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Date: Thu, 03 Mar 1994 11:00:29 GMT Message-ID: <FAQ.1.co_762692428@is.morgan.com> Supersedes: <FAQ.1.co_761569220@is.morgan.com> Expires: 24 Mar 1994 11:00:28 GMT Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!hookup!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!s5!is1.is.morgan.com!is.morgan.com!davidb Newsgroups: rec.sport.disc,news.answers,rec.answers Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu From: davidb@is.morgan.com (David Birnbaum) Subject: rec.sport.disc FAQ - Part 1 Followup-To: poster Reply-To: davidb@is.morgan.com Organization: Morgan Stanley & Company, Inc. Keywords: disc ultimate golf horozontal Distribution: world Lines: 804 Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu rec.sport.disc:4165 news.answers:15984 rec.answers:4336 Archive-name: disc-faq/part1 Last-modified: $Date: 1994/02/07 20:41:34 $ Version: $Revision: 1.46 $ *************** This is part one of the rec.sport.disc FAQ [Frequently Asked Questions list]. This file, and its companion files, are posted bi-weekly to rec.sport.disc and news.answers. The posting is designed to answer questions which are commonly asked by new readers of the group, as well as to provide a reliable source of information for regular readers. FAQ Listing: ----------- FAQ.1: This section contains the Questions and Answers for the sports of Ultimate, Disc Golf, and Miscellaneous disc-type questions. FAQ.2: This section contains some contacts, the UPA [Ultimate Player's Association] College Top 25, and a rough schedule. Table of Contents: * Indicates new or vastly revised questions 1) What is Ultimate? 2) What is Disc Golf? 3) Is there an FTP site for Disc stuff? - How to get electronic copies of the FAQ or rules - How to get team/contact listings - How to get disc-golf site listings 4) Am I eligible for Collegiate Disc? 5) How is the UPA Top 20 Computed? 6) What's a MAC, and how do I do it? 7) How do discs fly? [ for the physicist ] 8) Is there anyway to read or post to rec.sport.disc if you don't have access to USENET? 9) Visit the Ultimate Doctor a) FAQ information and administrative swill 1) What is Ultimate? ---------------- Ultimate is a fabulous, high-energy sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and disc-skills who don't mind a little running and a lot of fun. The description below applies to the outdoor version of the game. The indoor version, being on a smaller field, is somewhat modified (a slightly smaller field and fewer players) but mostly similar. Picture, if you will, a playing field (usually grass, but desperate teams will play on almost any surface) as follows: <- 25 yds -> <--------------- 70 yds --------------> <- 25 yds -> ^ +-----------+---------------------------------------+-----------+ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | End | | End | 40 | | | | yds| Zone | | Zone | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | v +-----------+---------------------------------------+-----------+ On this playing field are two teams of seven players each. The object of the game is for a team to pass the disc from player to player, all the way up the field, and catch the disc in their end- zone, which scores a point. Players cannot run with the disc, but must plant a pivot foot (as in basketball) and throw the disc to a teammate. When holding the disc, a player gets ten seconds to throw it to a teammate (five or seven seconds indoors), which is counted off by the defender guarding the offensive player (known as "marking" the thrower.) If the disc isn't thrown in time, it's called a "stall" and the defense takes over. If the offensive team drops the disc, catches it out of bounds, or failes to complete a pass because a defender somehow blocks the pass, the other team picks up the disc where it lands and works to score in the other direction. Defenders gnerally play either a man-to-man or zone defense in their attempt to block a throw. The game is non-contact - it's a foul to hit the other player, or to hit the disc while it's being held. (Blocking the disc right after it's thrown, known as a "point-block", is a very hot play!) Nor can a defender be "picked" off the player being guarded. Any play carried out with the main intent to prevent another player from having a fair chance at catching the disc or making a defense is considered a foul; in other words, you have to "play the disc, not the person!" Probably the most important part of Ultimate is known as "The Spirit of the Game". This catch-phrase is used to describe the respect that every player in the game has for his fellow players. No referees are used in the game. Instead, each player does his best to make an honest call if necessary, and trust the calls of his fellow players, with the implicit assumption that nobody in Ultimate would try to cheat. This principle is what makes Ultimate special to so many people, and all Ultimate players try to keep the Spirit alive by maintaining this high level of trust, no matter how competitive the game gets. If people cannot resolve their differences, people usually say "back to the thrower", which allows play to continue on without forcing the issue one way or another. The best way to see how Ultimate is played is to go watch a local tournament. Ultimate players share a great comraderie, and LOVE to introduce new players to the sport. So come on out and watch! 