New To The Sport
Starting a new sport can be intimidating, understandably. We’d just like to emphasize this: Don’t be intimidated. There are some things to get used to. Allow us to spell out a few of them here.
Ultimate is a mixed gender sport. Yeah, that’s probably something that you’re not accustomed to. Probably a good time to remind you that it’s a non-contact sport and that the onus is on you to make a concerted effort to not fling your body around willy-nilly without a concern for the health and safety of others. Make no mistake, this game can be competitive like anything else, but this is our recreation. Broken bones and concussions are no fun for anyone. Please play considerately.
There is no referee. Yes, we’ve covered this one in some other sections, but there is no official lording over the field. On the contrary, everyone in this game is a referee. You let the people on the field make the calls (people on sidelines, zip it, unless asked for your perspective).
People speak this strange dialect. It takes a little getting used to, but to make things easier we’d suggest feeling free to ask veteran players what certain things mean. Other terms will fall into place over time. You should probably take in clinics when offered so you can start conversing or at least comprehending the terminology sooner than later. We’ve included a glossary in the back to get you started.
The best thing you can do to improve your game is to get out and toss with a friend or teammate as much as possible. Get a veteran to give
you some pointers on technique and then commit to throwing throughout the week. This will make game night way more enjoyable. If Pick-Up is happening (casual drop-by and play sort of evening), take advantage of this low stress environment to work on things.
All in all, we think you might enjoy the process of getting to know this game. And then you might enjoy introducing other friends to it, too.
Video Resources
Below are a sample of videos from Youtube that will help explain the game, the lingo, how to throw, how to catch and how to mark. We’d like to thank Excel Ultimate, Triple S Games, Rowan McDonnell, Brodie Smith and Ryan Lowe (a past PUL player) for putting together these tutorials.
Ultimate Frisbee Lingo for Beginners
How to Throw a Frisbee for Beginners
Catching Secrets In Ultimate Frisbee