Membership
WFDF was formed in 1985 as a not-for-profit corporation and has member associations representing flying disc sports in countries across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, the Caribbean, and South America. The federation has distinguishes three categories of membership: national members, provisional members and associate members.
National members are defined as: flying disc associations that is the governing body for Disc Games solely within a single national boundary. [2]
To be approved as a national member by WFDF, an organization must:
- Be organized with bylaws acceptable to WFDF;
- Operate under the rules, policies, and programs which are in compliance with all agreements to which WFDF is a party;
- Be open to participation without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, politics, sex, or sexual orientation;
- Represent a minimum of 50 individual disc players who are members of its organization (“Constituents”) in one or more Disc Sports;
- Hold an annual meeting and/or have another representative mechanism for its Constituents to elect a board of directors;
- Fairly represent the interests of Constituents for all Disc Games within the country; and
- Pay dues to WFDF as established by the Congress, and report annually regarding the number of its Constituents per the requirements as established by the Board of Directors (the “Census”). [3]
Provisional members are those flying disc associations that function as the governing body for all all disc games within a national boundary but are yet to meet the criteria outlined by WFDF to be a National Member. [4]
Associate members are those with ties to disc sports but are not national governing bodies. They may include not-for-profit organizations that provide services to disc sports or which represent particular disc sports organizations. [5]
Members by regions
- As of 12 July, 2025
There are currently 122 members (96 national members and 26 provisional members) and two associate members, each belonging to their respective continental associations. [6]
Continental associations are the central organizing bodies recognized by WFDF for disc sport events and promotion within a region continental region. These associations are responsible for coordinating matters of common interest of the members of their continent with WFDF. [7]
African Flying Disc Federation (AAFDF)
There are 15 WFDF regular members and 4 provisional members in Africa: [8]
Regular members:
Provisional members:
-
Kenya - Kenya Flying Disc Association -
Malawi - Malawi Flying Disc Federation -
Rwanda - Rwanda Ultimate Frisbee Association -
Tanzania - Tanzanian Flying Disc Association
Pan American Flying Disc Federation (PAFDF)
There are 17 WFDF national members and 7 provisional members in the Americas: [11]
National members:
Provisional members:
-
 Bolivia - Bolivian Flying Disc Association -
 Cayman Islands - Cayman Islands Ultimate Association -
 Chile - Asociación Chilena de Ultimate -
 Costa Rica - Costa Rican Ultimate Frisbee Team
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History
Flying disc sport rose with the invention of plastic and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007. The early years of international flying disc play were dominated by the influence of the International Frisbee Association (IFA) which was founded by Ed Headrick in 1967 as the promotional arm of the Wham-O Manufacturing Company. Many of the international affiliates began as Wham-O distributorships that sponsored tours of well-known Frisbee athletes. Several groups of individual disc event stars like Ken Westerfield and Jim Kenner touring Canada in 1972. [12] [13] The brothers Jens and Erwin Velasquez and the team of Peter Bloeme and Dan "Stork" Roddick made several tours of Scandinavia and the rest of Europe in the mid-1970s; Jo Cahow and Stork went to Australia and Japan in 1976 and Victor Malafronte and Monica Lou toured Japan around the same time. Stork—starting as head of the sports marketing arm of the U.S.-based Wham-O in 1975—played a crucial role in encouraging the establishment of national flying disc associations (FDAs) in Sweden, Japan, Australia, and in many of the countries of Western Europe. The FDAs began with freestyle and accuracy competitions but as Ultimate and disc golf caught on, the associations began to broaden their focus. [14]
The concept of an independent world organization for the development and coordination of all of the disc disciplines began in 1980 at an Atlanta, Georgia, meeting of 40 international disc organizers. A loose federation led by Jim Powers was formed from that meeting but never took off. The following year, the relatively well-established national flying disc associations of Europe formed the European Flying Disc Federation (EFDF). In 1983 Wham-O was sold to Kransco and the IFA was disbanded. Spurred on by the demise of the IFA, Stork called a meeting at the US Open Overall Championships in La Mirada, California. A plan was presented by Charlie Mead of England and a formal decision was made to establish a worldwide disc association in Örebro, Sweden during the 1984 European Overall Championships. This decision was confirmed later that year by other flying disc countries in Lucerne, Switzerland, during the World Ultimate and Guts Championships, and thus the World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) was born.
