Ultimate Frisbee Rules

Rules and Guidelines

Legibility:
1. .Participant should be an officially enrolled student of WIT- College of
Engineering.

2. Open to all Engineering Departments and must be officially enrolled to WIT.

3. Each team can consist a maximum of 21 members, 7 players and 14

substitutes.

4. A team may start and play a game with as few as five (5) players.

5. It is recommended that in Co-Rec play there is a gender difference of one

(1) (e.g., three males and four females, or three females and four males, on
the playing field), though this ratio can be adjusted based on the actual make-
up of the teams. The receiving team generally decides the ratio and the
pulling team (throwing the disc to initiate play) must match it. If a team cannot
match the gender ratio, they may play with fewer players, so long as they do
not exceed the number of players of either gender on the opposing team.

∙ Length of Game
A game of ultimate frisbee lasts for 36 minutes, divided into two 18-minutes
halves. Half-time lasts five minutes. The clock will run continuously until the
last minute of each half, when it will stop after every goal, for time-outs,
injuries, fouls, and when the disc goes out-of-bounds. The clock starts when
the disc is touched inbounds, and after every throw-off when the disc is
touched by a member of the receiving team; play continues at the location of
the disc when the play was stopped.

∙ Scoring
 A goal is scored when an in-bounds player catches a pass in the end
zone of attack.

 The team with the most goals at the end of the game is declared the
winner.

 If the score is tied at the end of regulation, play stops and overtime
procedures are as follows:

-Regular Season Games: A 3-minute overtime period is played with a

sudden
death format. To begin an overtime period, teams must follow the rules for
Restarting Play. If no one has scored after the overtime, the game will be
determined a tie.

-Playoffs: The overtime sudden-death period will continue until the first
team scores.
 Time-outs
-Each team has one 2-minute time-out per half.
o Time-out may be called only by the team in possession of the disc, except
that either team may call time-out between points (after a goal, but before the
ensuing pull).

-No time-outs during overtime.

∙ Pull
o Play starts at the beginning of each half and after each goal with a “pull” -- a
player on the pulling team throws the disc toward the opposite goal line to
begin play.

o Each time a goal is scored, the teams switch their direction of attack and the
team that scored pulls to the opposing team.

o On a pull, players must remain in their end zone (not cross the goal line)
until the disc is released.

o A pull may not be made until a player on the receiving team indicates
readiness to play by raising a hand.

o After the disc is released, all players may move in any direction.

o No player on the pulling team may touch the pull in the air before a member
of the receiving team touches it.

o If a member of the receiving team catches the pull on the playing field, that
player must put the disc into play from that spot.

o If the receiving team allows the disc to fall untouched to the ground, and the
disc initially lands in-bounds, the receiving team gains possession of the disc
where it stops if in-bounds or at the point on the playing field, excluding the
end zone, nearest to where it crossed the out-of-bounds line.

o If the pull lands out-of-bounds the receiving team puts the disc into play at
the point on the playing field, excluding the end zone, nearest to where it
crossed the out-of-bounds line. ∙ In and Out-of-Bounds

o The perimeter lines themselves are out-of-bounds.

o A disc is out-of-bounds when it first contacts an out-of-bounds area or

anything which is out-of-bounds.

o For a receiver to be considered in-bounds after gaining possession of the

disc, the first point of contact with the ground must be completely in-bounds. If
any portion of the first point of contact is out-of-bounds, the player is
considered to be out-of-bounds.
o If a player makes a catch in-bounds and momentum then carries him/her
out-ofbounds, the player is considered in-bounds (to continue play, the player
carries the disc to the point where s/he went out-of-bounds and puts the disc
into play at that point).

o The thrower may pivot in and out-of-bounds, provided that the pivot foot is
inbounds. ∙

Turnovers
o A turnover occurs when:
▪ A pass is incomplete (dropped, hits the ground, is caught out of bounds,
blocked, intercepted). A receiver must retain possession of the disc
throughout all ground contact related to the catch (if a player falls to the
ground during a catch and drops the disc, it is incomplete).
▪ The marker’s count reaches the maximum number (10) before the throw
is released.
▪ When a turnover has occurred, any member of the team becoming offense
may take possession of the disc.
▪ To initiate play after a turnover, the person picking up the disc must put it
into play at the spot of the turnover. If the disc landed out of bounds, the
offensive player puts the disc into play at the point where it crossed the out-of-
bounds line.

