Guelph Ultimate Rules A Division 

"No set of rules can replace player's respect for one another and for good spirit." (c) Ultimate Players Association, 1993

The Guelph Ultimate A Division plays by official 10th edition UPA rules:

Please keep in mind that the Guelph Ultimate League rules are condensed from a rather complex document. With a few exceptions, UPA rules are the basis for all Ultimate games.

The most important part of Ultimate is "The Spirit of the Game". This is used to describe the respect that every player in the game has for the rules and their fellow players. No referees exist. Instead, the players themselves officiate. Implicit in Ultimate is the assumption that no one will cheat to gain an unfair advantage. This principle is what makes Ultimate special to so many people, and all Ultimate players try to keep the Spirit alive by maintaining this high level of trust, no matter how competitive the game becomes.

1. Equipment/Field Set-Up: Team captains are responsible for bringing a disc provided by the league to each game. Each team should bring both light and dark coloured shirts to each and every game, and a water bottle as well. Cleats are allowed but No metal spikes!!! Each player must sign a wavier before the first game, if you add a player to your team throughout the year, the player must sign a wavier before they play, even if it is only for one game. It is the responsibility of both team captains to submit at the end of the game or by email the score of the game and spirits score by 5:00pm the following day. If this does not occur, a loss will be recorded.

2. Game Time/Default:
- Please arrive 15 minutes early to warm up and start your games on time.

-Games are played rain or shine (but no lightning), cancelled games are not rescheduled. Always show to the game even if it's raining as the weather can change very quickly. At the start of the game the captains are to make the decision if the games are to be cancelled.

- All teams are to play 7 vs 7 having at least 3 of each gender on the field at all times.
- A default will occur if any team cannot field a squad 15 minutes after the official start time. A team can start a game with 5 people, as long as two (2) of the players are women and two (2) of the players are men.

- The game begins right at 6:30pm each night.

- Teams may call one (1) minute time-out per half if needed except in the final 10 minutes of play.

- Games are completed when a team reaches a score of 15 points or the convener blows the whistle at the end of 90 minutes.  If after a 1.5 hr the difference of score is tied or a difference of 1 point then add 2 points to the highest score and play till one team reaches the score.

- If teams have the same number of points at the end of the season, the tiebreaker will be awarded to the team with the highest Spirit Score Average.

- Teams will switch ends at the half time.  Half time is when the first team reaches 8 points.  The team that received the disc at the start of the game will huck the disc at the start of the second half.
- Captains may agree to waive the rules regarding minimum people but this should be decided before the game starts. IF IT IS AGREED THAT THE GAME COUNTS, IT COUNTS!

- Before the game the captains should flip the disc (like a coin) to determine who will pull and who will receive.

3. Initiate Play: Each point begins with both teams lining up on the front of their respective end zone line. The defense throws ("pulls") the disc to the offense.
- The receiving team has the option of catching the disc or letting it fall, but if they attempt to catch it & drop it, it is an automatic turnover. THE PULL CANNOT BE KNOCKED DOWN AND PLAYED BY THE RECEIVING TEAM LIKE A BLOCKED PASS DURING REGULAR PLAY! Players must play the disc from where it lands, or, walk up to the goal line & play from there. The receiving team does not have to wait to have the disc "tagged in" off the pull. Whoever retrieves the disc off of a pull or from any throw that lands out of bounds must play it. It cannot be handed over to someone else to commence play
- If the pull goes directly out of bounds, the receiving team may call "middle/brick" and play the disc from the middle of the field at the point where the disc crossed the boundary or from the brick mark closest to the end zone of the receiving team.  The brick mark is 20 m from the end zone.  If the disc rolls out, "middle/brick" may not be called.

4. Movement of the Disc: The disc may be advanced in any direction by completing a pass to a teammate. Players may not run with the disc. The person with the disc ("thrower") has ten seconds to throw the disc. The defender guarding the thrower ("marker") counts out the stall count, but must be within 3 metres of the thrower to call stalls.
- A player is out-of-bounds when s/he steps on an out-of-bounds area (lines are out-of-bounds). When a player is in the air, his/her in or out-of-bounds is determined by where the first point of contact is with the ground. If any portion of the first point of contact is out-of-bounds, the player is considered out-of-bounds.
- If a disc goes out of bounds it is a turnover. However, the new offensive team must get the disc "tagged in" by the new defensive team, before play begins. A disc that is thrown out of bounds but curves back into play before hitting the ground is still in play.
- A pivot foot must be established once the disc is caught; moving the pivot foot is "traveling" and the thrower must go back to their original position and stalls are started at the same point where they were when the call was made.

5. Scoring: Each time the offense completes a pass in the defense's end zone, the offense scores one point. After each score, teams switch sides and play is again initiated. To signal that you are ready, you raise your arm in the air, to let the team know you are ready.

