Ultimate Disc Rules

Governing Rules

The rules of USA Ultimate will apply in all cases except where a special Oregon State University Intramurals rule applies.

Ultimate is played by the Spirit of the Game:

“Ultimate relies upon a spirit of sportsmanship that places the responsibility for fair play on the player. Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of mutual respect among competitors, adherence to the agreed upon rules, or the basic joy of play. Protection of these vital elements serves to eliminate unsportsmanlike conduct from the Ultimate field. Such actions as taunting opposing players, dangerous aggression, belligerent intimidation, intentional infractions, or other "win-at-all-costs" behavior are contrary to the spirit of the game and must be avoided by all players.”

Eligibility

All participants must be either students registered at Oregon State University or Faculty/Staff/Affiliate with a Recreational Sports Membership. For more information on eligibility, consult the Intramurals Handbook.

The Nomad policy is used as a guideline for teams short of the minimum number of participants at game time of a scheduled Intramurals contest to temporarily field a full roster without having to forfeit or play a person down.

  • A Nomad can be any current participant with an active Intramurals Pass. Any team may pick up these player(s) to play for their team to avoid forfeit and play competitively. Teams may only add enough Nomads to meet the standard number of players for the game on the court/field (not just the minimum requirement). For example, you can add the number of Nomads to meet the seven (7) player requirement for Ultimate.

Uniforms and Equipment

  • No jewelry (earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, etc.) will be allowed on the court at any time. Players will need to remove items immediately or leave the game. Appropriate athletic attire is required.
  • Sunglasses are okay.
  • Mouth guards for each player are recommended for your protection.
  • No braces or supports that may cause other players harm will be permitted.
  • Teams must provide their own disc. Any flying disc may be used as long as it is acceptable to both team captains. If the captains cannot agree, the currently accepted USA Ultimate disc (175g) shall be used.
  • Cleats may be worn, but may not have any exposed metal.
  • Each team must have uniforms/jerseys/shirts that distinguish them from the other team.

Pre-Game

  • Team managers need to check in with the supervisor on duty before each game to verify their team’s roster.
  • Team managers will also take part in a meeting with the IM Supervisor prior to game time.

Game Time

  • Game time listed on the schedule is the official game time.
  • Scorekeepers will keep the official game time.
  • Teams play with seven (7) players on the field. You must have a minimum of five (5) players on the field ready for play at game time; otherwise a forfeit will be awarded to the opposing team.
    • Teams can use the Nomad policy, which allows teams to add people (who are eligible and have an IM pass) to their team.
  • Scorekeepers will keep track of the game time by using a stopwatch.
  • The clock will not stop except for timeouts, injuries, official’s timeouts, and unexpected delays in the game.

Playing Time

  • The game will consist of two 20-minute halves.
  • Three minutes intermission between each half.
  • The game will end upon completion of the second half as long as the game is not tied.
  • If the score is tied, a 3-minute overtime will be played. Throw will be determined by a quick captains meeting. If the score is tied at the end of overtime, the game will continue until the next point is scored.
  • At the end of each half (including overtime) when time has expired, the team with possession may continue to attempt to score until the possession ends in either a turnover or a point.
  • At the completion of the game each manager must sign the score sheets.

Time-Outs

  • Each team is allowed one time-out per half. Time-outs are not cumulative (if you don’t use your first-half timeout, then it is gone).
  • The game clock will stop during time-outs.
  • Time-outs are one minute in length.
  • No time-outs in overtime.

Field of Play

  • The field of play is a rectangular area 110 yards long (including two 20-yard end zones) and 40 yards wide.
  • The playing field proper is the playing field excluding the end zones.
  • The goal lines are the lines which separate the playing field proper from the end zones and are part of the playing field proper.
  • The perimeter line (sidelines and endlines) are not part of the playing field and are considered out of bounds.
  • The corners of the playing field proper and the end zones are marked by cones made of a brightly colored flexible material.

