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7-on-7 Rules

1. Rostering. Teams must have a minimum of 12 players listed on their roster. All players must be rostered online and have completed VULS consent agreements prior to play. 
   1. Playoff Eligibility. To be eligible for playoffs, a player must be on the team’s roster and have played at least 5 regular games for Summer League, or at least 4 regular games for all other leagues.
2. Field Size. Ideally, fields are 110 yards long including endzones, and 40 yards wide. Endzones are 20 yards, and brick is 10 yards. This may not be possible in all locations, please use your best discretion. 
3. Starting Play. Teams must have a minimum of 6 players, 3 of either gender match, on the field to start play. 
4. Gender Ratio — Endzone Decides — Rule B. Choose an endzone at the start of the game that is the "choosing endzone". Whichever team starts a point defending that endzone may choose the gender ratio (4W:3M or 3W:4M).
   1. If the chosen ratio is 3W:4M, the other team may elect to play 4W:3M. 
   2. If the chosen ratio is 4W:3M and you are unable to match that ratio, you must play a person down (3W:3M). 
   3. Teams wanting to use different gender matching ratios must have an agreement with their opponent’s captains prior to the start of the game, or apply for an exception with the league manager before the season begins. 
   4. If a mismatch in gender ratio is discovered after the pull, the team that chose the ratio can choose to call for a re-pull, or resume play where the disc is after the mismatch was discovered. If the later option is chosen, following a substitution, the stall count will either go back to 0 if on offense, or remain where it is (or "stalling six" if above 5) if on defence in accordance with other Violation rules. 
5. Game Timing - Regular Format (Doubleheaders)
   1. Games are to 13 points with a point cap at 15.
   2. Teams are expected to be on the line and ready at the scheduled start time. Teams that are not ready to play 10 minutes after start time should receive a "poor" spirit rating in this category from the opposing team. Teams with 3 "poor" scores will be fined the equivalent to a default fee.
   3. Each team has 2 timeouts per game. There is no half-time.
   4. Hard-cap starts 65 min after the scheduled start time at maximum. Teams should consider an earlier hard cap time if time is needed to vacate the field.
   5. For weeks with one game (including Playoffs), if your game starts at 6:30 (or 7:10), please use 7-on-7 Single Format Rules (see below)
6. Game Timing - Single Format (One game/Singleheader)
   1. Games are to 21 points with a point cap at 23. This rule can be captained claused if weather is poor or in windy conditions. 
   2. Same rules for start times as 7-on-7 format.
   3. Each team has 2 timeouts per game. There is an optional 5-minute half-time when the first team reaches 11. There are no "mirrored-halves".
   4. Hard-cap goes on after 110 minutes.

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5-on-5 Rules

1. Rostering. Teams must have a minimum of 10 players listed on their roster. All players must be rostered online and have completed VULS consent agreements prior to play. 
   1. Playoff Eligibility. To be eligible for playoffs, a player must be on the team’s roster and have played at least 5 regular games for Winter Turf League, or at least 4 regular games for all other leagues.
2. Field Size. Ideally, fields are 70 yards long including endzones, and 25 yards wide. Endzones are 10–12 yards. There is no brick. This may not be possible in all locations, please use your best discretion. See Turf Field Layout—use other fields lines if feasible, without altering dimensions too much.
3. Starting Play. Teams must have a minimum of 4 players, 2 of either gender match, on the field to start play. At the beginning of a game, both teams line up at the back of their end zone for the initial pull.
4. Stalls. Stall counts are to 8. Normal Delay of Game rules apply. This means count-downs from 20s for discs that are being brought back in from out of bounds, and 10s for discs that stayed in the field of play. There is no additional time allotted to the offensive team for substitutions made or for organizing your team after a point is scored. The 3s call for Delay of Game while standing over the disc and not picking it up still applies.
5. Restarting Play. There is no pull after a point. When a team scores, the receiving player acknowledges the goal and immediately places the disc on the ground. The other team has 8 seconds to take possession and put the disc into play at that spot (they cannot walk the disc to the goal line).
6. Substitutions. Players substitute on the fly. The designated sub zone is at the midline of the field, 10m in length, marked by cones. Every player entering the field must "high five" the outgoing player on the sideline before entering the field.
   1. If a team has too many players on the field (6 or more) or too many of one gender-match (4 or more), play is immediately stopped.  If the team that has too many players was on offense, the result is a turnover from where the disc was when the foul was called.  If the team with too many players was on defense, the game resumes after the additional players leave the field and the stall count is reset to 0.
7. Endzone Possession. When a team gains possession in their endzone, if the disc left the field of play, it the disc can be put into play on the perimeter line where it crossed, or brought to the front of the endzone at the point closest to where it crossed the perimeter line. But if the disc did not leave the field of play and came to rest in the endzone, it is put into play where it came to rest.
8. Game Timing & Format
   1. Games are to 21 points with a point cap at 21.
   2. Teams are expected to to be ready within 10 minutes of the scheduled start time. Default occurs if a team is not ready to play 30 minutes after the start time.
   3. Each team has 1 timeout per game. Half-time occurs when the first team reaches 11. There is no break, but teams switch ends and re-pull.
   4. Hard-cap goes on 5 minutes before the scheduled end time. Teams must be completely off artificial turf fields by the end time.

