Mashup: Ultimate Frisbee + The Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ultimate is a mixed martial arts sport played with a 175 gram flying disc. The object of the game is to score points by passing the disc to a player in the opposing octagon. Players may not kick to the head of a downed opponent, pull hair, fish-hook, head-butt, or strike the groin while holding the disc.

In the fall of 1968, Joel Silver, then a student at Columbia High School proposed a school Frisbee team to the student council on a whim. The following summer, a group of students got together to play what Silver claimed to be the “ultimate game experience,” adapting the sport from different martial arts disciplines—including boxing, Brazilian jiu jitsu, wrestling and Muay Thai, among others.

The sport became identified as a counterculture activity. While the rules governing movement and scoring of the disc have not changed, the early Columbia High School games had an octagonal structure with walls of metal chain-link fence coated with black vinyl and a diameter of 32 ft, allowing 30 ft (of space from point to point. The fence was 5’6″ to 5’8″ high.

Gentlemanly behavior and gracefulness were held high. A foul was defined as:

Butting with the head
Eye gouging of any kind
Biting
Hair pulling
Fish hooking
Groin attacks of any kind
Putting a finger into any orifice or into any cut or laceration on an opponent.
Small joint manipulation
Striking to the spine or the back of the head
Striking downward using the point of the elbow
Throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea
Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh
Grabbing the clavicle
Kicking the head of a grounded opponent
Kneeing the head of a grounded opponent
Stomping a grounded opponent
Kicking to the kidney with the heel
Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck.
Throwing an opponent out of the ring or fenced area
Holding the frisbee of an opponent
Engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent
Holding the ropes or the fence
Using abusive language in the ring or fenced area
Attacking an opponent on or during the break
Attacking an opponent after the bell (horn) has sounded the end of a round
Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury

No referees were present, which still holds true today: all Ultimate matches (even at high level events) are self-officiated.

Ultimate has traditionally relied upon a spirit of sportsmanship which places the responsibility for fair play on the player. Striking and grappling are encouraged, but never at the expense of the bond of mutual respect between players, adherence to the agreed upon rules of the game, or the basic submission of an opponent. Protection of these vital elements serves to eliminate adverse conduct from the Ultimate field. Such actions as taunting of opposing players, spitting at an opponent, or other ‘win-at-all-costs’ behavior are contrary to the spirit of the game and must be avoided by all players.

Many tournaments give awards for the most spirited team, as voted for by all the fighters taking part in the tournament.

Please Note: This blog was written from the second sand trap on hole 13 at Augusta

Check out Decater's new novel, available now at Amazon. Plus, don't forget his earlier books: Ahab's Adventures in Wonderland and Picasso Painted Dinosaurs.