The first WFDF Congress was held in Helsingborg, Sweden in July 1985, where the first set of statutes was adopted and the first board was elected. The first president was Charlie Mead (England), the first secretary Johan Lindgren (Sweden) and the first treasurer Brendan Nolan (Ireland). Membership was composed of the national flying disc associations and US-oriented organizations such as the Ultimate Players Association, Freestyle Players Associations, and Guts Players Association. Committees were established to oversee international play and rules for each of the disc disciplines. Over the remainder of the 1980s, WFDF took on an increasing role in overseeing and promoting international disc tournaments with Stork as president and Lindgren as secretary-treasurer.
In 1992, Robert L. "Nob" Rauch was elected President of WFDF and Juha Jalovaara become chair of the Ultimate Committee. Over the next two years, WFDF was reorganized to better reflect the increasing growth of Ultimate and the diversity of WFDF's membership. The disc committee structure was simplified into a broad category of team sports (Ultimate and Guts) and individual events (golf and the overall disciplines). The role of the Rules Committee was expanded, headed by Stork, to ensure consistency and an annual rules book was printed. With a variety of representation, the categories of membership were further defined, with national associations able to join as regular, associate, or provisional (non-paying) members depending on level of participation and resources. WFDF's corporate standing was reorganized and incorporated in Colorado, obtaining US tax-exempt status. WFDF, with a fairly nominal budget, found help with the increasing use of e-mail that permitted reasonable communication and coordination. In 1994, the application to join the International World Games Association (IWGA)—championed by Fumio "Moro" Morooka of Japan—was prepared and eventually accepted by the IWGA leading to Ultimate's participation in the 2001 World Games in Akita, Japan, and in each of the subsequent competitions.
In May 2013, under the leadership WFDF President Robert L. "Nob" Rauch, WFDF was granted provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee and it is now one of 42 sports that are members of the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations.
Due to the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic, WFDF canceled all its world championship events in both 2020 and 2021. It is planning to recommence world championship events in Ultimate, Beach ultimate, Disc Golf, and Overall in 2022, and to participate in The World Games championships in Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. in July 2022 that had been postponed from 2021.
Event results
WFDF World Ultimate Club Championship
Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S., 23–31 July 2022
| Year 2022 |  Gold |  Silver |  Bronze |
|---|
| Open | New York PoNY  | Raleigh Ring of Fire | Clapham  |
| Women's | Medellín Revolution  | SF Fury | Raleigh Phoenix |
| Mixed | Seattle Mixtape | Vancouver Red Flag  | Brisbane Lunchbox  |
Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S., 14–21 July 2018
| Year 2018 | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
|---|
| Open | SF Revolver | Sydney Colony | Toronto GOAT | Austin Doublewide |
| Women's | Seattle Riot | Medellín Revolution | Boston Brute Squad | Denver Molly Brown |
| Mixed | Seattle BFG | Boston Slow White | Philadelphia AMP | Boston Wild Card |
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 29 July - 4 August 2018
| Year 2018 | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|
| Masters Men | Boneyard | All Bashed Out | Johnny Encore |
| Masters Women | iRot | Mu-Syozoku  | Ripe |
| Masters Mixed | Molasses Disaster | 512 | SF Bridge Club |
| Grandmasters Men | Johnny Walker | Surly | Tombstone |
Lecco, Italy, 2–9 August 2014