2) What is Disc Golf? ----------------- Disc golf is a great sport for everybody that relies on one's ability to throw a disc with power and accuracy. People of any age, ability, and gender can excel and enjoy disc golf immensely. The object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest total number of throws of a golf disc. Similar to the traditional golf game, a course is composed of a number of holes, in which each player begins by throwing from the tee, and completes the hole by landing in or striking the target. The total score for a course is determined by totaling the number of throws made on each hole. The winner is the player who completes the course in the fewest number of throws...or whoever has the most fun! Disc golf courses exist in many different terrains. Often they are laid out among wooden areas, with water hazards, large elevation changes, and difficult throws. Other courses are mostly flat, with few natural obstacles. The obstacles should be considered part of the course, and not tampered with (even when a tree eats your disc!) The average course is 18 holes, but 9 hole and 27 hole courses exist as well. The average hole is around 425 ft (130m), but some are as short as 150 ft (45m) or as long as 1000 ft (300m). Courses usually have a listed par, for pro or amateur players. Of course, people practice disc golf all the time by just aiming for an object a hundred yards away, which is the kind of disc golf one will often see being played on university campuses or urban parks. Terms: Tee - this the area where the player starts each hole. Some courses have multiple tees for each hole. The material on the tee surface varies from concrete, asphalt, dirt, crushed stone, or wood chips. In general, any flat non-slippery surface is good. Target - The target is where the disc must land in in order to complete the hole. The target is usually a "pole hole" which is specially made to catch the golf disc. Courses that do not use pole holes are usually known as object courses. A typical "object target" is a tree trunk, 4x4 or pipe. Golf disc - a "golf disc" is a flying disc made especially for the sport of disc golf, although some players use Wham-O type frisbees. Golf discs vary in weight and size. They are usually harder and denser than Wham-O type frisbees. Special models exist for driving, putting and "up shots" (not as far as a drive, but more than a putt) much like different golf clubs exist in ball golf. However, players are not required to use a "driver" as a driver or a "putter" as a putter. Some players throw a putter as their first shot from the tee. A golf disc generally costs anywhere from US $5-7, depending on how many are bought. A professional PDGA tour exists, currently has about 5000-7000 active members, some of whom play on a professional level for money, and some play on a amateur level for non cash prizes. The top money winner last year won over US $16,000. 3) Is there an FTP site for Disc stuff? ------------------------------------ A anonymous FTP site for the rec.sport.disc archives has been set up, courtesy of Gary Lewandowski. You may download copies of various rules and the current FAQ via anonymous FTP from: ftp.cs.wisc.edu (128.105.8.18) in the directories pub/ultimate. In order to reduce net bandwidth, the contact information is no longer being distributed with the FAQ, and is only availible via FTP or mail-FTP. All of the files are kept to a managable size to prevent mailer-death. Anyone without FTP access should contact Gary directly by sending mail to gary@cs.wisc.edu. An FTP-mail server may be set up; details will follow. The following files should be available there: FAQ part 1 and 2 UPA Ultimate rules Ultimate Timeline UPA Championship History WFDF World Championship History Others will be added from time to time. 4) Am I eligible for Collegiate Ultimate under the UPA? --------------------------------------------------- [ This is direct from Frank Revi, UPA National College Director, August 29, 1992. Frank can be contacted c/o UPA or at 71551,2461@compuserve.com. ] The following is a SUMMARY of UPA college eligibility requirements. It is intended to give an overview of the requirements. It is not the full text, and therefore DOES NOT give definitive information for all cases. The official text as published in the UPA newsetter pertaining to the season in question is the only source of official documentation of the eligibility rules for that season. All questions on eligibility should be addressed to the National College Director. "Rulings" from other coordinators and UPA headquarters staff are not final. UPA college eligibility is a 5-year window during which a player may participate in the series. The window runs continuously from the player's first participation in a UPA sanctioned event or first UPA membership, whichever comes first; but no earlier than the date of high school graduation (i.e. UPA events/membership while in high school don't count). The window closes annually on 1 June. The player must further meet the following