non-male athletes make the team mentally stronger.
• Fiona Mernagh (Therapy for Optimal Performance): Strength Training with Purpose: Get more out of your gym sessions by focusing on position and intent. From your big toe to your pelvis to your head, Fiona will be running through a key positional aspect of each element that you may by overlooking in training.
• Shanye Crawford (Disc/Diversity): Shanye launched Disc/Diversity in May 2020 and is attempting to change the world as an equity consultant for ultimate teams. To say it simply, she facilitates conversation and organizational planning around equity. Since August, she’s hosted over 70 zoom sessions with more than 20 teams/orgs. The other thing she does is host bi-monthly podcasts. It is her attempt to bring her private conversations on equity to the ultimate community at large.
• Anna Thorn: Anna’s Cocktail Camp is an interactive cocktail making experience with a step-by-step instructional walkthrough of cocktail building, spirit history, and general cocktail knowledge. Cocktail Camp breaks down the barrier of pretension, and provides an easy and light-hearted approach to crafting cocktails at home.

Where: Zoom!

Why: All proceeds will be going to Disc Diversity and Cocktail Camp. Support organizations in our community!

Cost: Suggested donation is $15 per screen. Per screen meaning that if you have multiple people who will be participating through one screen (like housemates) you can register, and donate, according to one individual screen cost.

Email noah@trainforultimate.com with any questions or concerns about the event.

The Tiny Room Battle Challenge is a virtually-held international freestyle frisbee tournament. Currently in it’s 3rd Edition, TRBC is an individual battle format, play-off bracket style, where players square off to showcase their hottest freestyle moves.

When is it?

Full Schedule:

Saturday February 6th

• 12:00-12:45pm ET – X-Disc Junior Division Semi-Finals & Finals
• 12:45-2:00pm ET – Challenger Division Round 1 Qualifiers

Sunday February 7th

• 12:00pm-1:30pm ET – Challenger Division Quarterfinals, Semis & Finals
• 1:30pm-2:00pm ET – Freestyle Players Association Members Meeting

Saturday February 13th

• 12:00pm-2:00pm – Open Pro Division Qualifiers & Quarterfinals

Sunday February 14th

• 12:00pm-1:15pm – Women’s Division Quarterfinals, Semis & Finals
• 1:15pm-2:00pm – Open Pro Division Semifinals & Finals

How can I watch?

All the action will be live streamed at https://frisbeeguru.com/tiny-room-battle-challenge-3-2021/

What is BattlePass?

BattlePass is new feature for spectators to engage in the action and fill out their brackets at home to predict the winners! You can fill out brackets for Challenger, Open, and Women’s Divisions, and you get 1 point for each battle where you correctly predict the winner. The person with the most points at the end of the 2 weeks of competition will win a very special vintage disc!

Find out more: https://tinyroomchallenge.com/

Hosted by Daniel O’Neill (@guardianofthedisc), James Wiseman (@james.r.wiseman), and Ryan Young (@smilesair).

There are many stories being shared and so many people are talking publicly about their struggles for the very first time.

For many, that’s the first step on a long journey. Others started on that journey a while ago. Still others have completed their journey. Some are restarting. And many others will never get started.

No matter where you’re at, what you’re going through, or what you need, there are many places, people, and resources to help you.

Reaching out, sharing your struggles, and asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

The work I’ve been doing with emotional intelligence, especially the last 6 months, has taught me so much about emotions, listening to others, building trust, learning from the past, and doing courageous acts.

We’ve had a few people join us and still more will check out the work we’re doing. Some of us have broken down and cried with complete strangers whom they’ve never met. It’s powerful and real.

If you’re reading this and don’t know where to start, reach out to me. Whether you’re looking for some guidance, need professional help, or would like to learn how you can build your emotional intelligence, myself and the community I’m a part of have the tools and conversations to get you started.

As I’ve learned from my deep dive into yoga the last few months…Namaste 

Features

• Play 3v3, 4v4, 5v5 Ultimate Frisbee game
• Play with your friends or find new ones (you could also play with or against ‘Computer AI’)
• Select specialization to match your play style: Handler, Cutter, Cannon, Newbie or D-Machine

Release date: November 13, 2020.

Find out more

• Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1452830/Disc_Space
• Itch.io: https://discspace.itch.io/play

My best was 120 yards with a Backhand (2nd place on the leaderboard) and 97 yards (1st place on the leaderboard).

