Michael Roman is new to the game of ultimate Frisbee. Each Sunday since June he has joined other players at Devou Park in Covington for a game.

        The 21-year-old Mason man has proven to be a quick learner, combining both strong offensive and defensive skills. A track and field athlete at Princeton High School and Miami University, Mr. Roman's quickness makes him hard to defend.

        To many, ultimate Frisbee is the ultimate fitness workout. It's a fast-paced, non-contact sport that requires the stop-and-start elements of basketball with the passing and scoring of football .

        “I especially like the fast pace,” Mr. Roman says. “When we play, there are no timeouts to slow down the game as in other sports.”

        Mr. Roman says he particularly likes the nature of the sport.

        “It is competitive, yet not serious.”

        @SubHed:Rules of the game
       @ColText:

        The game is played on a 40-yard by 120-yard field, which includes 25-yard end zones. Recreational ultimate Frisbee has no time limits, and play usually lasts for a couple of hours. The game tends to end when the athletes are worn out.

        The object of ultimate Frisbee is to score goals by catching the disc in the end zone (like a touchdown pass). Each team fields seven players, none with specific positions, although each player is assigned a person to guard when on defense.

        The Frisbee can only be moved by passing. Throwers are not allowed to take any steps once they possess the disc. Defenders must stay at least an arms length away from the thrower. No double defending of the thrower is allowed. A turnover occurs when a pass is incomplete, intercepted or goes out of bounds.

        An important element to ultimate Frisbee is maintaining the game's sportsmanship spirit. Players are supposed to acknowledge fouls, and mutual respect between players is as important as following the rules.

        Perhaps the most difficult task of the game is learning how to throw the Frisbee accurately. Mastering the correct angle of body, arm, and wrist can be frustrating to new players.
       @SubHed:Advice for beginner
       @ColText:

        Ultimate Frisbee player Gary Mueller, 34, Mount Healthy, says many beginners concentrate too much on the throw.

        “Just throw quickly with a snap of the wrist,” he says. Mr. Mueller thinks to himself, “smooth” as he is delivering a pass.

        However, when a rare bad pass occurs, Mr. Mueller and his teammates blame their imaginary teammate “Fred,” who has yet to catch a pass all season.

TO KNOW MORE

               • The World Flying Disc Federation, www.wfdf.org

        • The Ultimate Players Association, www.cs.rochester.edu:80/u/ferguson/ultimate/new-rules.html

        • World Ultimate magazine, (888) 228-2918.

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