requirements: * Be registered and enrolled in a regularly matriculated degree program at the institution for which s/he is eligible to play * Be taking a minimum of two full-time classes during the academic period(s) containing both March 1st and May 1st of the current year. [The above requirement is waived for students taking the minimum required academic load required to graduate at the end of the academic period containing May 1st. Research and thesis work may be counted towards the required courseload IF it is officially recognized as equivalent by the institution (e.g. if you register for research in the equivalent of course hours, that counts). Any questionable situations require a clarification request (see below).] * Be a member of the UPA in good standing The UPA does not grant exemptions to the eligibility rules. In cases where the rules are not clear, a clarification request may be made in writing by returning an official form by the deadline published in the newsletter. Forms must be requested in writing from UPA HQ; directions are printed on the form. Requests are reviewed by the Coordinating Committee and responses are mailed. The eligibility of all players on a given team must apply at the same branch or location of that school. Teams must submit completed rosters signed and sealed by the registrar before playing in any series event. 5) How is the UPA Top 20 List Computed? ----------------------------------- The UPA Top 20 is calculated by Eric Simon and distrbuted weekly. However, the Top 20 isn't accurate unless college tournaments call in their scores! So, please, all college teams and tournament directors should send in their scores to Eric or the UPA (see FAQ.2 for a contact list.) The most basic explanation of the Top 20 rating system is this: for each game a team plays, the team gets rating points. These rating points are then averaged. The next level of complexity is how to compute the points for a given game, and how to avereage them. The points for a given game is given by this formula: pts = opp_rate + (400 / x) (1) where opp_rate is the rating of the opponent, and x is a factor that depends upon the score. The formula for x is: x = max(.66,(2.5*(losing score/winning score)^2)) (2) Rather than explain it, let me give an example. Suppose team A beats team B 15-11. According to the formula, take the fraction 11/15, square it, and multiply by 2.5. This gives us 1.34. Suppose, further, that team B has a rating of 1000. According to formula (1), we simply compute 1000 + 400/1.34 and get 1298. The "max" that's used for formula (2) makes it so that the smallest that x can equal is .66, which means that the best (or worst) a team can do in a specific game is to perform at 600 points better (or worse) than their opponent. (A score of 13-5 will get you 600 points). So, suppose team A has played in 4 games, and each individual game rating is 1298, 913, 1410, and 1103. Well, we simply average them together, and team A has a rating of (1298+913+1410+1103)/4 which is 1181. But, actually, the averaging isn't quite that simple, either. We actually take a weighted average. In the above example, each game had a weight of 1, in actuality, the weight depends upon how recently the game was played. This formula is: wt = min(1,1/(((today-gamedate+4)/7).4)) (3) Suppose games were played on four consecutive Saturdays. Since the ratings are done on Mondays, this would mean that the games were played 2, 9, 16, and 23 days ago. Well, by formula (3), any game played within 3 days of the rating gets a weight of 1. Games played the week before, or 9 days ago, get a weight of 1/((9/7)^.4) which is about .9. The games 16 days ago are weighted at about .72, etc. This is called a decay function, and, basically, it means that the more recent the game is, the more heavily it is weighted. Finally, whatever the weight it, it is doubled for games at Regionals, and tripled for games at Nationals. After all, teams are usually at full strength during those tourneys, and the games are more important. Finally, it is hoped that the winner of Nationals will come out as number one in the rankings. Luckily this has always happenned, although one year a team that lost in the semifinals almost finished first. But that's not all! Suppose the ratings of the teams you play change. An underated team you lost to in the first round ends up winning the tournament. Should your rating reflect that teams' victories, in other words trying to take into account that the other team was a really good team. Of course it should. Suppose your team's rating went up during the course of the tourney, too; shouldn't other teams, in turn, get the benefit of that? This is done in an interative process. On Monday, every team gets re-rated. That is, we recompute every individual game rating, based on the previous week's ratings, and the new date. Then, each team gets a new rating for the current week. Then, we re-rate every team again, using this week's ratings, to get a new set of ratings. We do this 20 times (this is why a computer is indispensable). Eventually (usually after only about 8 interations) the ratings reach some sort of equilibrium. It's kind of a neat process to watch. If some team does really