In 2017, I won the World Distance title and came 2nd in 2019. I also have the Canadian Distance Record, 6 Virginia State Distance titles, and currently hold the Virginia State Distance Record.

Find out more about the challenge and download the app (or pdf) here: https://usaultimate.org/news/2020/07/new-skills-challenge-available-now/.

Before I throw, I use the Disc Golf Strong Pre Round Warmup:

Try it out and see what your best is! Let me know what you get in both Backhand and Forehand!

This article was written by Pepper Williams, the inventor of Space Disc.

Here in Portland, Oregon, we have a thriving masters/grandmasters/great-grandmasters ultimate community. We’ve had a pickup game literally every Sunday for the past 10 years or so, where we average as many as 40 players in the summers and almost always have 7s even in the dark and wet days of the Pacific Northwest winter.

Until COVID-19, of course. While those of us who play in the Sunday game may not be exactly a high-risk group for coronavirus, we’re also not exactly low-risk either. Additionally, many of us have spouses and/or other family members we have to think about, people who may be less risk-tolerant than the typical ultimate player. So a few weeks before the state of Oregon formally shut down in March 2020, we decided we weren’t comfortable calling weekly games anymore.

Once Portland’s County (Multnomah) started getting close to “Phase 1” of Oregon’s reopening plan in late May, people started talking about getting together to throw and maybe run some drills, and I started thinking about what might make people feel comfortable actually playing ultimate again. The problem, of course, is that we’re still not supposed to be getting within six feet of one another, and the basic goal of “normal” ultimate is to race other people to the same spot in order to catch the disc. That means at worst making contact with another person, and at best coming in very close proximity. No matter what space-creating restrictions you might try to come up with and agree on, in normal ultimate, those restrictions are fighting against the fundamental point of the game.

So an idea formed in my head: what if we could come up with a game where everyone always occupies one spot on the field that no one else is allowed to come close to, and movement is allowed according to rules that are designed to keep us all separated? I started writing down rules, drew a field diagram, and sent the idea to a few people, who were semi-enthusiastic. We tried it the first Sunday Multnomah went to Phase 1, and the consensus was that it’s actually fun. Not as fun as real ultimate, to be sure, but genuinely fun, and a lot better than just running drills or playing Guts.

And it was something that we could actually feel good about doing, rather than sneaking out of the house and fibbing to our significant others about it. So was born the game we originally called “cone ultimate” (for obvious reasons that will become clear below) and we’re now calling “Space Disc” (because it spaces us out, get it?). We’ve played four times and revised the rules each time, and I think we’ve proved it out well enough now to start telling other people about it.

Here’s how the game is played in a nutshell: The field is covered with cones placed in a honeycomb pattern, where every cone is separated by about eight yards from every other cone. As in normal ultimate, offensive players throw the disc to each other and try to catch it in the end zone. But the big twist is that you must always catch (as well as throw) the disc from within three feet of a cone. You’re free to move without the disc at any time, but you can only move from the cone you’re on to an adjacent cone (so unless you’re on a sideline, you always have exactly six options to choose from). Furthermore, once you start moving toward another cone, you must continue to that cone.

Defensive players also have to move from cone to cone, though they’re given a little more leeway, as described below. If two people start moving toward the same cone, the first person to yell “mine” gets the cone, and the other person must immediately turn around and go back to the cone they came from (you cannot immediately switch directions and switch to to another cone). So the end result of all this is that we’re all forced to keep ourselves separated; the rules specifically prohibit people from entering each others’ spaces.

Here are some of the reasons why it’s fun:

Though you might think from the initial description that the game involves a lot of standing around, you actually end up moving almost as much as in ultimate. You have to be more careful and deliberate about where you move (that’s the whole point of the game), but you still have to get back and forth to the end zones as you play, and while you have to always move from one cone to one of the six adjacent cones, you don’t have to stop at each cone; you can run right through, either in a zig-zag pattern (which is pretty tiring), or on a straight diagonal line (see the field setup diagram for how this works).

While you have to have a body part within three feet of a cone when you catch the disc, that can be a different cone than the one you were at when the disc was thrown. You can even just throw up a huck and hope it comes down near enough to a cone for your teammate to catch it (watching people try to navigate between cones to make sure they’re close enough to one at the point they make the catch is one of the more comical aspects of the game).

For obvious reasons, the game rewards precision throwing. It’s quite satisfying to hit someone with a throw dead on their cone from several rows of cones away.

