Ultimate Frisbee in Indian is more that flying discs and fun in the sun

India Ultimate recently hosted the National Open and Women’s Championship 2025 for frisbee in Bengaluru. The event saw 39 teams from 10 cities, featuring over 700 athletes competing in the Open, Women’s and Challenger Open divisions.

Primarily played on grass or sand, at both the world stage and in India, the action takes place on a stretch of land roughly the length and breadth of a football field. Two rectangle spaces at both ends of the field, are the end zones and scoring area.

Alex Sebastian, CEO of India Ultimate headquartered in Bengaluru, highlighted the technicalities of the game. “You have have to pass a disc between your teammates and get it in the end zone to score. It is a lot like American football with a mix of basketball and football in terms of how the game is played.”

The game also allows for substitution of the entire team with a fresh set of players on the field.

Though the rules for grass and beach (as the ones played on sand are referred to) championships are similar, there are some differences; a team for grass needs seven players, while five players comprise a beach team. Similarly, a beach game goes on for 45 minutes with the winners scoring 13 points, while games on grass have a 100-minute duration with 15 points needed to win.

Self sufficient

In Ultimate, each player is also a referee. “If there is a foul or something that requires referee intervention, the players discuss it among themselves and come to a conclusion on what has to be done. They have 30 seconds to resolve this — an exercise that imparts a lot of life skills to players,” says Alex.

At the end of a match, both teams sit together in a “spirit circle” to briefly discuss or resolve issues if any. Each team also rates the other on five different parameters such as communication, positive mindset and self control, which is also known as the “spirit score”.

At the end of a tournament, the Spirit of The Game or SOTG Award is conferred on a team based on the spirit score they were given by their opponents.

Late start and challenges

India Ultimate was established in 2012 as the registered Flying Disc Sports Federation for India. It is a volunteer and player-run organisation, helmed by either active or retired players. There are almost 80 clubs across the country with players in the age group of 14 to 36 years.

“We are at a nascent stage compared to many other countries which took up this sport earlier. We are trying to build a base right now with a five-year plan; hopefully, we will be ready in time to qualify for the 2029 World Games and build a case for the 2032 Sydney Olympics,” says Alex.

“Ultimate frisbee is still relatively unknown in India. We need more exposure — media coverage and social media campaigns, as well as integration into school and college sports programs,” says coach Mrinalini Siddhartha from Coimbatore.

“To raise awareness about Ultimate, we need to start at the grassroots — student programs, community outreach, and consistent media coverage. However, for real, sustained growth, official recognition of the sport by the government is crucial. It would provide access to quality sports facilities, funding, and logistical support for tournaments, especially at local and state levels,” says Bengaluru-based athlete and coach Prasanna Krishna Poojary.

Athlete and coach Nandan Ravi Latha from Chennai agrees, and adds, “Government support will help athletes to train and compete without worrying about funding. This will definitely put them in a much more competitive frame of mind.“

According to Hina Nainani, Communications and Partnerships lead at India Ultimate Ahmedabad, getting a field to host the championship is quite difficult as public grounds cannot be dedicated for the regular practice of this sport. “In India, getting that kind of space to play is quite challenging, so we had to host the championships about 30-35 kilometres outside the city,” added Alex.

Goa-based coach Nathan Chowgule says, “A dedicated space would help players and state teams by giving them a place to practice regularly and hone their skills. It would benefit them no end.”

Although there are small sponsorships, most domestic or international tournaments are self-funded by the players. As a result, a lot of talented players lose out on showcasing their skills at world events.

Mixed bag

Being a non-contact sport, frisbee also allows for players of all genders to participate, but while that is democratic in theory, reality throws a harsh light on what transpires on the field at times.

“Mixed-gender play is a unique quality of this game and we’ve come a long way from the initial 6:1 ratio to having equal gender representation on the field. However, as a community, we must actively ensure equality — this means intentional disc distribution, supporting women in leadership roles, and holding teams accountable for truly inclusive play,” says Prasanna.

Hina Nainani highlighted the inclusive practices in India Ultimate, “In mixed-gender, the female players are mostly namesake, while the men lead. India Ultimate changed it to have one male and one female captain. Being a self-refereed sport, it gives women an opportunity to speak for themselves, as well as the confidence to be leaders”.

Highlighting the struggles in mixed gender play, Mrinalini points out “Women in mixed-gender Ultimate face a number of challenges such as needing to prove themselves constantly or receiving different levels of feedback compared to men.”

There is still a cultural and social shift required in how teams approach gender equity on the field, Mrinalini says. “We need to keep having these conversations, find and build male-allies, be intentional about how we train and play, and ensure that women, have the opportunities and support to take on leadership roles.”

In 2025, the Men’s and Women’s teams will represent India at the Asian Championships to be held at Japan in September. India will also be represented by the Mixed Team at the World Beach Championships to be held in Portugal in November this year.