well, and the rating goes up 250 points, then, on the second iteration, all teams that have played the first team goes up by a smaller amount, and on the third iteration, all the teams that have played the teams that played the first team will go up by a small amount, and so on. The biggest problem with the system is that in some areas of the country not everyone is calling in scores. Let me give a classic example of how an entire region can be adversely effected by this. Suppose the best team in Region X always calls in their games (and, in fact, more winners than losers call games in). So, suppose this team "State U." calls in 13 games of theirs, all victories. None of the other teams had called in any scores. This team beat, say, team B in the finals of two other tournaments. Obviously, team B must've been pretty good to make it to the finals, but to the computer, team B was simply 0-2. In fact, to the computer, it looked like the 13-0 team was playing a really wimpy schedule because every team that had played was winless! So what happens? State U doesn't get a very high ranking. Now, weeks later, the other scores are called in. It's too late, State U is already ranked lower than they should be, and all these other schools are, correctly, ranked lower than State U is. So, the whole region gets ranked lower than they should be. 6) What's a MAC, and how do I do it? -------------------------------- A MAC, also known as a "mack", actually stands for Midflight Attitude Correction. In the sport of Ultimate, it usually happens by mistake, but here's how to do it on purpose. To MAC a disc effectively, one needs to be aware of the direction of spin the disc has. The two possibilities are clockwise (originating from a standard backhand throw from a right-handed player) and counterclockwise (a sidearm throw from a right-handed player). The best throws to MAC are hard with lots of Zs (spin). The technique is to allow the disc to be throw at you very hard, allow the disc to pass you, the MACer, on one side of your body or another, and just as the disc is perpendicular to the throw line, touch the side of the disc very briefly. If the throw is clockwise, allow the disc to pass your right side (as you are looking at the thrower) and tap the top of the disc's platter, near the outside of the disc at the point closests to you. The disc will then take a MAC, climbing upward. If the clockwise throw passes on your left, that tap will send it straight into the ground. Switch everything around for a counterclockwise throw. Disc passes you on the left, tap the side of the disc, it takes a MAC and climbs up. Disc passes on your right, tap it on the side, the disc dives down into the ground. There are some neat variations of the MAC, like the foot MAC, which takes some extra practice. Hitting the disc on the outside edge from the thrower is also harder. If you want to see one of the best MACers alive, watch Dan (Stork) Roddick sometime. He is amazing! (he is also the Sports Director for Wham-O). And no place is better to MAC than on a California beach somewhere. 7) How do discs fly? How can I find out more? ------------------------------------------ This is a listing of articles and research done by various people around the world on how discs fly. Harrison Ka., "Flippin Frisbee", New Scientist, 1990 Aug 11, v127 n1729:67-67. Johnson, Stancil E.D., "Frisbee: A practitioner's manual and definitive treatise", New York: Workman Publishing Company, 1975, ISBN: 0-911104-53-4. Katz, Paul, "The free flight of a rotating disc", Israel Journal of Technology, vol. 6, nos. 1--2, pp. 150--155. Nakamura Y, Fukamachi, "Visualization of the Flow Past a Frisbee", Fluid Dynamics Research, 1991 Jan, v7 n1:31-35. Schuurmans, Mac'e, "Flight of the Frisbee", New Scientist, 1990 Jul 28, v127 n1727:37-40. Schuurmans, Mac'e, "Frisbee: History and aerodynamics", Basel, Switzerland, February 1985 (in German, 51 pages). Simon, Craig, "Frisbee: Beyond catch and throw", 1982 (65 pages). Address: Box 1502, Santa Cruz, CA 95061. Some work has been done on converting discs into interesting weapons, by using the disc to launch either a flare or a hand grenade; these are discussed in some of the above messages. Apparently, the patent applications from Wham-O in the late 1950's are interesting reading material. See the patent section of any well-stocked university library for references in this area. frevi@athena.mit.edu did work as an undergrad (MIT) involving the visualization of flow around a rotating frisbee using dry ice vapor as the tracer aerosol and stroboscopic and conventional photography. In particular, a number of photos were taken of vapor flowing around a disc mounted on a motor in various orientations, the trajectory of a frisbee throw through a sort-of stationary flow field stopped stroboscopically, and various multiple exposures of throw/release motions. The results of the flow studies seemed to indicate that a rotating frisbee induces lift independent of a trajectory vector; i.e. the disc doesn't have to be going someplace to generate lift, just spinning. medf214@chpc.utexas.edu (Aaron Altman) did some interesting work analyzing the behavior of a disc in a wind tunnel, with specific regards to