Frisbee

Frisbee, trademark name for a plastic disc that people can toss and catch. Players throw a Frisbee by flicking the wrist, so that the disc spins as it sails through the air. Frisbees were introduced in the United States in the late 1950s, and since then have become increasingly popular. Many people use Frisbees to play catch, with other people or with dogs. Several organized Frisbee sports have also developed, however. These include Ultimate Frisbee, disc golf, and freestyle Frisbee.

Ultimate Frisbee combines elements of soccer, basketball, football, and lacrosse. It is a fast-paced game played between two seven-person teams on a rectangular field with two end zones. The teams can be coed, all-men, or all-women. The object of the game is to throw the Frisbee to a teammate in the end zone. Players cannot run with the disc, but they can throw it in any direction. Possession changes when a pass falls incomplete, is caught or knocked down by the opposing team, or lands out of bounds. Ultimate is a noncontact sport. A distinguishing feature of the game is that there are no referees, so the participants themselves call rules infractions and resolve disputes. Great emphasis is placed on fair play.

Disc golf, or Frisbee golf, is similar to the normal game of golf, but it is played with Frisbees. Players attempt to complete a course in the fewest number of throws. The course is usually made up of 18 “holes,” which players try to hit with the Frisbee. These holes can be trees, lampposts, or almost any other object, but in organized play the most common type of hole is an elevated metal basket, into which players try to toss the disc. Unlike traditional golf courses, disc golf courses can be designed almost anywhere, because they can easily coexist with other outdoor activities.

In freestyle Frisbee, a player or a team of players performs a routine of throws, catches, and moves with a Frisbee, such as spinning the disc on one finger or rolling it across the body. Judges evaluate the performance and determine a winner, based on the difficulty of the routine, how well the players execute it, and their style in doing so. Freestyle Frisbee encourages experimentation, and players continually invent new maneuvers.