Ultimate Frisbee one step closer to being Olympic sport

The International Olympic Committee recently granted official recognition to the World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) the global governing body for the sport of Ultimate Frisbee and is the first step in possibly getting approved as a competitive sport at the Olympics.

Bros, rejoice:

Bros, rejoice: Ultimate Frisbee can now be considered for future Olympics. http://t.co/e2FxzPFNkk

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) August 9, 2015

Ultimate Frisbee is a fast-paced, mixed-gender sport that combine elements of football, soccer and basketball. It's played on a large field with two end zones like a football field and pits two teams of seven players against each other. 

Teams score by throwing the disc to a teammate in the end zone. In the professional leagues, they play for a set amount of time, like a soccer match, while in college, club and most recreational league games, the first team to score 15 points wins.

Here is an excerpt from the public International Olympic Committee website on how a sport becomes a competitive Olympic event:

To make it onto the Olympic program, a sport first has to be recognized: it must be administered by an International Federation which ensures that the sport's activities follow the Olympic Charter. If it is widely practiced around the world and meets a number of criteria established by the IOC session, a recognized sport may be added to the Olympic program on the recommendation of the IOC's Olympic Program Commission.

Although the IOC might still have a problem with the name.

Ultimate Frisbee is played solely with a trademarked Frisbee disc. Otherwise it's not Ultimate Frisbee, it's just Ultimate. 

But, if you went to college, you already knew that.

Three Carleton College Ultimate Frisbee team members die in car crash

Three members of the Carleton College Ultimate Frisbee team were killed Friday on a Minnesota highway when the SUV they were riding in spun on the icy road and was broadsided by an oncoming semitrailer truck.

Killed were James P. Adams, 20, of St. Paul; Paxton M. Harvieux, 21, of Stillwater, and Michael D. Goodgame, 20, of Westport, Conn.

Neither alcohol nor excessive speed appear to be factors in the 3 p.m. crash that killed the three students, who were members of one of the nation's top Ultimate Frisbee teams, the Minnesota State Patrol said Saturday.

"Obviously, this is a horrible tragedy for the families involved,"  said Minnesota State Patrol Lt. Eric Roeske at a news conference.

William Sparks, 20, of Evanston, Ill., who was driving the 1997 Toyota 4Runner, and Conor J. Eckert, 19, of Seattle, who are also Carleton students, were seriously injured, according to the State Patrol. The driver of the semi was not injured.

All five of the students were wearing seat belts.

“Many heartfelt and heart-wrenching stories. Not a dry eye. Mourning and grieving our teammates who were taken too soon,” the team said in a Facebook post.