Starting the Game

  • Before the game begins, each team will designate a captain to represent their team during disagreements.
  • The captains of the two teams each flip a disc to determine to begin the game. One of the captains will call out “same” or “different” while the discs are in the air. The team winning the flip has the choice of either:
    1. Receiving the initial throw-off
    2. Selecting which goal they wish to defend initially
  • The second half begins with an automatic reversal of the first half options.

Game Play

Pull (Throw-Off)

  1. Play starts at the beginning of each period and after each goal with a pull.
  2. Each time a goal is scored, the teams switch the direction of their attacks and the team which scored will pull.
  3. Positioning prior to the pull.
    1. The players on the throwing team are free to move anywhere in their defending end zone, but may not cross the goal line until the disc is released.
    2. The players on the receiving team must stand with one foot on their defending goal line without changing position relative to one another.
  4. The pull may be made only after the thrower and a player of the receiving team raise a hand to signal that team’s readiness to begin play.
  5. The pull consists of one player on the throwing team throwing the disc toward the opposing team’s goal line to begin play.
  6. Once the disc is thrown, all players may move in any direction.
  7. No player of the throwing team may touch the pull in the air until it has been touched by a member of the receiving team.
  8. If a member of the receiving team catches the pull in the field proper, that player must put the disc in play from that spot.
  9. If a member of the receiving team touches the disc during flight of the pull (whether in- or out-of-bounds) and the receiving team fails to catch it, the team which pulled gains possession of the disc where it stops.
  10. If the receiving team allows the pull to fall untouched to the ground, and the disc initially lands in-bounds, the receiving team gains possession of the disc where it stops.
  11. If the pull lands out-of-bounds the receiving team, before touching the disc, makes a choice of:
    1. Putting the disc into play at the point where it crossed the perimeter line, or
    2. If the receiving team calls “Middle” before the disc hits the ground, may play the disc from the center of the field equal to the point where it passed over the perimeter line, or
    3. If the receiving team calls “Brick,” they may play the disc from the brick mark which is in the middle of the field 20 yards up from the end zone they are defending.

Scoring

  1. A player is said to have scored if they catch the disc within their end zone.
    1. The player is said to be within the zone if their first contact with the ground is completely in the zone without touching the perimeter or goal line.

Substitutions

  1. Substitutions can be made only:
    1. After a goal and before the ensuing throw-off
    2. Before the beginning of a play period
    3. To replace injured players
  2. If a team replaces injured players, the opposing team has the option of substituting a like-number of players.
  3. Substitutions other than injury substitutions cannot be made during a time-out taken during play.

Stalling

  1. The period of time within which the thrower must release a throw may be timed by the stall count.
    1. The marker may call out “Stall” and then count from one to ten loudly enough for the thrower to hear.
    2. Each count must be spaced a second apart.
    3. If a stall count is interrupted for any reason, it must be restarted with a call of “Stall.”
    4. If the thrower has not released the disc by the time the marker starts to say “ten” it is considered a turnover.
    5. The thrower may contest a stall count if they believe the marker is counting faster than one number a second. In this case, the marker must continue the count from two numbers previous from the one they were on.

Turnovers

  1. An incomplete, intercepted, knocked-down, or out-of-bounds pass results in a loss of possession.
  2. The following actions result in a loss of possession:
    1. The defender’s count reaches the maximum number.
    2. The disc is handed from player to player.
    3. The thrower intentionally deflects a pass to themself off another player.
    4. If the thrower catches their own throw. Note: If the disc is touched by another player during its flight, it is considered a complete pass and is not a turnover.

Fouls

  • Fouls are the result of physical contact between opposing players. A foul can only be called by the player who has been fouled and must be announced by calling out the word “Foul!” loudly immediately after the foul has occurred.
  • The player initiating contact is guilty of a foul. Note: Any player is said to occupy the space above them.
  • When a foul is called the player accused of fouling may agree (no contest) or disagree (contest) with the foul call.