| Year 2014 | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|
| Open | Revolver | Sockeye | Johnny Bravo |
| Women's | Seattle Riot | Fury | Scandal |
| Mixed | Drag'n Thrust | Polar Bears | The Ghosts |
| Masters | Boneyard | FIGJAM | Johnny Encore |
| Women's Masters | Vintage | Godiva | Golden Girls  |
Prague, Czech Republic, 3–10 July 2010
| Year 2010 | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|
| Open | Revolver | Sockeye | Buzz Bullets |
| Women's | Fury | UNO | Seattle Riot |
| Mixed | Chad Larson Experience | ONYX | Mental Toss Flycoons |
| Masters | Troubled Past | Surly | Eastern Greys |
Perth, Australia, 11–18 November 2006
| Year 2006 | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|
| Open | Buzz Bullets | Thong | Chilly |
| Women's | MUD | UNO | Huck |
| Mixed | Team Fisher Price | Brass Monkey | Slow White and the Seven Dwarfs |
| Masters | Vigi | One Last Ditch Shot at Glory | Eastern Greys |
Honolulu, US, 4–10 August 2002
| Year 2002 | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|
| Open | Condors | Death Or Glory | Sockeye |
| Women's | Seattle Riot | Ozone | Lady Godiva |
| Mixed | Donner Party | Hang Time | Trigger Hippy |
| Masters | KWA | Skeleton Crew | Old And in the Way |
St. Andrews, Scotland, 12–20 August 1999
| Year 1999 | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|
| Open | DoG | Liquidisc  | Condors |
| Women's | Women on the Verge | Schwa | Spirals |
| Mixed | Red Fish Blue Fish | Osaka Nato | RippIT |
| Masters | Cigar | Return of the Red Eye | Tempus Fugit |
Vancouver Canada, 27 July – 2 August 1997
| Year 1997 | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|
| Open | Sockeye | Double Happiness | Furious George |
| Women's | Women on the Verge | Schwa | Lady Godiva |
| Masters | Beyonders | Tempus Fugit | Gamecock |
Millfield United Kingdom, 22–29 July 1995
| Year 1995 | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|
| Open | Double Happiness | DoG | NYC |
| Women's | Women on the Verge | Ozone | Red Lights  |
| Masters | Seven Sages | Gummibears | Princeton Alumni |
Madison, Wisconsin US, 24–31 July 1993
| Year 1993 | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|
| Open | New York Ultimate | Double Happiness | Rhino Slam! |
| Women's | Maine-iacs | Lady Godiva | Women on the Verge |
| Masters | Seven Sages | Hapa Haolies | Rude Boys |
Toronto Canada, 22–28 July 1991
| Year 1991 | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|
| Open | New York | First Time Gary | Windy City |
| Women's | Maine-iacs | Lady Godiva | Lady Condors |
| Masters | Three Stages | Third Coast Ultimate | Mo' Better Masters |
Cologne Germany, 26–30 July 1989
| Year 1989 | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|
| Open | Philmore | Elvis | Looney Tunes |
| Women's | Lady Condors | Smithereens | Stenungsunds FC  |
International World Games Ultimate Championship
Kaohsiung Taiwan, 19–21 July 2009
United States
Japan
Australia
WFDF 2009 World Overall Flying Disc championships
Jacksonville, Florida, 9–12 July 2009
Open Division
Conrad Damon – United States
Jack Cooksey – United States
Harvey Brandt – United States
Women's Division
Mary Lowry – United States
Stina Persson – SWE
Marygrace Sorrentino – United States
WFDF World Ultimate and Guts Championship (WUGC)
Gold Coast, Australia, 31 August – 7 September 2024 [16]
London, Great Britain, 18–25 June 2016
Sakai, Japan, 7–14 July 2012
Vancouver, Canada, 2–9 August 2008
Turku, Finland, 1–7 August 2004
Heilbronn, Germany, 12–20 August 2000
Blaine, Minnesota, US, 15–22 August 1998
Jönköping, Sweden, 10–17 August 1996
Colchester, United Kingdom, 21–28 August 1994
Utsunomiya, Japan, 17–23 August 1992
Oslo, Norway, 8–14 July 1990
Leuven, Belgium, 29 August – 3 September 1988
Colchester, United Kingdom, 25–31 August 1986
Lucerne, Switzerland, 2–9 September 1984
Gothenburg, Sweden, 29 August – 3 September 1983