the so-called airbounce. He examined the effects of windspeed and angle of attack [alpha] on a disc. From his messages, slightly edited: After performing many wind tunnel tests on an old, wasted Wham-O, I measured the effects of varying angle of attack and windspeed. It was difficult to determine the rate at which an average disc is spun, so this part of the experiment is very much "up in the air". There was also no way to simulate the initial "throw", or accelleration of the disc, so all of these results examine the disc under a constant windspeed, which ignores all of the interesting things which happen to the airflow around a disc as it is thrown. The simplest visualization for the results is to draw the analogy between an airplane on approach to landing, and a disc at high alpha. Increasing the angle of attack increases the induced drag (or resulting drag force), but enables the disc to fly slower while still flying in the same flight path. The airflow on the top of the disc is usually not "attached" fully, inplying a turbulent, vortical, unsteady, non-laminar flow. The same is true for an airplane on approach to landing. The airplane reduces its speed, but the flight path is maintained (within a certain range) by increasing the alpha of the plane. In an airbounce, some extra lift is generated from the so-called "ground effect" as well. This experiment gave no data on the limits of the ground effect. However, the limits are determined by the amount of wing loading, so one can guess from experience with other flying objects. For example, the ground effect for a Cessna 172 tends to be approximately 1/2 the span the wing, which is s approximately 20 ft. This causes the airplane to float above the runway at speeds lower than would normally be possible for this airplane. From discussions of the ground effect with pilots of larger airplanes, such as the Boeing 727, this equation (1/2 span) doesn't hold as well, and the ground effect tends to be between 1/2 and 1/3 span. At any rate, that brings us back to the disc...If we took 1/2 the span of the disc, this would place us somewhere about 6 inches off the ground. So, what does this all mean? In terms of flight dynamics, the small displacement given to the disc by the thumb at the last second causes the leading edge to rise. This, in combination with the large, instantaneous, simultaneous forward force of the throw, (called the impulse,) creates a high angle of attack flight regime, with the possibility of an increase in altitude, depending on the actual angle of release from the hand (angle the arm makes with horizontal upon release of the disc, not the same as displacement given by the thumb. Of course, if all of this is true [and it may not be!] it should be possible to throw a disc at high alpha, without the angle imparted to the horizon by the arm, and still have an airbounce. This would result in a disc flying without a change in height, but with a large angle of attack. This would imply that, not only is it necessary to apply thumb pressure, but the angle of release is also quite important in establishing a true airbounce. Given all of this, one can describe the physics required to throw a disc that goes down and then up. The follow-through on the throw would be downward, but the force applied to the disc in that instance is applied just below the horizontal (say, between -3 to -8 degrees). This force will cause the initial trajectory of the disc to be slightly downward. After some distance, the component of lift generated by the forward motion of disc (at alpha) overcomes the initial slight downward component given in the initial release of the disc. In studying the problem as a thin airfoil (using thin airfoil theory) this can be shown to be possible quite trivially. When a disc is thrown, it undergoes an initial acceleration that is quite large. Once released, the speed decreases as a result of viscous losses due to the friction of air. This change in speed results in a highly unsteady problem (which changes as a function of time). By analyzing the lift force and drag force (Cl, Cd respectively) at many different windspeeds and alphas, a profile of the behavior of the disc as its thrown can be examined, with Cd and Cl increasing essentially linearly with alpha. In addition, I would like to comment on some info included in the most recent version of the FAQ. As determined by my experimentation, the component of lift generated by a stationary disc, spinning, is extraordinarily small when compared to the component of lift generated by the forward motion of the disc. This is with reference to the work done by frevi@athena.mit.edu. The information that he obtained was strictly qualitative, and the quantitative data that I obtained tells me that a spinning disc (without a directional component) generates very little lift. A good physical analogy would be to say that if this were true, than this aspect of lift would be exploited in modern lifting bodies, lending creedence to the possibility of flying saucers! * Whew * People interested in more detail, or interested in using this as a "grossly understudied...killer thesis topic" are encouraged to contact Aaron directly. 