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Indoor Rules

Safety is the most important principle. As we play on a much smaller area, the first concern of all players must be to play safe and avoid contact in every way possible.

1. Rostering. Teams must have a minimum of 10 players listed on their roster. All players must be rostered online and have completed VULS consent agreements prior to play. 
   1. To prevent stacking of teams, each team is allowed a maximum of three subs per game. In the interest of fair play, we ask that the sub be of a similar skill level as the player they replace.
2. Game Timing. There will be a five minute warm-up period at the start of your game. The first game starts promptly five minutes later. For every two minutes past 5-minutes-past-game-time that a team does not have a line on the court, the opposition is entitled to count points, to a maximum of ten points. If ten points have been awarded (ie: 20 minutes have elapsed), the game is forfeited, with a score of 10-0 being awarded to the other team. A five-minute warning will be sounded 7 minutes before the hour ends. With 2 minutes remaining, the game will end regardless of score. If the disc is in the air when the game ends, the result of that throw will stand. The remainder of the point (if that throw does not result in a score) is not played out. There is no overtime during regular season play.
3. Starting Play. Teams must have a minimum of 5 players, 2 of either gender match, on the court to start play. Games start with a pull, with each team starting at the back line of the end zone. The pull is put into play where a) it is caught by the receiving team or b) it comes to rest.
4. Restarting Play. There is no pull after a point. When a team scores, the receiving player acknowledges that he/she has scored a goal and the disc is immediately placed on the ground at that spot. The offensive team has 10 seconds to take possession of the disc (Delay of Game rules apply) and cannot walk the disc up to the front of the goal line. The offense must put it into play from where it was placed by the scoring team.
5. Stalls. Stall counts will be to 7 rather than 10 to keep play fast-paced. The disc is considered stalled upon the utterance of the ""s"" in seven. Contested stalls come in on ""stalling 5."" Any calls normally coming in on ""stalling 6"" come in on ""stalling 4"" in VIU. All other violations and fouls are resolved the same as in the UPA 11th Edition.
6. Substitutions. Players substitute on the fly. There is a designated substitution box for each team at the midline of the court defined by the red lines on the court. Every player entering the court must high five the outgoing player before entering the court. There may be only two players from each team in the substitution boxes at any one time.
7. Out of Bounds. In addition to out-of-bounds rules according to marked/coned lines, when the disc hits an object (wall, ceiling, person/object on the sideline) it is out-of-bounds. A turnover results and the play starts on the playing field proper closest to where the disc has come to rest.
8. Endzone Possession. If the defence takes possession of the disc in their own end zone, they must play from where the disc lies. They may not walk the disc to the front or side of the end zone. This includes turnovers resulting from the disc being played out the back or the sides of the endzone. When the offence takes possession of the disc in the end zone they are attacking, the offence must take the disc to the front of the endzone and play from there.
9. Scoring. Points may not be scored on throws that originate from the defensive half of the court. In other words, in order for a point to be scored, the throw must originate from within the same half as the attacked end zone. All points of ground contact of the thrower must be in the offensive half of the court. Straddling or touching the halfcourt line is considered to be part of the defensive half. Completed passes to a receiver in the attacking end zone from behind the halfcourt line must be taken to the front of the end zone and played from there, as if that player had caught outside the end zone and run in. If the disc is placed on the ground in acknowledgement of a point when a point has not been scored, it is considered a turnover. Completed passes tipped by another player (defence or offence) fully on the offensive side of half count as a point.
   1. Offence cannot jump backwards or sideways into the endzone to score.  If a backwards or sideways jump into the endzone occurs, it is not considered a point. Instead, offence will have to take the disc to the front of the endzone and play it from there.
10. Timeouts. Each team has one 90 second timeout per game. Brief stoppages are also allowed to explain rules to newer players. Timeouts cannot be called within the last five minutes of the game (ie: after the 5 minute warning). Doing so results in a turnover.
11. Ties. There will be no ties in playoff games. Games ending in a tie at the buzzer will be decided by sudden death overtime. Teams remain on the court as if the buzzer had not sounded and the game continues. The next point wins the game. If the team in possession of the disc drops the disc at the sound of the buzzer thinking the game is over, it is considered a turnover.

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Carbon Flip

This initiative was started in 2009 to promote sustainability, reduce our carbon footprint, and reward teams for carpooling and biking to games. It is a simple way of encouraging good community practices that reflect the spirit of Ultimate. Instead of a traditional "pre-game flip", the team that uses the fewest number of vehicles to arrive at the game wins the flip.

Captains survey their team to get a straight vehicle count. The team with the fewest gas-powered vehicles at the field when the flip is performed wins the carbon flip and gains the traditional advantages associated with winning the flip. Some notes:

• Vehicles arriving later don’t count
• Size of vehicles or distances traveled don’t affect the result.
• In the event of a tie, captains revert to the standard flip process. No points are awarded.
• Should vehicles that carry kids or opposing players only count for half a car? We’ll leave that for captains to decide, but that discussion alone achieves one of our goals!

