USIAA Ultimate Frisbee Rules:
Scholarship & Roster Rules:
- All programs can only have a max of 22 players during the regular season; this limit is lifted to 132 players for preseason tryouts and fall practices only.
- All programs can choose whether to allow athletic scholarships or not; start-up programs are given a max of 5 years to decide whether or not to provide athletic scholarships to players.
- All D1/D2 scholarship programs can only have a max of 7 total scholarships, and a max of 3 full scholarship players.
- All D3/D4 scholarship programs can only have a max of 5 total scholarships, and a max of 2 full scholarship players.
- 4 points for a win.
- 2 points for a draw.
- 1 "bonus" point for scoring at least 10 points
- 1 "bonus" point for losing by 5 points or less.
- 1 "bonus" point for losing in overtime.
- Field & Equipment:
a) A regulation field is 100m by 37m, including end zones each 23m deep.
b) Ultimate is played with a 175g disc. - Length of Game:
a) Games are played until one team manages to score at least 15 points. - Roster & Substitutions:
a) All teams have 7 players per team on the field; Teams can only have a max of 15 players on the active roster.
2) Players not in the game may replace players in the game after a score and during an injury timeout. - Movement of the Disc:
a) A player cannot run with the disc—it may be moved only by passing.
b) The disc may be advanced in any direction by completing a pass to a teammate.
c) The player holding the disc must keep one foot fixed as a pivot point that does not "travel" throughout their possession.
d) A team can advance the disc to the opposing end zone with any number of passes, including one long throw to the end zone (colloquially called a "huck").
e) If a pass is incomplete (not caught before touching the ground), caught out of bounds, caught by a defending player, or knocked out of the air by the defense, it is a "turnover" and the opposing team immediately gains possession, playing to score in the opposite direction. - Fouls:
a) Ultimate is non-contact, meaning non-incidental physical contact is disallowed.
b) Picks and screens are also prohibited.
c) A foul occurs when contact is made.
d) Defenders cannot take the disc from an offensive player who has secured a catch. - Defense:
a) Defending against the person who has the disc is a central part of the defensive strategy (colloquially "marking"). The defensive "marker" counts aloud to 10 seconds, and if the disc has not been thrown when the defending player reaches 10 it is turned over to the other team.
b) There can only be one player defending in a 3-meter radius around the person who has the disk unless that player is defending against another offensive player.
c) The marker must stay one disc's diameter away from the thrower and must not wrap their hands around the thrower, or the person with the disk can call a foul ("wrapping"). - Self-Officiating:
a) The game is usually self-refereed, relying on the players to call their own infractions and to try to play within the rules of the game.
b) It is assumed that players will not intentionally violate the rules and will be honest when discussing foul calls with opponents. This is called Spirit of the Game.
c) After a call is made, the players should decide on an outcome, based on what they think happened and how the rules apply to that situation.
d) If a player has been fouled on a catch, they will often gain possession of the disc.
e) If the players cannot agree on a catching foul, the disc can be given back to the thrower, with play restarting as if before the disputed throw.
f) Observers are non-players whose role is to carefully watch the action of the game and to perform any or all of the following duties: track time limits, resolve player disputes, censure or eject players for sportsmanship infractions, and render opinions on things such as line calls and off-side calls. The difference between an observer and a referee is that in general observers only make rulings on infractions called by players, and only after the players have failed to resolve the issue themselves. - Scoring & Restarting Play:
a) A point is scored when one team catches the disc in the opposing team's end zone.
b) Each point begins with the two teams starting in opposite end zones. The team who scored the previous point are now on defense. The teams indicate their readiness by raising a hand, and the team on defense will throw the disc to the other team.
c) This throw is called a "pull". When the pull is released, all players are free to leave their end zones and occupy any area on the field.
d) Both teams should not leave the endzone before the pull is released. Thus, the defending team must run most of the field length at speed to defend immediately. And a good pull is designed to hang in the air as long as possible to give the defending team time to make the run.
- All D1/D2 programs play a 18-game season (9h/9a) beginning in the last full week of January and ending in the last full week of May.
- All D3/D4 programs play an 16-game season (8h/8a) beginning in the last full week of January and ending in the second full week of May.
- All programs are required to play at least 8 (D1/D2) or 6 (D3/D4) in-conference games, with 3-4 home and 3-4 away games.
- All 6-8 non-regional games are required to be against teams that are within 700 (D1/D2) or 500 (D3/D4) miles of the program in question.
- The D1/D2 Tournaments begin on the first week after the regular season and ending five weeks later.
- The D3/D4 Tournaments begin on the first week after the regular season and ending four weeks later.
- To be eligible for the post season:
a) D1/D2 programs must have a minimum record of 9-9 (or 8-10 with good academic standing), and not be on probation.
b) D3/D4 programs must have a minimum record of 8-8 (or 7-9 with good academic standing), and not be on probation.