8) Accessing rec.sport.disc without USENET access ---------------------------------------------- A mailing list has been set up to send digests to interested people who can't access rec.sport.disc directly. Articles are batched in groups of 15 or so and sent to every member of the mailing list. Similarly, any message mailed to the list is posted directly to rec.sport.disc. This can be used by people who can read news but are unable to post. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send mail to ultimate-request@doe.carleton.ca indicating your request. Put something like "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" in the subject, which makes it easier on the host of the newsgroup. Once you're subscribed, batches will start being mailed to your return address. To post something to the group, simply send the posting to: ultimate-list@doe.carleton.ca which will place it in the mailing list AND post it to to rec.sport.disc. If you have problems, send mail to owner-ultimate-list@doe.carleton.ca and the administrator will try to help you out. Big thanks to Richard Griffith, manager of the list. 9) Visit the Ultimate Doctor ------------------------- [ NOTE: The information contained herein is ONLY a guide, and not to be taken as authoritative. No one should ever accept any medical advice from the network except at their own risk. Before dealing with any non-trivial injury, playing while in pain or injured, or starting regular treatment for an injury, a qualified doctor, preferably one specializing in sports medicine, should be consulted. ] a) Pain and Painkillers At one time or another, people on the net have been posting discussions about pain - playing in pain, dealing with pain, playing while doped on various drugs, legal and otherwise, etc. A few notes, gathered from various doctors and experienced Ultimate players who deal with doctors: 1. Pain is your friend. If you feel pain, it is a sign that you should slow down...or stop. 2. Ignoring pain generally leads to a more serious injury. 3. Playing Ultimate (or any sport) while under the influence of drugs, such to the point that pain no longer is felt by the body is very dangerous. These remarks, people note, are often ignored by people who play professional sports. Please keep in mind, though, that the people who play professional sports usually have multiple, professionally trained individuals administering these drugs and monitoring the condition of the atheletes. Also keep in mind that these people are being often being paid considerable sums of money to play these sports...not something Ultimate is well known for. Other players have indicated that they regularly play after taking aspirin or ibuprofen. These drugs are noted for general anti-inflammatory benefit, but one should contact a doctor before starting a regular regemin of drug treatment, not only to avoid possible bad side-effects, but also in case a better treatment program is available. A last thought...there's usually only a few games a year where it's REALLY worth playing through severe pain. Most people are better off missing a few practices due to some sort of injury than risking it all for the sake of an extra week of practice. However, everybody has to judge for themselves how bad an injury really is and what it's worth to you and your team to stay on the field. b) General Injuries People who play Ultimate see plenty of injuries. The general treatment for just about any sprain, strain, muscle tear, etc, is RICE, which stands for Rest - Ice - Compression - Elevation. First, get off the injury. Then, 15-20 minutes of ice in an ice bag, wrapped around the injury, while elevating the injury above the level of the heard. If the injury seems exceptionally severe, the best thing to do is see a professional about it. For injuries which are a result of the chronic wear and tear that Ultimate can give to the body, a general ice-massage is a good idea after practice and games. As a matter of fact, old and new injuries alike feel much better if ice is applied shortly after the conclusion of the workout, not to mention controlling swelling. An excellent way to make ice-cubes is to purchase some paper cups, fill them about three-quarters full of water, freeze, and then to peel the paper down from the top. This way, you have something to hold on with your hands, and you can massage the injury directly with the ice, probably the best way to apply ice. Be careful of frostburn if applying the ice directly to the skin. Seeing a doctor who specializes in sports for any serious injury is highly recommended...it's amazing what a special stretch, brace, or tape-job can do for an injury which otherwise ruins your playing enjoyment, especially with respect to those nagging injuries which seem to never go away. And it's never too late - if you sprain and ankle and find that it's still not quite where it should be two or three weeks later, a good sports-therapist can offer invaluable advice towards rehabilitation of the affected member. One reason some Ultimate players tend to avoid the doctor is their afraid the doctor will tell them to stop playing Ultimate, which we all agree is a Bad Thing. Fortunately, many doctors who specialize in sports-medicine don't like people to stop what