In This Guide
Frisbee Sports
For many, the term “Frisbee” conjures images of beards, liberal arts colleges and jam bands, and although it's an essential accessory for hippies nationwide, it's also the heart of a handful of serious sports. The Web is host to a variety of flying disc resources, including tutorials and tips for improving your skills, rules on playing Frisbee sports, and results and registration information for some of the top national tournaments. The Web is your disc, give it a huck!
Expand All Guide SectionsFrisbee Basics
It's believed that the term Frisbee traces its origin to the Frisbie Pie Company in Connecticut. According to legend, the bakery’s pie plates served as the first flying discs, being tossed around after the delights within had been consumed. Wham-O, Inc. later trademarked “Frisbee” as the name of their flying disc. Although the term is officially a brand name, Frisbee has come to be synonymous with all flying discs.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Most of the information you'll find on the Web about Frisbee deals specifically with one of its sub-sports (for example, ultimate Frisbee or Frisbee golf). In this section, we've included links to familiarize you with the Frisbee itself.
- Throwing the disc in the backyard, on the beach or on the college quad is where most players get their start, and for many, it's as far as they get. Yet the die-hards who see the true potential of this flying piece of plastic take Frisbee to the next level by playing it as a competitive sport. Later in this guide you’ll find information to help you get acquainted with the four primary Frisbee sports: ultimate Frisbee, disc golf, freestyle Frisbee and guts.
Dulcinea's Picks
For an overview ...
Dictionary.com
has a brief definition of Frisbee and a bit of information on its origin.
FrisbeeDisc.com
is the home of the official Wham-O Inc. Frisbee. Learn about the latest versions of Frisbee discs and purchase them online.
For how it works ...
Illumin
has an article about the physics that allow Frisbee discs to fly as majestically as they do. Read about the history and design of the Frisbee, as well as the forces and rotational motion involved in Frisbee flight.
Who knew?
Frisbee Collective
is an online collection of Frisbees. View more than 220 vintage discs, including the disc from the first official World Frisbee Championship in 1974.
Ultimate Frisbee
Ultimate Frisbee is the most widely played (and organized) of all the Frisbee sports. A game of endurance, speed, skill and teamwork, you'll find people playing ultimate at high schools, on college campuses and in regional clubs around the United States and abroad. Think of ultimate as a combination of football and soccer, played with a Frisbee.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Take a look at this video highlighting the Michigan ultimate Frisbee team from the 2006 Collegiate National Championships to see what ultimate looks like when played at a high level.
- In ultimate, two teams face off on a field set up with slightly different dimensions than a football field. It's the objective of the team who receives the throw-off (imagine a football kickoff) to move the Frisbee up the field by passing it from player to player until a reception is made in the other team's end zone. No player can run while maintaining possession of the disc, and the defensive team gains possession through an interception, or by knocking the disc to the ground.
Dulcinea's Picks
For an overview of ultimate ...
Ultipedia
is a community-edited information resource dedicated to ultimate. Despite having a lax editorial policy, you'll find pages of quality information here. Be aware that there are better places to go for the official rules, such as the Ultimate Players Association and the World Flying Disc Federation, and that Ultipedia's articles should only be used to gain an introductory understanding of the sport.
For associations ...
The Ultimate Players Association
is the national governing body for the sport of ultimate Frisbee. This site is the most comprehensive, authoritative source of ultimate information on the Web. Learn the rules of the game, where the latest tournaments are and how to get involved. You'll also find information on the UPA Championship Series and ultimate development and outreach, along with the latest news.
The World Flying Disc Federation
, the governing body of international ultimate Frisbee, is your source for information about international ultimate play. The latest news, a schedule of events, the official rules for international play, records, rankings and the structure of the organization are all accessible through the navigation bar on the left of the page.
To learn skills and throws ...
Jot's Ultimate Guide to Ultimate Frisbee
is a huge resource. It begins with the basics: an introduction to the rules of ultimate and a primer on catching and throwing the disc. It moves on to discuss more advanced ultimate issues, such as playing offense and defense, eventually providing advice on formations and ultimate strategy.
The Australian Flying Disc Association
has nearly 20 quality articles on throwing discs and ultimate strategy. Articles cover the essentials of offense (throwing, catching and cutting) and defense (marking and defending). Where applicable you'll find diagrams to supplement the text. This is another must-read.
The Ultimate Handbook
has an overview of ultimate rules with information on throwing, defense, offense, the stack, catching, cutting and more. You'll also find comprehensive strategy information as well as training tips.
For the official rules ...
The Ultimate Players Association
has the 11th Edition of the official rules in a variety of formats. View them in HTML, download them as a PDF, view them with diagrams, or read them in French.
The World Flying Disc Federation
brings you the official international rules of ultimate, as used in the world championships. The most recent edition was published in 2007.
Disc Golf
Disc golf, also known as frolf (Frisbee golf), is golf played with flying discs. On regulation courses, metal baskets are used for holes instead of cups. The beauty of Frisbee golf is that it can be played both formally and informally. While there are official courses and regulation discs, there's nothing stopping you from picking up a disc, pointing to a trashcan in the distance, and challenging your friends to see who can hit it in fewer throws. In this section you'll learn all about fris-golf, including the official rules and tips for hucking your disc.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Random state parks, schoolyards, town commons: Frisbee golf courses can be found all over. If the database on PDGA.com, listed below, doesn't show a course in your area, don't give up hope. Try every permutation of the phrase "frisbee golf course + [the name of your town/area]" until you're certain none exist (and in that case, make an informal one in your neighborhood).
Dulcinea's Picks
For an association ...
The Professional Disc Golf Association
has a comprehensive body of information on the sport of Frisbee golf. There are official rules, a course directory with a database of official courses around the United States, a message board with discussions about all issues related to play, information about disc golf itself and a pro shop.