Throwing Fouls

  1. A throwing foul may be called when there is contact between the thrower and the marker.
  2. Contact occurring during the follow-through (after the disc has been released) is not sufficient grounds for a foul, but should still be avoided whenever possible.
  3. The marker must leave a “disc” space of room between them and the thrower.
  4. When a foul is committed by the thrower or the marker, play stops and possession reverts back to the thrower after a check.
  5. If the foul is contested, the stall count is started again at one number higher than what the stall count was when the foul was called.
  6. If the foul is not contested, the stall count starts over at zero.
  7. If the thrower is fouled in the act of throwing and the pass is completed, the foul is automatically declined and play continues without interruption.
  8. If the marker is fouled in the act of throwing and the pass is not completed, play continues without interruption.

Catching Fouls

  1. A catching foul may be called when there is contact between opposing players in the process of attempting a catch, interception, or knock-down. A certain amount of incidental contact during or immediately after the catching attempt is often unavoidable and is not a foul.
  2. If a player contacts an opponent before the disc arrives and thereby interferes with that opponent's attempt to make a play of the disc, that player has committed a foul.
  3. If a player's attempt to make a play on the disc causes significant impact with a legitimately positioned stationary opponent, before or after the disc arrives, that player has committed a foul.
  4. Dangerous, aggressive behavior or reckless disregard for the safety of fellow players is always a foul.
  5. If a catching foul occurs and is uncontested, the player fouled gains possession at the point of the infraction. If the call is disputed, the disc goes back to the thrower.

Violations

  • A violation occurs when a player violates the rules in a manner which does not result in physical contact (for example, throwing a pass during an approach to the goal line; illegal guarding position by the marker; not establishing a pivot foot after carrying the disc in from out-of-bounds, etc.).
  • A violation may be called by any player who recognizes that a violation has occurred. The player must immediately call “violation” or the name of the specific violation loudly.

Traveling

  1. The thrower must keep all or part of the pivot foot in contact with a single spot on the field. Should the thrower lose contact with that spot, the thrower has traveled.
  2. If the receiver obviously takes more steps than are required to stop after catching a pass, that player has traveled.
  3. If a receiver, after receiving a pass on the run, releases a pass after the third ground contact and before coming to a complete stop, that receiver has traveled.
  4. If a receiver catches the disc and in the process of coming to a stop changes directions.

Strip

  1. No defensive player may touch the disc while it is in the hands of the thrower. If a defensive player does so, causing the thrower to drop the disc, the thrower calls “Strip.”
  2. The thrower then picks up the disc and play continues unhalted from the point where the thrower regained possession.
  3. If a count was in progress as the disc was stripped, the count is reset until the thrower regains possession.
    1. If the strip is contested, the count proceeds from the point it was stopped or, if greater than 6, resets to 6.

Double-Team

  1. Only one marker is permitted to guard the thrower.
  2. No other defensive player may establish a position within three (3) yards of the pivot foot of the thrower, unless they are guarding another offensive player in that area.
  3. Should the thrower recognize a double-team situation, they first call “Double Teaming” as a warning. If the defensive team continues to double-team, the thrower calls “Double Teaming” again, and it is a violation.

Conduct

The Intramurals program promotes positive sportsmanship at all contests and activities. Unsportsmanlike conduct includes actions which are unbecoming to an ethical, fair, and honorable individual. It consists of acts of deceit, disrespect, or vulgarity and includes taunting.

Ejections

Any player ejected from a game will be immediately suspended from participating in all Intramurals activities. The ejected player must then make an appointment with the Coordinator of Intramurals and Sports Coordinator to determine the length of suspension and any other sanctions. The following actions will result in ejections from Intramurals:

  1. Improper language
  2. Unsporting conduct

Contact: Sports and Special Programs Office, (541) 737-4083, 111 Dixon Recreation Center

Revised: 5/3/2023