Outdoor Ultimate Rules

•• Rules For All Sports: To be eligible for playoffs, participants must play in at least 3 regular season games for their team. The purpose of the League Rep(s) are not to referee the games. Team captains and their teams are expected to referee their own games accordingly and responsibly. League Rep(s) will step-in to make important calls and clarify rules at their own discretion. If issues arise, team captains are asked to speak with the League Rep(s). No players except for captains should approach the League Rep(s) with issues. ••

A. GENERAL

  1. Teams are advised to be at the field 10 minutes before the game.
  2. A match will consist of two 25-minute halves with a 5-minute break between halves.
  3. Teams are comprised of 6 players with a minimum of 2 female players on the field at all times. At minimum, a team must field at least 4 players. If only 1 female player is present, the team must play with one less player; if NO female players are present, the team will automatically forfeit the game. There is no gender ratio matching rule.
  4. Team captains and players are required to self-officiate and call their own fouls.
  5. There are no caps on score. Play will continue until the end of the allotted time. During the regular season, if the score is tied at the end of the allotted time, the game will end in a draw.
  6. There are no timeouts.
  7. Players are allowed to wear cleats, except those with metal studs. However, if the game is played at Eric Hamber Secondary, cleats of any kind are NOT allowed.

B. GAME PLAY

  1. Team captains will flip the disc, with the winner deciding whether to receive or pull (throw) first. The loser will decide which end zone to start the game at. The second half will begin with the reversal of opening possession and end zone.
  2. The game will start with one team receiving the disc and one team pulling (throwing) the disc.
  3. The start of the game and the start of a new point (following a score) is executed the same way, with both teams lining up at the back of their respective end zone. The defending team (or team that just scored) will pull the disc to the offence.
    • If a disc lands inside the end zone on a pull at the start of the point, the receiving team can start the disc at the end zone entrance line.
  4. Disc Movement
    • The disc may be moved in any direction by completion of a pass to a teammate;
    • Players are not allowed to travel or walk with the disc (Refer to Rule C6);
    • The thrower has 10 seconds to throw the disc, with the guarding defender counting aloud the stalls or steamboats (Refer to Rule B7).
  5. Change of possession – When a pass is not completed (the disc lands out of bounds or touches the ground before it is caught), is intercepted, or if the stall count reaches 10, the defence immediately takes possession of the disc and becomes the offence. Play continues from the spot where the disc left the field.
    • If the disc is thrown from a player of the offensive team and lands inside the end zone during regular play (such as on an incomplete pass), the defensive team now gains possession and can start the disc at the end zone entrance line.
  6. Scoring – A point is scored when a player catches the disc in the opposing end zone.
    • After every point, the team that was scored on will have to walk to the other end zone and wait for the next pull. Both teams switch sides after every point.
    • Both feet must be inside the end zone when the disc is caught in order for the point to count. If one foot is inside and one foot is outside the end zone entrance, the point will not count and the player must take a step back out of the end zone to resume play. However, if one foot is inside the end zone and the other is out-of-bounds, the point will not count AND possession is turned over to the other team.
    • If a player runs or jumps into the end zone following a catch or while in the process of making the catch, the point will not count and the player will begin possession at the entrance line of the end zone.
    • If a player dives to make a catch and lands inside the end zone, the score will only count if both feet also land inside the end zone.
  7. Stall Count – The defending player is responsible for counting the 10-second limit imposed on each disc possession.
    • The defender can only start counting when they are within 3 metres of the thrower.
    • A loss in possession occurs once the defender counts from “Stall 1” to “Stall 10” (at a reasonable pace; e.g. 1 stall count is about 1 second) and the player with the disc is still in possession upon the defender saying “Stall 10”. A throw may not be made, and they must place the disc onto the ground. The defending player may say “down” as an indicator that the disc is considered dead and a change in possession is made.
    • If the disc is thrown after “Stall 10” has been reached, the disc returns to where the disc was thrown and a change of possession is made.
  8. Substitutions
    • Substitutions may only occur after a point is scored
    • In the event of an injury, the team may replace the injured player; when doing so, the opposing team may choose to replace one of their own players as well.
  9. Zone defence (also known as wall, cup, rabbit, etc.) is NOT allowed. Only man-to-man coverage.
  10. Players are NOT allowed to throw to themselves.