- In order for the receiver to be considered in the endzone after gaining possession of the disc, his/her first point of contact with the ground must be completely in the endzone.  A player cannot score by running into the endzone with the disc. Should a receiver's momentum carry him/her into the endzone after gaining possession, the receiver must carry the disc back to the closest point on the goal line and put the disc into play from there. A receiver who lands with one foot in the endzone and one foot out of the endzone (in effect, straddling the goal line) has scored a point if the foot inside the scoring area was the first point of contact. A receiver who lands with one foot in the endzone and one foot out of the endzone (in effect, straddling the goal line) has not scored a point, if both feet touch the ground at the same time, and must continue to pass the disc.

6. Change of possession: When a pass is not completed (e.g. out of bounds, dropped, blocked, interception), the defense immediately takes possession of the disc and becomes the offense. (a defender may block/knock-down a pass with any part of their body, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THEIR FEET!, as long as no contact is made with the intended receiver)
- After a blocked or missed pass (a "turnover"), the person who touches the disc first for the new offense (from the team who now has the disc) must be the first thrower.
- If two players catch the disc at the same time, the tie goes to the offence.

7. Substitutions: Substitutions can take place after a point has been made or to replace an injured player
- The team without the injured player has the right to substitute an equal number of players during an injury substitution

8. Non-contact: Any physical contact between players results in a foul. Picks and screens are also prohibited.
- DANGEROUS PLAY: It is a foul if you create a Dangerous Play, i.e. charging at a disc in the air, potentially causing a collision, even if there is no contact. All players must be aware of what is going on around them so that injuries or dangerous situations are avoided.
- There should be NO CONTACT. When defending against the thrower, you must stay 1 disc length away from the thrower. You can not touch the thrower as they throw; however, the thrower may not move their body, arm, hand, etc. into the defender with an established position.
- The Principle of Verticality: All players have the right to the space immediately above them. Thus, a player cannot prevent an opponent from making an attempt on a pass by placing his/her arms above an opponent. Should contact occur, the player restricting the vertical area has committed a foul. This is not to say that defending players cannot reach over the intended receiver to intercept the disc, but in doing so they must not limit the intended receiver's ability to jump, etc.
- A defender may not hit the disc out of the thrower's hands; this is called a "strip." If a strip a occurs, the thrower regains possession and the defender must restart the stall count

9. Fouls: When a player initiates contact on another player a foul occurs. When a foul disrupts possession, the play resumes as if the possession was retained. If the player committing the foul disagrees with the foul call, the play is redone.

- If a foul is called, ONLY the player involved in the infraction may contest it. If the foul is contested, the disc is returned to where it was originally thrown from and stalls continue from where they were at the time of the initial throw.
- "Picks" are not allowed. Any time a defender's path is blocked by any offensive players --EITHER INTENTIONALLY OR UNINTENTIONALLY-- a foul can be called. Play is stopped, the defender is allowed to regain coverage on the offensive player, and stalls continue from where it was at when the pick was called.
- If the person handling the disc throws into a hand block by the defender, IT IS NOT A FOUL. Following through and hitting someone is not a foul, but it SHOULD be avoided in concordance with Spirit of the Game. It is the responsibility of the handler to throw around the defender. If a defender hits the disc, hand or arm in an attempt to prevent a throw, IT IS A FOUL. Remember that the defender's hands may only block the path of the disc, not the throwing motion itself.

10. Playoff Eligibility: Each player must play at least half of the regular season games, in order to be able to play in the playoffs, unless it is cleared with the league convener.  This prohibits teams from adding "ringers" to their teams for the playoffs.

11. Spirit of the Game: Ultimate has traditionally relied upon the spirit of sportsmanship, which places the responsibility for fair play on the player. Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of the bond of mutual respect between players, adherence to the agreed upon rules of the game, or the basic joy of play. Protection of these vital elements serves to eliminate adverse conduct from the Ultimate field. Such actions as the taunting of opposing players, dangerous aggression, intentional fouling, or other "win-at-all-costs" behavior are contrary to the spirit of the game and must be avoided by all players.

It is our hope that more experienced teams will assist in the promotion and clarification of the spirit of the game and the rules. If a team or person in unclear on something, explain it to them to enhance the Ultimate experience and not to put them at a disadvantage. This will ensure that all games that are played are heading to a higher and more enjoyable level.

At the end of each game each team will vote on a spirit score for the opposing team (See Spirit of the Game). Half score are permitted. Game sheets are to be handed into the league convener at the end of each game.

ETIQUETTE:
- If a foul is committed & not called, the player who committed the foul should call it on themselves.
- Should a dispute or confusion arise on the field, it should be common practice to stop play, & resume play with a "disc-in" check when the matter is resolved. When a novice commits a violation out of sincere ignorance of the rules, it is common practice to stop play & explain the violation.

12. Rough Play: Any rough or physical play is not acceptable and may result in immediate expulsion from further league play. Guelph Ultimate League is a coed-league for everyone to have a great night out.

- If you would like to see more rules check out the UPA (Ultimate Player's Association) website: http://www.upa.org/ultimate/rules/rules.shtml