ULTIMATE FRISBEE FUN

In a special series, Play of the Month, The Straits Times' sports desk will dive into a sport. Every month this year, an expert in a sport will provide tips on how to play and get better at it. The October spotlight is on ultimate frisbee.

- Melvyn Teoh

When she was in secondary school, Jodie Soh was never the sporty type. But taking up ultimate frisbee in polytechnic has made her more physically active.

What kept the 21-year-old in the sport for the five years since are the thrills of the game and the friends that she met in ultimate frisbee, which is one of few mixed-gender team sports.

"When I first started playing the sport, it was quite nerve-racking," said Soh, a member of the provisional national Under-24 squad. "I was running down the field, and the disc was thrown, there was also a guy defender that was chasing after it.

"I heard the guy coming behind me, both of us jumped for the disc, and I snatched it out of his hand, and I managed to score. And it was just a very exhilarating and exciting moment."

In ultimate frisbee, a non-contact sport, mixed seven-a-side teams are required to have a 4:3 ratio in terms of genders. It can be either four males and three females, or vice versa, but both teams must have the same breakdown.

It is also a self-officiated game, meaning players have to act as their own referees to resolve disputes in matches.

In the seven-a-side game, which originated in the United States, play is advanced through passes.