Ultimate Frisbee Rules

General

1. All players must present their valid U of S student card to participate in any Campus Rec sports league.
2. Substitutes are allowed during the regular season and must have their valid U of S student card present.
3. There is a maximum of two staff/faculty allowed per team and they must pay a $75 recreation fee in order to play.
4. In order to be eligible to play in playoffs, players must have been present for at least 50% of games for the team they are registered on.
5. Treat all opponents and recreation staff with respect.
6. Designated home teams wear light colours and away teams wear dark colours.

Players

1. Each team shall have 7 players on the field.
2. Games may not start unless teams field 7 players. 
3. A match is defaulted if a team does not have 7 players, 10 minutes after the scheduled time for kickoff.
4. For CoRec leagues at least 3 players on the field must be of the opposite gender.
5. For Open leauges there is no gender rule; teams may have any number of either gender on the field.
6. Substitutions can be made before any throw-off or to replace an injured player

Equipment

1. Any flying disc may be used as long as both captain’s agree. Campus Recreation has discs available from either Equipment Room(Student Card required).
2. Players may not wear shoes with metal cleats.
3. Team members are encouraged to wear shirts of the same color. Dickies are available from Campus Recreation at the Equipment Room (Student Card required).

Officials

1. Campus Recreation will not provide officials, as the teams will play on an honor system.
2. Players are responsible for their own foul and line calls. If a dispute is not resolved, then the play goes back to the original thrower and is repeated as if the play never happened. Players may not move positions while the play is being discussed or reset.

Playing Time

1. Games consist of two 25-minutes halves, with a 5 minute halftime. The clock will run continuously.
2. Each half ends with a goal scored, rather than stopping at 25 minutes in mid-play.
3. Time-outs may not be called, but play may stop for injuries.
4. In the event of a tie score at the end of play the result will remain a tie.

Throw-Off

1. Play begins with the throw-off when both teams are ready. The captains flip the disc to determine which team will throw, receive, or choose a goal. The teams shall alternate throw-offs at the beginning of each half. All players must be on or behind their own goal line without changing relative position.
2. A player on the goal line throws the disc toward the other team. As soon as the disc is released, all players of both teams may cross the goal lines. No player on the throwing team may touch the disc in the air before a member of the receiving team touches it.
3. The receiving team may catch the disc or allow it to fall untouched to the ground.
4. Each time a goal is scored, the teams switch direction of their attack, and the team that scored throws-off on the signal of the receiving team.

The Play

1. The disc may be propelled in any way the player wishes. The disc may never be handed from player to player.
2. No player may walk, run, or take steps while in possession of the disc. The momentum of the receiver, however, must be taken into consideration.
   • Should a player take steps obviously not required to stop, a travel is called. Possession is not lost, and play restarts with a check.
   • The player in possession may pivot on one foot as in basketball. The thrower may not change the pivot foot. If the pivot foot is changed, a travel is called. Possession is not lost, and play restarts with a check.
3. Each time an offensive player gains possession (at a turn-over, or by catching a pass), they have 10 seconds to pass to a teammate. The defense will be responsible for counting 10 seconds (out loud). If a pass is not released after 10 seconds, the result will be a turnover.
4. Only one player may guard the person in possession of the disc (only one defender allowed within 3 meters).
5. The disc may not be wrenched from the grasp on an opposing player or knocked from any player’s hand. If the thrower drops the disc without interference by a defender, a turnover results.
6. The defensive team gains possession whenever the offensive team’s pass is incomplete, intercepted, knocked down, or goes out-of-bounds.

Fouls

1. Fouls are the result of physical contact between opposing players. A foul can only be called by the player who has been fouled and must be announced by calling out the word “Foul!” loudly immediately after the foul has occurred.
2. The player initiating contact is guilty of a foul.
3. Throwing Fouls:
   • A throwing foul may be called when there is contact between the thrower and the marker.
   • Contact occurring during the follow through (after the disc has been released) is not sufficient grounds for a foul, but should still be avoided whenever possible.
   • When a foul is committed by a thrower or the marker, play stops and possession reverts back to the thrower after a check.
   • If the thrower is fouled in the act of throwing and the pass is completed, the foul is automatically declined and play continues without interruption.
   • If the marker is fouled in the act of throwing and the pass is not completed, play continues without interruption.
4. Catching Fouls:
   • A catching foul may be called when there is contact between opposing players in the process of attempting a catch, interception, or knock down. A certain amount of incidental contact during or immediately after the catching attempt is often unavoidable and is not a foul.
   • If a player contacts an opponent before the disc arrives and thereby interferes with that opponent’s attempt to make a play on the disc, that player has committed a foul.
   • If a player’s attempt to make a play on the disc causes significant impact with a legitimately positioned stationary opponent, before or after the disc arrives, it is considered “harmful endangerment” and is a foul.
   • Dangerous, aggressive behavior or reckless disregard for the safety of fellow players is always a foul.
   • If a catching foul occurs and is uncontested, the player fouled gains possession at the point of the infraction. If the call is disputed, the disc goes back to the thrower.
5. End-zones
   • All restarts due to fouls in either end-zone take place on the goal line.

Scoring

1. One point is scored when an offensive player remains or lands inbounds after receiving a pass from a teammate and remains in control of the disc throughout all ground contact related to the catch.
2. To be considered in the end zone, the first point of ground contact must be completely within the end zone. The goal line is not considered part of the end zone.

Notes

1. There are no scrimmage lines or off sides in Ultimate Frisbee.
2. The disc may be passed in any direction; forward, to the side, or backward.
3. The disc may fly out-of-bounds and return to the playing field. The defense may attempt to knock the disc down when the disc is thrown in from out-of-bounds.
4. The-stalling call (10 seconds to pass) should be initiated only when it becomes obvious that a stall is occurring.