The present article develops the alternative sport of ultimate as a development proposal in the subject of physical education.
What is ultimate?
Alternative sports share a series of characteristics that make them attractive and different, among others, the possibility of participating in them in a mixed way, with unusual rules where the aim is to work in collaboration with the team, seeking to surpass the opponent, using unconventional equipment or materials.
Ultimate is a sport played in two teams, through collaboration-opposition, using a flying disc called a frisbee. At a competitive level, two teams of seven players face each other.
The field is similar to that of soccer, and at each end, there is a scoring zone. Each team is responsible for defending one zone, with the objective of scoring more goals than the opponent. A goal is considered if a player catches a disc in the opposite zone (goal zone)(1).
In this sport, the two teams face each other on the field, distributed in space, being able to pass the disc between teammates, seeking that the opponent does not cut possession, to advance towards the opposite field, with the objective of reaching the goal zone where a player must catch the disc in the air to score a point.
The disc can be moved in any direction but the person who has possession of it, at a specific moment, cannot move.
What is the history of ultimate?
In 1968, Joel Silver presented his idea of Ultimate Frisbee to the student council of Columbia High School in Maplewood New Jersey, USA.
At that time, they created a mix of other sports like American football, soccer, and basketball, and it was played with a frisbee.
The following year, the first game was played between two groups of students. Subsequently, in 1969, a team had been formed at the school, and they were already playing regularly.
A student, David Leiwant, named it Ultimate, as the ultimate sports experience, hence its name.
Descubre la importancia de trabajar con deportes alternativos en Educación Física.
Veremos paso a paso, el auge en la última década de este tipo de deportes en el ámbito de la educación física, además se van a presentar dos propuestas prácticas para su desarrollo.
How is an ultimate match played?
The players on the court are 7 per team. There is no referee, and the aim is to work on fair play and follow values related to respect and acceptance of situations.
Fouls in ultimate
The fouls themselves are called by the players, following principles such as the prohibition of physical contact or blocking.
Winner in ultimate
The team that wins the match is the one that scores 15 points in a maximum of 90 minutes.
How to move with the disc in ultimate
The player who has possession of the disc cannot move with it and has 10 seconds to pass it to a teammate in the desired direction.
The player with possession of the frisbee cannot be defended by two opponents; the defense is 1 against 1.
The point is scored by catching in the opponent’s goal zone. After each point is scored, the game stops and starts with the possession of the opposing team.
When the disc goes out of bounds, possession changes from the team that took it out to the opponent.
Different positions are worked on, depending on the player’s characteristics and the position occupied on the field (2):
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- Handler: A handler must have an average height, and also be an intelligent and calm person. With good throwing technique.
- Cutter: those who play in this position are characterized by their speed, they must be powerful players with the ability to react very quickly to different game situations. Good height and long arms can be characteristics that benefit the team.
Characteristics and values of ultimate
Most alternative sports do not specifically focus on the competition result, unlike most conventional sports.
Therefore, they focus on other aspects or characteristics more related to game development, participation, enjoyment, and values, summarizing all this in the term sport for all.
Fair play is sought, and with it, respect among the different players, fostered by the absence of a referee figure to dictate what happens in each action.
It is a mixed sport; both teams must play with an identical number of girls and boys: four females and three males, or vice versa. The attacking team always chooses the configuration in each situation.
Practical proposal of ultimate in physical education
Depending on the methodology we want to use to implement ultimate as content in physical education, we will have to use one model or another. If we start from the comprehensive model, we must consider some basic aspects, such as the following (3):
- Different roles within the game must be worked on: coach figure, cutter and handler figure, observer figure, etc.
- More practice time is required than the implementation of more directed methodologies, with units being about 15-20 sessions.
- The initial learning process is slower, but it involves greater experimentation and understanding of the game.
Some of the activities that could be developed within an ultimate unit may include the following:
- 10 passes: it starts by forming two teams of 5 people, and when the disc falls to the ground, possession changes teams.
- Variants can be introduced by increasing the number of players per team and introducing instructions such as all team players must catch to score the point.
- Rondo: for example, 5 players in a delimited circle make passes, and one in the center tries to steal the disc.
- Attack and defense situations: progressing from simple 2×1 situations to the real 7×7 game situation. For this, you can work by time, after which the attack and defense rotate so that all students go through all roles. Or equally working by plays, and each time some students try it. Different situations are sought to be worked on:
- 2×1
- 2×2
- 3×2
- 4×3
- 5×3
- 6×4
- 5×5
- 7×7
- Tournament or real game: match in a real game situation where students must perform the roles worked on, change positions on the field, and act as referees of the match itself, showing respect and other values addressed during the unit.
Conclusion
In short, it can be said that ultimate is a good opportunity to work on collaboration-opposition sports in the subject of physical education, using alternative materials and a different game or dynamic characteristics than those followed in other conventional sports.
In this way, novelty and motivation are provided to students, as well as resources to practice physical activity outside the school environment.
Bibliographic references
- Ultimate federation. Retrieved from: https://fedv.es/qu-es-el-ultimate-cmo-jugar
- Gracia, C. C. C., & Díaz, Á. J. G. (2016). ULTIMATE FRISBEE IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES AT SAN JUAN BAUTISTA DE LA SALLE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. Digital Journal: Physical Activity and Sport, 2(2). Retrieved from: https://revistas.udca.edu.co/index.php/rdafd/article/view/341
- Otero, C. T. (2012). Effect of training through the comprehensive method in ultimate frisbee. International Journal of Medicine and Science of Physical Activity and Sport, 12(46), 329-348. Retrieved from: https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/542/54224389010.pdf
