In 1948, an American named Walter Frederick invented a small flying saucer that is very affected by the wind, which he planned to sell at fairs.
He could not have expected that one day the product that received the nickname "Frisbee" would become one of the best-selling toys of all time.
He was even more surprised to learn that thousands of young people would make the toy the centerpiece of a professional league.
Guy Sassoon, the Paralympic tennis player, Australian vice champion
The ultimate frisbee game takes place on a football field, with the goal being to get the flying disc over the line at the end of the field without touching the grass.
The frisbee moves to the opposing team as it falls and the players move from offense to defense at high speeds.
As in basketball, players are not allowed to move with the ball and perform movements using a pivot foot.
Each team has seven players on the field at any given moment.
Also, this is a game without physical contact between the players.
The Ultimate Frisbee Association (or UFA for short) created in 2012 brings together 24 teams from all over the United States in a season that includes 15 games.
The finals will be held this year in Utah and these will conclude a year of rebranding that includes the official purchase of the Frisbee brand for commercial purposes.
As part of the move, selected weekly games will be streamed for free on YouTube with the concept that the game is for everyone.
"Ultimate Frisbee and the UFA are built for the next generation of sports fans," said Legends Growth Enterprises President Gaby Rowe, who bought shares in the league in 2022. To establish digital connections through streaming platforms, games and youth engagement."
According to a Forbes report, an Israeli company called LSports Data has signed an agreement with the league that will allow it access to player and game data in order to produce bets for giant companies like DraftKings and FanDuel.
Frisbee league game.
High tempo, no contact, photo: AUDL
The league is managed by Steve Hull, who started playing the game while attending Georgia Tech University.
90% of the league's players have full-time jobs and the rest are students.
The league's players receive a modest stipend, uniforms and their travel costs are covered, which separates the UFA from other leagues where players pay to compete.
In the last two years, the New York Empire team was crowned champion.
The game has also been present in Israel in recent years and since it does not require too many tools it can be played anywhere, on grass or asphalt, but it has not yet received media coverage due to the lack of an established league.
In the United States it is an event that is gaining momentum in colleges and high schools, and is played in more than 80 countries by approximately 7 million men and women, boys and girls.
The late Yosef Gedaliah, photo: none
The year 2024 is a test year for the UFA and it can be expected that as the season passes successfully, more and more young people will join the game.
They are already invited to pick up a frisbee, or any disc-like plastic item such as a tambour barrel stopper, and start playing.
Enjoyment is guaranteed.
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*The column is dedicated to Yosef Gedaliah the 14th who fell in defense of the country on the seventh of October and who loved to play frisbee next to his house together with his brothers and friends
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