While Frisbees are not yet the new "ball," Frisbee sports,especially ultimate Frisbee and Frisbee, are among thefastest-growing participation sports in America.
The flying discs might have their roots in ancient games, buttrue Frisbees began as pie pans from the Frisbie Pie Company. Theygot their name when Yale University students decided on a new,creative way to litter. They would take discarded pie pans, oftenfrom the Bridgeport-based Frisbie Company, and throw themthroughout campus.
The idea quickly caught the eye of many toy manufactures,including Wham-O, which eventually misspelled the word and gaveFrisbees their current spelling.
One of the more-exciting forms of Frisbee sport is goaltimate. Avariation of the sport of ultimate Frisbee, goaltimate is much ofwhat its name suggests -- ultimate Frisbee with a goal.
The game is played on a field 30-yards long and 40-yards wide.When a play begins, the offensive player stands behind a clearline, and a defensive player taps the disc. This serves the samefunction as checking the basketball. After that, the player holdingthe disc sets a pivot foot and has five seconds to throw the disc.The disc cannot be carried at any time, and a maximum of twomomentum steps are allowed.
The game is relatively simple and is similar to football andsoccer in most respects.
Thirty yards from the clear line is the end zone, which has alarge half-hoop in front of it. To score a point, the offensiveteam must throw the Frisbee through an 18-foot-wide, 11-foot-tallhoop to an offensive player in the end zone. The end zone isarch-shaped and has a width of 23 feet and a length of 21 feet.
Each goal counts as one point unless the disc was thrown frombeyond the clear line. Then it counts as two points.
Also on the field is a small substitution box. Four members canbe in play at any one time in goaltimate, and three may besubstituted in.
Goaltimate is a non-contact sport, and officials can issueyellow and red cards for contact. Two yellow cards in a game, orfour in a match, disqualifies contestants. Red cards serve asimmediate disqualifications.
Green cards are only used when importing the best players fromCuba.
After a goal is scored, the offensive team retains possession ofthe disc, but it must return the disc to beyond the clear linebefore making its next offensive drive.
The defenders' main goal is to intercept, deflect or otherwisecause incomplete passes. An interception must be returned to theclear zone, while an incomplete pass that lands on the ground isdead and given to the defending team beyond the clear line.
Games are played to five points and are played inbest-of-three-out-of-five matches.
Goaltimate is a not-so-popular version of ultimate Frisbee thatis gaining some play from serious ultimate Frisbee players. If youwould like to play goaltimate, I recommend finding a nearbyultimate Frisbee league and suggesting that it play the game.
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