Playing defense is more of a mental challenge than a physical one. All the offensive players are going to have a free 8-yard-radius of space around them, so they’re all open to some extent. But if you put yourself in the right position you can at least make it harder for them to find someone, and the stall count is only five, so you can try to make the offense rush a throw that isn’t precise enough.

At least when you start playing, it’s enjoyable to try to figure out the rules, some of which, admittedly, are mostly there just for fun (because what self-respecting frisbee player doesn’t like arguing about rules?).

But most of all, it’s just fun to be out on a field running around — in a responsible, socially distant way — with the friends you’ve missed for the last four months.

The Full Rules

Note that the game is still evolving as we try new things out every week.  See the up-to-date “official” PDX Masters’ rules here.

Field Setup

• The field can use standard ultimate field dimensions or smaller, depending on the number of players.
• Distribute cones throughout the field, in a honeycomb-like pattern with “rows” every cone separated by a distance of approximately eight yards from the six cones surrounding it (detailed instructions).
• The two rows on either end of the field are the end zones. Ideally, “shorty” cones should be used for the “field cones” and the back row of end zone cones, and the first row of each end zone should be marked with slightly taller cones.
• For a full-size field, you’ll need 57 “shorty” cones and 10 “normal” cones.

Basic Game Flow

As in standard ultimate…

• You can play with teams of up to seven players on a side.
• One team is always playing offense and the other defense.
• The offensive team scores by catching the disc in their end zone.
• A turnover occurs any time the disc touches the ground.
• When a turnover occurs, teams switch roles so that the team that was playing defense is now trying to score.

Here’s the twist: offensive players are only allowed to touch the disc if at least one of their feet is within a yard of a cone, and any cone can only be “occupied” by a single player. Therefore, all players should be at least eight yards away from each other at all times (see the field setup diagram, referenced above).

To Start the Game

• As in ultimate, the game begins with a pull.
• Each defensive player must start at one of the cones in the end zone they’re defending, and each offensive player must start at one of the cones in the opposite end zone.
• The D player pulling the disc must be within three feet of a cone when they release the pull.
• As soon as the pull is released, all players are free to move from cone to cone, as described below.
• The game is make it, take it after the opening pull.

Stall Count

At the start of a point, or after an offensive player catches the disc, any defensive player can start a stall count. The offense has five seconds to throw. If the count reaches five, it’s a turnover.

Player Movement

Players are free to move at any time (unless they are the offensive player who currently possesses the disc, in which point they must maintain a pivot foot as in standard ultimate), but they must always move in a straight line from the cone they currently occupy to another cone, and once a player starts moving towards another cone, they cannot change direction to shift towards a different cone.

Players are further limited to moving only from the cone they currently occupy to one of the six cones nearest that cone. Furthermore, once an offensive player starts moving to another cone, they must proceed to that cone — that is, they can’t reverse course and go back to the cone they came from (unless they realize someone else is headed to the same cone; see below).

If an offensive player touches the disc when they are more than three feet away from a cone, that’s a turnover.

If offensive player A throws to offensive player B, B cannot immediately throw it back to A, unless A first moves to a different cone in the same row as B (or closer to the end zone than B). This means that you can’t “dump” back to the player who threw it to you. Similarly, once B has thrown laterally (in the same row of cones) to A, A can’t throw it back to B until B has moved forward at least one row.

Note that an offensive player only needs to be within three feet of the cone when the disc is caught; they may have been farther away when the disc was originally thrown. However (as noted above), offensive players cannot change direction or stop once they’ve started going from one cone to another (until they arrive at the cone their heading too; then they can move around within three feet of that cone). If the offensive player changes direction or stops, that’s a turnover.

Since the defense can’t really “mark” in this game, defensive players are given more leeway when moving from cone to cone: Defensive players can reverse direction if they wish — that is, after starting towards another cone, they can change their mind and go back to the previous cone (as long as it’s still unoccupied; see below).

Furthermore, if the cone immediately to the right or left of the cone defensive player A occupies is unoccupied, A can move into the space between those two cones. This gives A two advantages: first, they can rove anywhere between the two cones to try to make a D, and second, they “occupy” both cones, so no other player (either offensive or defensive) can move to either of them. As soon as A is back within 3 feet of one of the cones, they only occupy that cone, and another player can move to occupy the other one.

Despite these extra freedoms, note that, like offensive players, once a defensive player starts heading to another cone, they cannot veer off to a different cone.

