Frisbee spins tale of sportsmanship

It’s called the Ultimate, a Generation X sport that uses a frisbee and is governed by a code of conduct known as "the spirit of the game."

What makes Ultimate unique and almost revolutionary is its system of self-refereeing. Two teams of seven flip it out on an open rectangular pitch to advance the disc or frisbee to an endzone for a goal like in American football. There are no referees, no coaches, no penalty box, no offside, no backing violation and no foul outs.

In Ultimate, honesty is the best policy as players police themselves on the field, giving up possession on fouls or violations they freely admit to committing. After each game, the opposing teams cheer for each other in the Ultimate tradition of sportsmanship.

Although Ultimate is supposed to be a non-contact sport, it’s far from being a kids’ game. Players take Ultimate seriously, train diligently and let it all hang out. Their level of intensity belies the competitive nature of the sport. There is mutual respect among players but that doesn’t mean they’re soft and spineless. They play as hard as they party.

"It’s all about honesty," said Disc Devils Alabang mainstay Ping Bautista, a former Southridge varsity baseball player. "The game is a mix of basketball, football, soccer, hockey, rugby, handball and netball. The rules are strict–you can’t run with the disc, you stop moving when you’re in possession. There is a traveling violation but you can pivot like in basketball. You can’t throw the disc to yourself. You defend to intercept a pass and there’s a turnover when the disc hits the ground. It can get rough like when players collide in the air trying to catch the disc."

Under Ultimate rules, a goal is scored when a team completes a pass to a player standing in the endzone. By flipping the disc from player to player, the offense attempts to work it up the pitch towards the endzone. Defenders try to stop the team in possession from making progress up the field.

A team of seven is made up of four males and three females or five males and two females. An elimination round game has a time limit of 60 minutes with a point cap of 11. In the semifinals, a game stretches to 75 minutes with a cap of 13. The limit is extended to 90 minutes with a cap of 15 in the finals. Once a team reaches the cap, the game is over.

The sport has its own vocabulary. For instance, a break is the side to which the defender is trying to prevent the throw. A cut is an attempt to extricate from the defense to receive a pass. A dump is a player who stands behind the thrower to help out when the offense is in trouble. A flow is a series of quick passes to well-timed cuts, resulting in an easy goal. A poach is when a defender moves away from his offensive matchup to intercept a pass to another player. A swing is a lateral pass across the pitch. A huck is a long pass, often nearly the length of the pitch, and high to a player in the endzone. A hammer is a high overhead throw with the disc flying upside down.

Ultimate was conceptualized by American high school students in 1968. Frisbee’s origins are traced to cookie tin lids produced by the Frisbie pie-making family of Connecticut and tossed around in East Coast campuses in 1871. Walter Morrison designed a plastic frisbee in the shape of a flying saucer as a toy in 1951 and California students used the disc to create Ultimate in 1957.

Today, Ultimate is played by over 100,000 enthusiasts in more than 42 countries.

The sport was introduced here three years ago with expatriates Rob Locke, Bert Eddes and Tim Sullivan playing pick-up games at the Colegio de San Agustin campus in Makati. Eventually, the Philippine Ultimate Association (PUA) was formed to organize regular tournaments and promote the sport.

Disc Devils Alabang player Anton (Captain Blood) Bayot said the sport is gaining ground in the country. The yearly schedule includes a "winter" league in January-February, the Boracay International in March (with participants from Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Bangkok, Taiwan, Korea and Japan), the eight-week summer league in May-June, the Monsoon Madness in August-October, the Big Phat Hat tournament in August and the Manila Spirits International in November.

Games are played at the Alabang Country Club, Fort Aguinaldo, the University of the Philippines (UP) Sunken Gardens, the Manila Polo Club and the International School in Global City.

Among the active Ultimate players are actor Michael de Mesa and the Eigenmann clan, male model Derek Ramsey and broadcaster Reema Chanco.

The Disc Devils Alabang team is fixture in Ultimate tournaments. The Devils practice twice a week from 7:30 to 11 p.m. on Tuesdays and Sundays in the offseason. The players age range is 19 to 32. The lineup lists Bayot, Bautista, Chirpy Davies, Tiger Garrido, Myco Loanzon, Marvin Navarro, Tommy Brodett, Aids Arguelles, Cocoy Navarro, Donovan Navarro, Spyder Lim, Paolo Aranza, Mon Tanwangco, Johnjoe Joseph, Nicole Jacinto, Alia Vargas, Rosette Yupangco, Aisa Locsin, Pia Manguiat, Mia Sebastian, Guila Alvarez, Meli Bantug and Joy Pineda.

Other Ultimate teams include the Breakfast Club, the Young Askalz, the Ultimatum, the Disc Devils Makati, Bombproof and the UP Sunken Gardens.

Tournament games are held from 12 noon to 6 p.m. on weekends.

A typical frisbee sells for about P900 in Human stores. Discraft frisbees usually retail from $12 to $18 in the US. Ultimate players use soccer shoes.

In the climax of each competition, Ultimate participants get together for a "concept" party to toast the winners. Once, the theme was "June Bride" and players came as grooms in tuxedos or barongs, priests, brides, ring bearers, flower girls and even vendors selling sampaguita–all in the Ultimate spirit of camaraderie, sportsmanship and fun.

For more details on Ultimate, call Bayot at 826-0751 or 826-2761.