We understand that it isn’t as easy for everyone to carpool or bike, so some teams may have more trouble winning the Carbon Flip than others. We encourage teams to practice it as part of the spirit of the game. The flip shouldn't impact the integrity of the game.

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Rules FAQ

Here are some common questions and answers players have regarding Ultimate rules. 

• What is a "dangerous play"?
• What is the difference between "foul" and "contact"?
• What happens when I get fouled or stripped in the end zone when trying to catch the disc?
• Who can call "in" and "out"?
• What should happen when someone calls "double team"?

Q: What is a "Dangerous Play"?

A: From the USAU Rule Book on Fouls: " Reckless disregard for the safety of fellow players of other dangerously aggressive behaviour (such as significantly colliding into a stationary opponent), regardless of when the disc arrives or when contact occurs, is considered dangerous play and is treated as a foul. This rule is not superseded by any other rule."

Notes from the VUL on Dangerous Plays:

This means that if a player feels that their safety or that of another player is threatened, they can call a foul, citing dangerous play as the reason. However, many nuances to this rule make it complicated to implement. For example, the thrower sees a handler getting open up the line and throws the disc out to space, but a defender sees this developing and poaches into the lane. These players both have a right to go for the disc but will collide with one another in a dangerous manner, making this a dangerous play. However, both players are equally at risk and could call dangerous play. In this case, given that both players have a reasonable opportunity to go for the disc, the suggestion is that the disc revert to the thrower as if it was a foul/contest.

Contrast to the above situation - what if one player was clearly going to get the disc first and the other player was going to collide with that player? This becomes rather tricky because player 1 can call a foul on what they believe will be a dangerous play before any contact happens. Player 2 is now faced with either agreeing with player 1 (that player 1 had the advantage and should keep the disc) or disagreeing with player 1, believing that the play wasn't dangerous. This situation should also be treated with the regular foul/contest conditions and play should resume as normal. These types of calls could be a bit more contentious as the contact may or may not have actually occurred. 

One other common situation is a floating disc with a group of people underneath it and the opportunistic player trying to catch the disc by jumping over and often into the the pile. It is very hard to do this without putting the players underneath the disc at serious risk - this includes players from both teams. This opportunist is pulling a dangerous stunt and should not be attempting to make this play, regardless of how amazing they think the catch is going to be. No point is worth risking the well being of other players, even if you think you can do this maneuver safely, the people around you may not be as confident in your abilities and have the right to suspect the play is dangerous.

The way to deal with these situations is to be aware of your fellow players so that everyone is kept out of these situations, but if a player believes that a dangerous situation occurred (or is imminent), please take them at their word and proceed as normal. The VUL wants everyone to enjoy playing Ultimate and the best way to make that happen is in a safe environment where competition is encouraged, but not at the expense of player safety and mutual respect.

Q: What is the difference between "Foul" and "Contact"?

If non-incidental contact occurs between the thrower and marker such that the thrower could call a throwing foul on the marker, the thrower may instead choose to call “contact.” Play does not stop and the marker resumes the stall count at “one.” Other than resetting the stall count, the “contact” call is resolved in the same manner as a marking violation (marker may contest the “contact” call by calling “violation,” which stops play. If the thrower calls “contact” after beginning the throwing motion and subsequently releases the disc, it is treated as if the thrower called “foul.”

Q: What happens when I get fouled or stripped in the endzone when trying to catch the disc?

A: In the field of play, there is no difference between a "foul" and a "strip" for what happens with the disc (contested - goes back to thrower, uncontested - the receiver keeps the disc). However, in the endzone there is a difference. If the "foul" or "strip" call is contested, the disc will still go back to thrower, the difference comes when it is uncontested. A "foul" is when contact prevents the offensive player from catching the disc in the endzone, in which case when uncontested, the offensive player would get the disc on the front line of the endzone (not yet in). A "strip" is when the offensive player has already caught the disc and contact forces them to drop it, in which case when uncontested is a point.

Q: Who can call "in" and "out"?

A: Any player who is on the field may call a player out of bounds (or in/out of the endzone). It is, however, the player with the best perspective that has the final say. If it cannot be agreed upon as to who had the best perspective or if the call is contested, the disc goes back to thrower. (Best perspective is defined as the most complete view available by a player that includes the relative position of the disc, ground, players and line markers involved in a play).

Q: What should happen when someone calls "double team"?

A: "Double Team" is another example of a marking violation. When called, the violation must be corrected and the stall count dropped by 2. If the violation occurs more than once in a stall count, the person with the disc has the option to either make the call again, or to call "violation". In the later case, the play stops and is treated like as a general violation or foul.

Where double team can get a bit tricky is when a second offensive player comes close to the disc. When this happens, a second defensive player is also allowed to come close to the disc and this is no longer a "double team". (Close being within 10 ft)

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