Campus

What are those frisbees doing in the Mekelpark?

Ultimate frisbee on campus? Yes! Force Elektro has hung up two boxes containing frisbees in the Mekelpark that are free for anyone to use.

Dankzij Force Elektro vind je vanaf nu 'leenfrisbees' bij de faculteiten Luchtvaart- en Ruimtevaarttechniek en Technische Natuurwetenschappen. (Foto: Force Elektro)

Nederlandse versie


Now that boxes with frisbees have been placed opposite the Faculties of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Sciences on Monday, look out for flying saucers. This was the idea of Force Elektro, the ultimate frisbee association. “The idea for this flew over from Zwolle, where the Bluefingers club hung up containers with discs around the city,” says association chair, Annemarijn Boon. She hopes that this will be an easy way to introduce students and other interested people to the sport.


“Most people think that ultimate frisbee entails a bit of throwing and running, but it is actually an intensive and tactical sport,” says Boon. “We  put QR codes on the discs connected to videos explaining the sport and showing people different throwing techniques.”


American football without the contact

Great. But what exactly is ultimate frisbee? It is a field sport which initially bears some resemblance to American football. The players may not run with the disc and they score by catching the disc in the endzone of the opposition. And that’s where the comparison ends as physical contact is not allowed in this sport and there is no referee. “The players watch out for hand signals during the match. This is how they alert each other to a foul,” explains the association secretary, Bert van den Abbeele.


There are seldom disputes, but in the heat of the game a discussion may arise. “This is why each team has a ‘spirit captain’ as well as a regular captain. He or she makes sure that should such a situation arise, that it is dealt with properly. He or she also makes sure that the attitude towards to opposing team remains positive,” explains Van den Abbeele. That the sport is an example of fair play is demonstrated by the ‘spirit circle’ after the game. “The players of both teams get together and assess each other on their attitudes on the field and on the sidelines.”


Boon hopes that this project will get lots of students moving. “Anyone that is interested is always welcome to come to our training. We also run clinics for groups from 10 to 20 people upon request.”


  • For more information about ultimate frisbee, see Force Elektro’s website.

  • In 2017, TU Delft TV made a film about ultimate frisbee at TU Delft (Dutch only):