ADA, Ohio — Robin Craig played four sports at Slippery Rock High School.

But when she went to Ohio Northern University, Craig found she couldn't fit even one into her schedule.

Craig's major, pharmacy, is a time-consuming course of study. There was no time to play basketball, soccer, track and field or to run cross country, as she did during her stay at Slippery Rock High.

"It was hard not playing a sport," Craig said. "I needed something to do, something to allow me to compete."

That ended up being an unlikely sport: Ultimate Frisbee.

Craig joined the club team at Ohio Northern during her sophomore season. Now in the fifth and final year of her pharmacy program, Craig is a star for the Polar Bears.

Because it is a club sport, the practice schedule is not as demanding. The team plays in tournaments on weekends.

"It would have been almost impossible for me to do a regular varsity sport," Craig said. "Ultimate Frisbee was a little more lenient. It was perfect for me."

And it didn't take long for Craig to find she was a natural.

Ultimate Frisbee got its start in 1968 at a high school before sprouting on college campuses in the early 1970s.

Currently, there are more than 600 collegiate ultimate Frisbee teams in North America.

Ohio Northern plays in about four tournaments a semester and a total of 20 games a year.

Last year, the Polar Bears won several tournaments, including victories over teams from Ohio State and Michigan State.

The sport is a combination of football and soccer. The field is 70 yards long by 40 yards wide with two end zones that are 25-yards deep.

A point is scored when the offensive team completes a pass in the defense's end zone.

Craig plays the "deep" position. She is the Hines Ward of the team.

"The handler is sort of like the quarterback," Craig said. "The deeps are sort of like the wide receivers. I'm usually the primary deep."

Being a deep is not an easy job. Running is involved — and lots of it.

If the disc hits the ground or is intercepted by the defense, Craig immediately turns into a defender, which usually means more running.

"That's why I like it," Craig said. "I'm able to keep up a good cardio workout. It's non-stop. There's never any break."

Craig was used to that in high school. She played soccer for two years and ran cross country for two years as well. She also was a standout on the basketball and track and field teams.

The hardest thing Craig had to learn was how to throw the Frisbee.

Most people throw a disc backhanded. But on the ultimate Frisbee field, throws are made with the forehand — not an easy skill to acquire.

"It's a completely different motion," Craig said. "It took me a couple of months to get it down."

Craig said the most fun she has on the field is running after a disc spinning through the air.

There is no contact allowed on the field and Craig can use her endurance and speed freely.

"Being able to be outdoors on a beautiful fall day, running after a Frisbee — I love it," Craig said.

• The Field: 70 yards long by 40 yards wide with end zones 25 yards deep• Scoring: Each time the offense completes a pass in the defense's end zone, the offense scores a point. Games are played until a team reaches 13 points.• The Disc: Can be advanced in any direction by completing a pass to a teammate. Players can't run with the disc. The "handler" has 10 seconds to throw the disc.• Change of Possession: When a pass is incomplete (e.g. out of bounds, dropped, blocked or intercepted), the defense immediately takes possession and becomes the offense.• Players: Seven to a team• Contact: No physical contact is allowed between players. Picks and screens also are prohibited. A foul is called when contact is made.