Cone “occupation” is a big part of the game, especially around the end zone. To prevent the defense from simply “flooding the zone” to prevent the offense from scoring, the back row of cones in each end zone are only allowed to be occupied by offensive players.

Defensive players may “block off” a row (including the initial end-zone row) by positioning a player on every cone of the row (or, if they’re crafty, between every cone; see rule above). However, if offensive player A is on the outermost cone of a row and the outermost cone in the row front of them is occupied by a defensive player B, player A is allowed to “escape” outside the field of play, move upfield past B’s row (as well as any other occupied cone(s) on the sideline), and come back in to the next row farther upfield, as long as they stay at least three yards outside the outermost cone. (This is called the “Fish Out Of Water” rule, and players should yell “FISH” when they invoke it.) A can also Fish around an offensive player B, if B is themselves hemmed in by someone else.

An illegal movement by an offensive player (e.g. not moving directly toward one of the six closest cones to you, deliberately moving toward an occupied cone, or switching directions) results in a turnover.

If an illegal movement is made by a defensive player and a turnover results, the disc goes back to the thrower, even if the throw was not legally catchable by the offense.

Scoring

When the offense catches the disc in either row of their end zone, they score one point for each row of cones the scoring throw crossed.

With the standard configuration detailed in the diagram referenced above, this means you can score up to 13 points with one throw.

If your throw does not cross any rows (that is, if you throw from the row immediately outside the end zone, to a player in the first row of the end zone), you score zero points. However, the point is still over at this point, and the team that just “scored” has to pull to the other team, so avoid doing this!

When the offensive team catches the disc in the end zone (even if they don’t score any points; see above), count the number of points scored, then play pauses while the team that was just playing defense goes back to the other end zone to receive the next pull, as in normal ultimate.

Games can be played to any score. Remember that the average score will result in more than 1 point, so a Space Disc game to 15 might take about as long as a normal ultimate game to five (or it might be over after two scores!).

Since one of the primary goals of this whole rigamarole is to maintain physical separation, all players should make a good faith effort to avoid ending up at the same cone as someone else. If two players A and B do realize they’re heading towards the same cone, they should NOT attempt to both race to the cone. Instead:

The first player who started moving towards the cone gets the cone (call this person player A). (If there is any dispute about who left their previous cone first, the first player to call “mine” gets the cone.) Player B must immediately retreat to the cone they previously occupied (no switching direction to move to another cone!) Once player B has gotten back to the original cone, they can stay there or set off for a different cone.

If another player C has in the meantime started heading for the cone player B previously occupied, player B must go to the nearest unoccupied cone that’s farther backfield (away from the end zone the offense is currently progressing towards).

So if you hear someone else calling “mine,” immediately stop; if you want to argue after the fact that you actually left first, you can do so, but don’t risk a collision. In the case of any dispute about who called “mine” first, both players must return to their previously-occupied cone, and if the disc was thrown to the cone, send it back to the thrower.

Additional Rules and Clarifications

Only one upside-down throw (hammer, scoober, etc.) is allowed per possession (so use it wisely!)

“Skip throws” (throws that touch the ground, but are back in the air when caught) are allowed, but only if the thrower calls “SKIP” before the disc touches the ground.

When an offensive player catches the disc, they must have a body part within 3 feet of where a cone currently sits — not where the cone is “supposed” to be. So yes, this means that if you could manage to somehow kick a cone to where an errant disc is coming down, and then catch the disc, it would be a legal catch. (No touching cones with your hands though!)

This is so important that it’s worth emphasizing again: everyone must always be moving directly from one cone to another adjacent cone. It’s very tempting, especially when playing defense, to just move where you need to be to make the block (because that’s what we do in ultimate!), but unless you’ve planned things out so you’re moving from one cone to another adjacent, unoccupied cone, you can’t do it. If a player does make an illegal move, and that move results (or would have resulted) in two players getting too close to each other, the player who made the illegal move should be immediately heckled off the field for a sub. If no subs are available, the player should sit down on their butt and wait for 10 seconds.

I’m so honoured to be featured alongside Dr. Mariana Brussoni, Jace Ferguson, Doug Gleddie, and others from the Phys Ed and Physical Literacy space.

Along with host Nathan Horne, we dig deep into my sports background, how I got into frisbee, the work I do in schools, the value of physical literacy, and where to find a good frisbee for students and schools.

The PhysEdcast features people and stories from around the PhysEd world to inspire and innovate your practice.

Host Nathan Horne, from iPhys-Ed.com, explores the world of physical education and coaching.