C. CONTACT / INFRACTIONS

  1. Contact between players is NOT allowed. Players MUST do their best to avoid contact.
  2. No swiping, hitting, or grabbing at the opposing player or the disc they are holding. When defending, players are only allowed to guard with hands up or out. When guarding, the defender must be at least one-disc diameter space away from the thrower.
  3. If contact is made, a foul occurs. Players are responsible for calling their own fouls (Refer to Rule C8).
  4. Under no circumstances are players allowed to intentionally or incidentally commit reckless and dangerous plays (such as significantly colliding with a stationary opponent or aggressively challenging a catch in the air) that threatens or disregards a player(s) safety, with potential to cause an injury. Continual infractions of the rules may result in warnings by League Reps, and/or further disciplinary action by the League Committee.
  5. Footblocks are not allowed. Players may not interfere with a disc by intentionally or accidentally using their foot or leg.
  6. Traveling is not allowed, and is defined as:
    • when the thrower must establish a pivot foot and thus keep all or part of the pivot foot in contact with that spot until the throw is released. Failure to do so results in a travel, and play is stopped. The disc returns to the thrower and play resumes on a check;
    • a player catches the disc and either speeds up, changes direction, or does not stop as quickly as possible before establishing a pivot;
    • a player catches a pass while running or jumping; and throws a pass after the second point of ground contact if a pivot was not established;
    • when a player bobbles or deflects a disc to gain yards in any direction on purpose before catching it.
  7. Picks are not allowed, and occurs when a defender is forced to stop, slow down, or change course so they don’t run into another player.
    • A defender must be within 3 metres of their check to legally call a pick.
    • If a pick is called, the play stops, and:
      • if the thrower still has the disc, the defender who was obstructed is allowed to move to the same relative distance they were from their check before the pick was called;
      • if the disc is thrown while a pick is called and the throw is incomplete, the play continues with the disc turned over to the other team;
      • if the disc is thrown and pass completed, the disc is returned to the thrower and play is resumed at the stall count when the throw occurred. However, if the result of the throw is not affected by the pick, the catch is considered good and play resumes with a check.

D. FOULS

  1. Fouls include contact that occurs before, during, or after either player makes a play on a disc.
  2. FOUL WHILE ON DEFENCE
    • If the disc was thrown, and:
      • the other team caught the pass, the player who caught the disc maintains possession, and play continues;
      • the other team doesn’t catch the pass, the disc is then returned to the thrower with the stall count starting at zero. If the player fouled is the intended receiver, the disc starts where that player was fouled. Play restarts with a check of the disc;
      • the other team doesn’t catch the pass BUT the foul occurred away from the play where the disc was, and the play was not affected or influenced by the foul, then it is voided. The disc changes possession, as per an incomplete pass, and play continues.
    • If the disc was NOT thrown, the play restarts with a check of the disc and a new stall count.
    • If one of either side disagrees with the foul call, the player may say “contest” which would result in the following:
      • If the disc was thrown and caught, the result of the throw stands;
      • If the disc was thrown and not caught, the disc is returned to the thrower, and the stall count starts at one number after the last number that was counted (Ex. From “Stall 5” to “Stall 6”). The play restarts with a check of the disc.
      • If the disc was not thrown, the stall count starts at one number after the last number that was counted and the play restarts with a check of the disc.
  3. FOUL WHILE ON OFFENCE
    • If the disc was thrown, and:
      • the throwing team catches the pass AND the result of the throw or catch was affected by the foul, the disc is returned to the thrower. The stall count starts at one number after the last number that was counted. Play restarts with a check of the disc;
      • the throwing team catches the pass BUT the foul occurred away from the play where the disc was, and the play was not affected or influenced by the foul, then the player who caught the disc maintains possession, and play continues;
      • the throwing team does not catch the disc or it is intercepted, then the foul is voided. The disc changes possession, as per an incomplete pass, and play continues.
    • If the disc was NOT thrown, the stall count starts at one number after the last number that was counted. Play restarts with a check of the disc.
    • If one of either side disagrees with the foul call, the player may say “contest” which would result in the following:
      • If the disc was thrown and caught, AND the result of the throw or catch was affected by the foul, the disc is returned to the thrower. Play restarts with a check of the disc;
      • If the disc was thrown and not caught, then it is considered a turnover and the disc changes possession, as per an incomplete pass, and play continues;
      • If the disc was not thrown, the stall count starts at one number after the last number that was counted when it was contested, and the play restarts with a check of the disc.