Frisbee is a classic game usually played by just tossing a plastic disk in the middle of a park. Ultimate frisbee, however, is a fast paced, highly competitive, extremely challenging, rapidly growing sport played by many East High School students. It is a simple game that is played much like football, but without the pads, helmets, and football.
Seven players from each team are on the field at the same time. The field has two end zones, one for each team. Players are not allowed to run with the frisbee, they must plant their feet, then throw it to a teammate to advance it down the field. A change of possession occurs if the frisbee falls to the ground, is intercepted by the opposing team, or goes out of bounds. Each goal is worth one point and the game is played to 15 goals. The halftime break takes place when one team reaches eight points.
- Jeremy Cooper, East Spotlight, October 2004
The Ultimate Players Association ("UPA") puts it like this:
[A] game of Ultimate is played by two seven-player squads with a high-tech plastic disc on a field similar to football. The object of the game is to score by catching a pass in the opponent's end zone. A player must stop running while in possession of the disc, but may pivot and pass to any of the other receivers on the field. Ultimate is a transition game in which players move quickly from offense to defense on turnovers that occur with a dropped pass, an interception, a pass out of bounds, or when a player is caught holding the disc for more than ten seconds.