In the approach to USA Goaltimate's ten year anniversary in 2027, we are collecting stories from both the early history of goaltimate and the first ten years of USAG. Have memories? Have photos? We're going to collect, curate, and post them all in the near future. Drop us a line at info@usagoaltimate.org to chat.
Written by Jim Herrick
On December 25, 1978 only a few hearty WUFsters (Wellesley Ultimate Frisbee, or We Understand Fun) showed up for the traditional holiday game. There was some patchy snow on the frozen grass of the Wellesley High School football field—our home pitch since WUF's formation in the summer of '76. My sister Lynn, brother Andy, Mark Ide, Robby Ide, Nick Fulham, Bo Low and Paul Sackley were there. The Miller brothers were likely there too along with Eric Kehoe, Speedo Carvallo and Gator. Possibly even the mighty Masher was there that day.
The traditional H goal post at the east end zone was home to a pile of cast off coats and gloves as we organized the game. As the senior member of the club I usually made the teams and without fanfare declared that day that we were playing half court. I chucked a couple of coats at the "clear line" about 25 yards out and we simply began playing.
"Five second stall" was yelled. Then, after a goal, "make it take it" was announced. Then "no clearing through the goal." A couple of more people showed up and rather than switching to ultimate we kept playing goaltimate and collectively agreed that subbing on the fly with a hand tag worked.
That was it.
We played it whenever we were short on players and then even if we weren't. Then we played it at 6 am Rude Boy practices before a quorum arrived. In '84 I moved to San Diego where the feisty Spinoffs took to goaltimate with ferocious vigor. The pitch there was at Mission Bay Park and the goal was between two gnarly root-strewn trees.
The official rule set was codified by Rick Conner in the mid 1990s.