Ultimate Frisbee: Rules & Guidelines
SPORTSMANSHIP
Sportsmanship is an important part of any successful athletic team
or activity. The Southern Vermont College Intramural Program
promotes sound sportsmanship and insists that all participants keep
it in mind while participating in SVC Intramurals. The
intramural program is designed to be a fun, casual way for
students, faculty and staff to be involved physically and
socially. It is not a professional sporting league, and
participants should treat it as such.
Participants who cannot or do not show good sportsmanship will be
asked to leave and possibly not be allowed to return and
participate in future events. Unsportsmanlike conduct will be
directed to the Director of Athletics, the Dean of Students, or the
Intramural Coordinator for a decision on what action to take with
the individual or people involved.
EQUIPMENT
The equipment needed will be:
- Ten orange plastic cones
- Frisbee
- Pinnies
Equipment is to be stored in the shed behind the field house.
Equipment will be taken out by the Director of Athletics or the
Intramural Coordinator 15 minutes prior to the start of play.
If neither is available to directly give the equipment, the
equipment will be stored in the security suite prior to game
play. Officials are to pick the equipment up before and
return the equipment to the security suite after play.
Misuse or abuse to equipment will result in the suspension of the
person or people involved from SVC Intramurals for a time to be
determined by the Director of Athletics, Dean of Students, or the
Intramural Coordinator. Those involved will have the choice
to personally replace the equipment at their own cost instead of
facing suspension.
PLAYERS & TEAMS
Games will be played by all of those who show up on that day.
All sports will consist of co-gender teams to be selected upon the
start of the day. Groups may choose to show up with a formed
team. However, pre-formed teams may have to be split up or
given additional players to accommodate numbers for the day.
Unless otherwise agreed upon by all present for the day, teams will
have an equal number of males and females, students and faculty or
staff, and participants from the school's NCAA intercollegiate team
for the respective sport (Five players from the men's
basketball team will be allowed to play on the same ultimate
Frisbee team as long as there are at least five males on the other
team or teams). Teams will be allowed to be changed or
re-picked upon the approval of the day's officials and a majority
of present participants for the day.
Teams will be split up depending on how many participants are
present. Captains will be selected by the official(s) with
the help of those present. Captains will pick teams
one-by-one, the team to select first being decided by an official's
coin flip. The team that does not get to pick first will be
that calling heads/tails for first possession. The team that
picks first will wear pinnies during the game.
For cases of there being an odd number of participants, one team
will have an extra substitute. The team with fewer players
will be that calling heads/tails for first possession.
During play, each team must have at least one substitute at all
times. In the case of odd numbers, the team with more players
will have two. When playing indoors, on-court numbers will be
limited to 6. Substitutions must be made every 10 minutes to
ensure every participant gets equal playing time.
At the half-time period, if the official and consensus of players
agree, teams will be allowed to be re-picked.
Players have no obligation to stay for the whole duration. In
the case that teams get lopsided, they will be evened out by the
captains.
OFFICIALS
All officials must be unbiased and fair for the duration of the day
and will not be allowed to play the sport for that day.
Problems regarding officials' fairness and demeanor are to be
directed to the Director of Athletics or the Intramural
Coordinator.
Officials are to be equipped with:
- Coin for decision flips
- Whistle
- Stop watch for timed games
FACILITIES & LOCATIONS
All sports will be those that can be played in the field house
gymnasium in the case of inclement weather. If decided upon
by a majority of those playing that day and the officials, the
sport can be played outside on either the old rugby field (lower
campus) or the small field across the driveway from the Campus
Safety suite. All participants will meet in the gymnasium at
the starting time and will then determine where the day's event
will be played.
The field will be set up by the official(s) prior to team
selection. Four cones as a rectangle will mark off the
playing area. Two cones will be placed about 10 yards behind
the two that mark the goal lines to mark of the goal area.
Two more cones will be placed at midfield. If there is no
paint to draw sidelines, officials' judgment will determine whether
play goes out of bounds.
