ultimate in 10 simple rules
- The Field — A rectangular shape with endzones at each end. A regulation field is 70 yards long by 40 yards wide, with endzones 25 yards deep.
- Initiate Play — Each point begins with both teams lining up at the front of their respective endzone line. The defense throws (“pulls”) the disc to the offense. A regulation game has seven players per team.
- Scoring — Each time the offense completes a pass in the defense’s endzone, the offense scores a point. Play is initiated after each score.
- 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.
- Change of possession — When a pass in not completed (e.g. out of bounds, drop, block, interception), the defense immediately takes possession of the disc and becomes the offense.
- Substitutions — Players not in the game may replace players in the game after a score and during an injury timeout.
- Non-contact — No physical contact is allowed between players. Picks and screens are also prohibited. A foul occurs when contact is made.
- 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.
- Self-Refereeing — Players are responsible for their own foul and line calls. Players resolve their own disputes.
- Spirit of the Game — Ultimate stresses sportsmanship and fair play. Competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of respect between players, adherence to the rules, and the basic joy of play.
The complete, official rules (11th Edition) can be found here on the USA Ultimate website.
violations and calls in ultimate - in progress
There are several different calls that one can make in Ultimate. I've outlined the most common ones below, and included what the consequences for each call are. The information in this section is in progress, so check back later for a more complete overview.
VIOLATIONS
FOUL - When a player makes contact with another player a foul occurs. The player who was fouled calls it, and play stops. There are several scenarios in which a foul can occur in, each of which has a different consequence.
STRIP - This is a type of foul. A strip occurs when a player knocks or pulls the disc out of the hands of the player who was holding it.
This occurs most often either while marking - and the disc is accidentally knocked out of the thrower's hand by the defender's mark - or when multiple players are going up for a disc - and one catches it first (indicated by stopping rotation of the disc) but a second player also grabbed it on the way down and pulled it from the first player's grasp.
Since a strip is a type of foul, the same contest/no contest rules described above apply here.
PICK - When a player runs in such a way that their defender must run through or into other players in order to catch up. Since Ultimate is officially a non-contact sport, this call is a way to minimize contact. While a pick is a good thing in basketball, it is not allowed here.
The player who is being picked or a player who was in the way of the pick may make the call. Play immediately stops, and all players on the field must freeze where they are. The picked defender is given time to catch up with the player they were marking, and then play begins again.
**If the disc had been thrown after pick was called, the team on offense must catch it in order to retain possession. Otherwise, it is a turn, and the defensive team gains possession.
TRAVEL - When a player catches the disc, they cannot walk or run with it. They can, however, pivot. Once a pivot foot is established, that foot must remain the same for the duration of the thrower's possession of the disc. If their foot moves or if they switch pivot feet a travel may be called.
Note: If play were stopped for any reason, the thrower may reset their pivot foot. This doesn't count as a travel because of the break in play.
CALLS
STALL - When a player has the disc, the defender is counting the stall (how many seconds a single player can have the disc for before they lose possession). If the defender reaches the "t" in "ten", the defender calls stall and possession switches.
DISC SPACE - If a line between any two points on the marker touches the thrower or is less than one disc diameter away from the torso or pivot of the thrower, it is a disc space violation. However, if this situation is caused solely by movement of the thrower, it is not a violation.
FAST COUNT - If the defender is counting faster than acceptable, the offender may call fast count on the defender counting the stall. The first time fast count is called, the stall drops by two counts ("stall five" becomes "stall three"). The second time, the stall is reset at zero.
DOUBLE TEAM - If a defensive player other than the marker is within three meters (ten feet) of the thrower without also being within three meters of and guarding another offensive player, it is a double team.
VIOLATIONS
FOUL - When a player makes contact with another player a foul occurs. The player who was fouled calls it, and play stops. There are several scenarios in which a foul can occur in, each of which has a different consequence.
STRIP - This is a type of foul. A strip occurs when a player knocks or pulls the disc out of the hands of the player who was holding it.
This occurs most often either while marking - and the disc is accidentally knocked out of the thrower's hand by the defender's mark - or when multiple players are going up for a disc - and one catches it first (indicated by stopping rotation of the disc) but a second player also grabbed it on the way down and pulled it from the first player's grasp.
Since a strip is a type of foul, the same contest/no contest rules described above apply here.
PICK - When a player runs in such a way that their defender must run through or into other players in order to catch up. Since Ultimate is officially a non-contact sport, this call is a way to minimize contact. While a pick is a good thing in basketball, it is not allowed here.
The player who is being picked or a player who was in the way of the pick may make the call. Play immediately stops, and all players on the field must freeze where they are. The picked defender is given time to catch up with the player they were marking, and then play begins again.
**If the disc had been thrown after pick was called, the team on offense must catch it in order to retain possession. Otherwise, it is a turn, and the defensive team gains possession.
TRAVEL - When a player catches the disc, they cannot walk or run with it. They can, however, pivot. Once a pivot foot is established, that foot must remain the same for the duration of the thrower's possession of the disc. If their foot moves or if they switch pivot feet a travel may be called.
Note: If play were stopped for any reason, the thrower may reset their pivot foot. This doesn't count as a travel because of the break in play.
CALLS
STALL - When a player has the disc, the defender is counting the stall (how many seconds a single player can have the disc for before they lose possession). If the defender reaches the "t" in "ten", the defender calls stall and possession switches.
DISC SPACE - If a line between any two points on the marker touches the thrower or is less than one disc diameter away from the torso or pivot of the thrower, it is a disc space violation. However, if this situation is caused solely by movement of the thrower, it is not a violation.
FAST COUNT - If the defender is counting faster than acceptable, the offender may call fast count on the defender counting the stall. The first time fast count is called, the stall drops by two counts ("stall five" becomes "stall three"). The second time, the stall is reset at zero.
DOUBLE TEAM - If a defensive player other than the marker is within three meters (ten feet) of the thrower without also being within three meters of and guarding another offensive player, it is a double team.