they're doing, except for a short period of time to let things heal. Clearly, a sprained ankle or strained shoulder needs a few days to start the healing process, but after that, it's often possible to resume playing (carefully) with some medical assistance. c) Tape and Braces Lots of times, people will beg, borrow, or steal the brace of a fellow Ultimate player, or ask a friend to "tape them up" when they're really don't quite know how to do it. As with using painkillers on a regular basis, it's a good idea to see a professional before starting to strap a brace on all the time. Sometimes the cause of pain isn't what it seems...and a brace can help or * hurt * the problem. The same is true for a tape-job. It can make all the difference in the world to an injured body part, but the wrong taping job can really screw a joint up. Learning to tape yourself isn't too hard though, since you'll probably get tired of going to somebody for help all the time. If you need the same type of taping job regularly (as is usually the case) ask somebody who knows how to do it to teach you and a couple of your teammates, practice, practice, practices, and then start taping yourself. After all, you're the best one to know when it's too tight and when it feels right. d) Shin Splints A fairly common injury that shouldn't be allowed to ruin your play. Shin splints are usually the result of a lot of pounding on feet from continual running, jumping, and other types of Ultimate activity. The causes can be traced back to lots of things, including the type of cleat, running surface, running style, proper muscle balance, and lack of proper stretching. They usually occur in people who radically change their workout schedule over a short period of time; ie, suddenly playing Ultimate every day after several months (years?) of inactivity. Once you get them, they often return, so people who get shin splints need to take certain preventative measures to strengthen the area and minimize the possibility of recurrence. This includes stretching and exercising the muscles in the front and back of the lower leg. One easy exercise is to stand in front of a wall or bookcase or something you can hold on to for balance. Without shoes on, alternate pulling the balls of your feet up off the floor until you can't do it anymore. You should feel it working the muscles next to your shins. Another exercise you can do at home is calf raises. Start doing them with your feet flat on the floor, then work up to doing them with your heels hanging over a step. Do them slowly! Stretch before and after! A good stretch is call the "alphabet stretch". Simply sit down, cross one leg over the other so that your ankle can move, and then, as if your big toe was the point of a pencil, make the shape of each letter of the alphabet, making sure to stretch the muscles and tendons by making your lines big. Don't make tiny letters; take your time and make your penmanship teacher proud. To help them go away quickly, reduce the amount of pounding on the lower legs (ie, running and Ultimate) and increase the amount stretching and strengthening. And, as always, ice is nice, along with aspirin or other painkiller (in moderation). A last note...if your symptoms persist or worsen, it's possible that you don't have shin splints, but have a stress-fracture or other injury instead. See a doctor, who will probably be able to help with special exercises, stretches, or orthotics. e) Sprained Ankles Another common injury which seems to befall Ultimate players, who often have to run on uneven fields. As with any other injury, it's best to ice the area completely immediately after the injury. Severe sprains can result in several days or weeks without being able to run on the ankle, so extreme care should be taken to make sure the joint heals. Once a severe sprain has occurred, the joint will probably be vulnerable thereafter. As part of the rehabilitation, support for the joint MUST be provided, in the form of a brace, tape, or other support, for a few months at least. Any serious sprain should be taken to a qualified doctor to make sure the injury will heal without medical intervention. The fact is that the tissue damaged in the ankle takes up to a year to grow back to full strength, if it ever does. If you consult a sports therapist during this time, he or she will give you some special exercises to build up the ankle, which will also help prevent further injury. a) FAQ information and administrative swill ---------------------------------------- This FAQ is maintained as a public service by David Birnbaum. Suggestions, requests, additional material, word of encouragement and constructive criticism are encouraged! Please send electronic mail containing all this and more to: davidb@morgan.com I encourage members of the electronic world to assist me in keeping this up to date. This FAQ is not directly affiliated with the UPA or any other organization at this time, nor is any guarantee as to the accuracy of this information implied or expressed. But I hope it's right.... Thanks to all the people who've helped contribute to this FAQ... wish I could list everybody! Keep it coming! ----- $Author: davidb $ $Date: 1994/02/07 20:41:34 $ $Revision: 1.46 $