SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4) – Flying discs are a hot topic lately. Everyone is talking about them including government officials. Tonight, in Herriman, Utah residents can witness flying discs right in their own backyards. When these discs land, though, there might not be little green men emerging from them but there will be a team of Utah men hoping their flying disc will bring a championship title.

The American Ultimate Disc League’s Salt Lake Shred will be vying for the West Division Championship against the LA Aviators at 7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 11 at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman. The winner of tonight’s game will claim the West Division title and head to Minnesota for the 2023 AUDL Championship Weekend to face off against the East, Central, and South Division winners to, ultimately, lay hold to the 2023 National Title for the AUDL.

Ultimate Disc is a cross between football, basketball, and soccer with a frisbee thrown into the mix. Fans will see a combination of pivot rules, fouls, receiving techniques and plays familiar to each of the sports with its own flair tossed in. The game is a 7-on-7 game played on a football field with the disc never staying in one player’s hands for very long. It’s fast-paced and team members can only hold the disc for 7 seconds before they have to get it downfield to their teammate, with the goal being to catch the disc in the end zone.

Ultimate Disc has been popular in Utah for the last few years with youth leagues garnering national success. Lone Peak High School Boys’ team has won nationals the last two years while their Girl’s team battled their way into the top 10 both years.

Joel Dehlin, co-owner of the Shred, says the sport is quickly becoming a “First Sport” with athletes choosing it as their go-to sport, where it used to be more of their second choice to fill in the time between other seasons. People are starting to see it’s a unique sport that can be successful for almost any player that wants to put the time in.

Athletes start playing thinking it’s just a matter of tossing a frisbee around and soon learn it’s a game of strategy and athleticism with quick moves and jumps and all of the highlights of their favorite sports.

“It’s a sport for the Chess Club kids that didn’t know they were athletic,” Dehlin laughs.

Dehlin was instrumental in bringing the semi-pro Shred to Utah. He and others saw an opportunity to bring a fast-growing sport into mainstream play. BYU had top-performing teams but was unable to play in championship games due to the no-Sunday gameplay rules. So, the Shred was formed and has been moving fast toward the championship ever since.  

The Utah Wild women’s team also made a great showing for the season finishing up fourth in the Western Division after a season filled with high-performance games.

Last year was the Shred’s first year in the league and they lost only two games in the season but they lost the division title. This year the Shred has lost only one game and is now hosting the Western Division Championship against LA. Dehlin admits the game will be tough even though they have beaten the Aviators twice this season.

Both teams are getting great grades from the AUDL with the Shred offensive line earning an A+ and the defensive line receiving an A- but facing what the AUDL rates as a straight B+ Aviators Team. Both teams will definitely be bringing their A discs to the game, however – just minus the little green men.

Ticket information for tonight’s game is available on the Salt Lake Shred website.