To buy discs and equipment ...
The Disc Golf Association
is the company that founded the sport, and one of the largest manufacturers of disc golf equipment and accessories. The site has loads of information, including a history of disc golf, simple instructions, and of course an online store with loads for sale.
For news ...
Disc Golf World News
is a semi-regularly updated blog with posts covering important developments in disc golf news. You'll find commentary on the national rankings, pictures from tournaments and coverage of other disc golf topics.
For videos ...
DGTV (DiscgolfTV.com)
has more than 250 Frisbee golf videos viewable using Windows Media or QuickTime. Each day a new "Shot of the Day" video is featured on the homepage. Click the "Channel" link at the left of the page to browse videos by category.
For tips and skills ...
Innova Discs
has tutorials on driving, putting and gripping the disc, along with charts that demonstrate proper form.
Disc Nation
provides an overview of the game, advice on how to play, and tips on using the "power grip" and the "x-step." There's also a convenient and extensive glossary of disc golf terms.
Freestyle Frisbee
Frisbee freestyle, when done well, looks like a combination of juggling, magic and martial arts. It's the most visually impressive of all the Frisbee disciplines, and requires the utmost technical ability. Also referred to as jamming, freestyle Frisbee involves keeping the disc spinning by flicking it to yourself, balancing it on your finger tips and catching it in altogether amazing fashion.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Still scratching your head about what freestyle Frisbee is? Check out this video for a freestyle Frisbee demonstration.
- Even Nike has picked up on freestyle Frisbee; take a look at this advertisement for proof.
Dulcinea's Picks
For an overview of freestyle Frisbee ...
The Freestyle Frisbee Page
has an introduction to freestyle that covers the basics of the sport, its history and where it can be played. The "Videos" section has links to a number of freestyle videos that show what freestyle Frisbee is all about.
For associations ...
The Frisbee Freestyle Players Association
is an organization dedicated to the growth of freestyle Frisbee. Learn all about the organization, read bios of top players, learn the latest tournament results and most importantly, learn to play. For newbies, there's an explanation of Frisbee freestyle called "In a Nutshell."
For a community ...
Shrednow
is a freestyle Frisbee community blog. If you're an enthusiast, create a free account and post away.
Guts
Put quite bluntly, guts is a game where one team throws a Frisbee as hard as they possibly can at the members of the opposing team, who stand in a line and attempt to keep the disc from hitting the ground or breaking through their line by catching it. Standing your ground and getting in front of a speeding piece of hard plastic takes ... GUTS!
Dulcinea's Insight
- If you still have any questions about what guts is, this guts video should answer them.
Dulcinea's Picks
For an overview of guts ...
GutsFrisbee.com
is the Web's official source of information on guts. Visit the "About Guts" section for a quick rundown of how to play guts. The homepage has a running list of upcoming events, results from past events and more.
For the rules of guts ...
The World Flying Disc Federation
has the expanded rules of guts.
Frisbee Techniques
Forehand, backhand, hammer, chicken wing, thumber: these are just some of the ways one can throw a Frisbee. Use the Web to learn how to make a disc soar, and how to do so with style.
Dulcinea's Insight
- You'll encounter two types of tutorials online: text-based and video. Text-based tutorials provide descriptions of the grips and motions for each of the different throws, and are usually supplemented by photos or diagrams. Video tutorials are narrated and show visual demonstrations, which can make learning techniques much easier. Try using a combination of both to get the most comprehensive understanding.
Dulcinea's Picks
For throwing and skills ...
The Freestyle Players Association
has an overview of throwing, trick catches, terminology and other freestyle moves.
Wikipedia
's article on "Flying disc techniques" defies the will of the online encyclopedia's overlords, as it offers tips and advice instead of objective reporting of the facts. Because it's just advice from other players, and academic honesty isn't at stake, hearing what these contributors have to say about forehands, backhands, thumbers, hammers, push passes and scoobers can’t hurt.
For video how-to's ...
Expert Village
has a host of videos that walk you through the history of the Frisbee, a variety of throws and catches, rules of the game, selecting a Frisbee and playing with attitude. Videos are short and tend to be between two and three minutes.
For jamming ...
Heinsville
has a list of articles for beginners through experts on different freestyle moves. Air brushing, delays, kick brushing, chest rolls, power rolls and reverse pulls are some of the moves covered in these articles.
Buying a Frisbee
By this point, you're probably dying to get your hands on a Frisbee and make one fly. Complete your online foray into the world of Frisbee sports by buying a disc from an online store and having it delivered to your door.
Dulcinea's Insight
- If you want your team logo, tournament logo or school name printed on a Frisbee, there are several companies that can custom print discs for you. Consult the sites below for more information.
Dulcinea's Picks
For discs and accessories ...
Frisbee Disc
is the official home of the Frisbee Disc. Go here for a range of freestyle, ultimate and golf discs.
Disc Fly
has a massive product range, offering more than 600 disc-related accessories. Look for golf discs, bags, golf baskets, bags, doggy discs and much more.
For custom-printed discs ...
Frisbee Disc
, maker of the original Frisbee, sells customizable discs in four sizes. Click any of the products listed on the homepage and you'll be taken to a page with a link in the bottom right asking if you'd like to customize your disc.
Discraft
is the place to go if you're looking for custom-printed, official 175 gram ultimate Frisbees. They come in a huge variety of colors, and provide two options for printing. If you're making a bulk order, you can do so directly through the site. To buy Discraft discs independently, visit one of their online retailers.
Dollar Imprint
sells cheaper discs, none of which conform to ultimate or freestyle regulations. If you're doing a large promotion and don’t require regulation Frisbees, you may prefer this option.
© 2012 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