∙ Substitutions: May be made after a goal and prior to the ensuing pull,
before the beginning of a half, or to replace an injured or ejected player.

∙ The Thrower
o A. Any member of the offensive team may take possession of the disc.
o B. The thrower must establish a pivot foot and may not change that pivot
foot until the throw is released.

o C. The thrower may pivot in any direction, but once the marker has
established a legal defensive position, the thrower may not pivot into him/her.

∙ The Marker
o Only one player may guard the thrower at any one time; that player is the
“marker.” o The marker may not straddle the pivot foot of the thrower.

o There must be at least one disc's diameter between the bodies of the
thrower and the marker at all times.

o The marker cannot position his/her arms in such a manner as to restrict the
thrower from pivoting.

o Stall count: The period of time within which a thrower must release a
throw.

▪ A player in possession of the disc has 10 seconds to

release a throw.
▪ The marker must be within 10 feet of the person with the disc before
beginning the stall count.

▪ The stall count consists of the marker counting to 10 audibly at one second
intervals (e.g. “stalling one, two, three . . . .”).

▪ If the thrower has not released the disc by the count of 10, a turnover
results. If this call is disputed, the thrower gets the disc back with the stall
count coming in at “stalling 8.”

▪ If the defense switches markers, the new marker must restart the count at
one.

∙ The Receiver
o After catching a pass, the receiver may take only the fewest number of
steps required to come to a stop and establish a pivot foot.

o Exception: If the receiver catches the disc while running, s/he may throw a
pass without coming to a stop, but only so long as s/he releases the disc
before the third ground contact after catching the disc.

o If offensive and defensive players catch the disc simultaneously, the offense
retains possession.

∙ Fouls and Violations

o A foul is the result of physical contact between opposing players; a violation
generally is any other infraction of the rules. When an infraction (a foul or
violation) occurs:

▪ The offending player loudly calls out the infraction (e.g., “Travel,” “Foul,”
etc.).

▪ A player called for an infraction may contest that call (by loudly calling
“contest”), if that player believes that s/he did not commit the infraction.
▪ After a call, play stops and players remain stationary until the parties
involved have resolved the call.

▪ If a call is not disputed, play resumes in a way simulating what most likely
would have occurred without the infraction. E.g., 1) If a thrower was fouled
while throwing and the pass was incomplete, the thrower gets the disc back
with a new stall count, or 2) If a receiver is fouled on a reception attempt and
the pass is incomplete, the receiver gets the disc at the point that the foul
occurred.

▪ If a call is disputed and the players cannot come to a resolution, the play is
redone with each player returning to the position s/he occupied when the
disputed infraction allegedly occurred.

▪ Infractions include:
∙ Foul: Contact between opposing players.
∙ Fast count: When the marker counts at intervals of less than one second.

o Double-team: When more than one defensive player is guarding the

thrower within 10 feet.

o Disc space: If the marker touches or is less than one disc diameter
away from the thrower.

o Travel: When a thrower fails to establish a pivot foot at the

appropriate spot on the field, and/or to keep in contact with that
spot until the throw is released.

o Strip: When a defensive player knocks the disc out of a thrower’s

hands.

o Pick: Obstructing the movement of a player on the opposing team.

∙ Positioning
o Each player is entitled to occupy any position on the field not occupied by
another player.

o Picks: No player may establish a position, or move in such a manner, so as

to obstruct the movement of any player on the opposing team; to do so is a
pick.

o When the disc is in the air, players must play the disc, not the opponent.

o Each player has the right to the space immediately above him/her. A player
who has jumped is entitled to land at the same point of take off without
hindrance by opponents.

∙ Forfeits
o Game time is forfeit time. All teams must be signed in and ready to play at
game time in order to not receive a forfeit. The supervisor’s watch is the
official game time on the field.

o In order to claim forfeit, a team must have the correct number of players
present (minimum of 5) and be ready to play.

o If neither team is able to field a team, a double forfeit will be declared.