Ultimate Frisbee, or ‘Ultimate’ is a (nominally) non-contact sport played between two teams, each with seven players on the field at a time. The objective is to move the disc upfield by passing between teammates until the disc is caught in the attacking end zone for a goal.

Ultimate is usually played outdoors on a field similar to a rugby or grid-iron pitch, composed of a large rectangular area with an end zone on each end.

The rules of Ultimate are taken from American Football, Soccer, Hockey and a range of other influences. The basic mechanics, though, are most similar to those of Netball; players are not allowed to run whilst in possession of the disc. Instead, the disc must be successfully thrown to a team-mate. Failure to do so – either by dropping a catch, interception, the defensive team knocking the disc down or throwing out of play – results in an instant turn-over of possession.

The constant pressure on the offensive team to get clear of the defence and catch a good pass means that Ultimate is a very fast-paced and intense sport.

Competition games are usually played to 15 or 17 points, with a time cap of around 80 minutes.

In Australia, Ultimate is usually played in Open and Ladies Divisions during the first half of the year, and as Mixed for the second half. It is one of the few sports that regularly holds Mixed competitions at all levels. There are also lots of Social Leagues and Tournaments throughout the year.

See this site for the complete Official Rules of Ultimate.