Like soccer, ultimate is a contest of constant speed. You're either trying to outrace a defender or trying to catch someone moving on offense. If a pass falls to the ground, or if it is intercepted, the opposing team gains possession from that point. Some of these players are marathon runners. Folks who consider a 30-minute jog a good workout are better off watching from the sidelines.
Players start arriving, put on their cleats, and split themselves into teams of seven.
The handlers have mastered the multitude of throws that make up ultimate, and the longs have the energy to run constantly in and around the end zone as well as a knack for plucking the disc out of the air. A good team needs both types, and the best players excel at all these skills. Packard fakes right and then extends to his left, beaming a low pass toward Cantrill in the end zone. He stretches his body flat and belly flops onto the grass, sliding forward on his stomach, his ankles straining to reach his head as he grips the disc. These aren't the only kind of moves at play.