GAME PLAY
I. Game Length
A. Games will be two 30 minute halves.
B. Halftime will be 10 minutes.
C. In the case of a tie after 60 minutes, a 10 minute overtime period will be played.
i. If a tie still stands after the overtime period, additional 10 minute overtimes will be played until the tie is broken.
ii. 3 minute breaks will be given between overtime periods.
iii. Official SVC Intramural game play will be suspended after five overtime periods, unless decided so earlier by participants.
II. Pre Game
A. A coin flip will decide which team gets possession first.
i. The team that will call heads/tails will be that which did not get to pick first in team selection.
ii. The team that did not win the coin flip will decide which side of the field they would like to defend.
B. The team that lost the coin flip will line up at mid-field, ready to throw to the other team.
III. Maneuvers & Techniques
A. The Frisbee can be tossed or thrown in any manner to advance.
i. The Frisbee cannot be kicked in any manner. Doing so will result in possession to the other team.
B. The Frisbee cannot hit the ground at all. Even a catch low to the ground that the official deems touched the grass does not count as a legal catch.
i. The Frisbee touching the ground will result in possession to the team that did not make the throw.
a. The defending team can bat the Frisbee down to the ground and would then control possession.
C. Offensive players without the Frisbee can run anywhere on the playing field.
i. Offensive players without the Frisbee cannot block for others or touch or bump defensive players. Doing so will result in loss of possession.
D. The offensive player with the Frisbee is only allowed to take a throwing step. Taking too many steps will result in loss of possession.
i. An offensive player catching the Frisbee while running can take up to three stopping steps. Taking more than three will result in loss of possession.
a. Offensive players catching the Frisbee cannot take exaggerated steps after the catch. If the official deems the catching player could have stopped before the steps, possession will be lost.
E. Defensive players can run anywhere on the playing field.
i. Defensive players must stay one yard from offensive players with the Frisbee. Failure to do so will result in a ten yard penalty to be walked off by the official.
a. Defensive players can be closer than one yard to offensive players without the Frisbee, but once a catch is made, the defensive player must retreat at least one yard. Failure to do so will result in a ten yard penalty to be walked off by the official.
i. Defensive players are allowed to catch the Frisbee, immediately giving them possession. Defensive players can also knock down or deflect a pass to prevent an offensive catch. Doing so will result in change of possession.
a. If a defensive player tries to intercept a pass and does not make a clean catch, possession will still change to the team that was on defense.
F. Substitutions can be made when the team has possession.
i. Teams must hold the Frisbee for the duration of the substitution. Moving or throwing while a substitution is being made will result in loss of possession at the spot where the player was when the substitution started.
a. The substitution will still be allowed to carry out.
ii. Teams may substitute as many players as they desire at any time, except for the player holding the Frisbee.
iii. Players going off the field may leave at any point on the field. Players going on the field must enter at midfield and may not do so until the player they are substituting is off.
IV. Scoring
A. A team scores by making a clean throw and catch to someone standing in the goal area.
i. The player making the catch must have both feet in the goal area and hold onto the Frisbee for one whole second.
ii. A player cannot make a catch and take any steps to get into the goal area.
B. The team scoring goes back to their side of the field and throws to the other team from midfield to restart play.
C. If there is an incomplete or batted throw in the goal area, the team that was on defense will take the Frisbee to the goal area and restart play.
i. There is no official's signal needed for the team that was on defense to get to the goal line and restart play.
D. Scoring is accumulative for both 30 minute halves. After 60 minutes of regulation, the team with the most points wins.
i. If the score is tied after regulation, ten minute overtime periods will be played. Any points scored during overtime periods are added onto the total for regulation. Overtime is not sudden death.
a. Overtime possession starts with the team that has possession to start the game and switches for additional overtime periods if necessary.
V. Boundaries
A. The boundaries are to be set by the official(s) prior to team selection and coin flip.
i. Four cones will mark off the rectangular playing area.
ii. If available, lines will be sprayed to mark the boundary lines, goal lines, and goal area.
B. Any thrown or batted pass that goes out of bounds will result in possession to the team that did not throw the pass at the spot the pass went out.
i. If a player in any way touches the boundary line or steps over it while making a catch or throwing a pass, possession will turn over to the other team at the spot.
