Skill Levels

We are first and foremost a SOCIAL company. As we grow though we are starting to offer more and more variations and competitiveness levels for our leagues. For Ultimate we have only one classification of leagues currently that will have a mix of beginner and advanced players mixed in. It’s a FUN league!

Team Sizes

Ultimate teams average 12 players per team. 10 paid and approved players reserves a spot in the league but is subject to additional players. There may be gender requirements for certain leagues please check your rules sections.

Roster Management

We allow individuals, small groups and teams to all join our leagues. USS reserves the right to add additional players to ANY team that is under the official roster size for the league. During registration captains can pick up free agents or mark their group as ready to merge via commish. After registration closes USS goes through and finalizes rosters by placing free agents, merging groups and deleting unpaid players. Being a promoted team does not mean you may not receive additional players. Teams who want to “lock” their roster may prepay for a team at the official roster size. Example, Ultimate is 12 players officially but your team only wants 10 players. You can purchase a team spot for a roster of 12 and only fill your desired number but those additional spots are technically used and are not refundable.

Our roster sizes tend to allow for more players as our goal is to avoid forfeits at all costs. 1. They are LAME. and 2. It’s not fair to the other teams in the league who expect to play each week if a smaller team cannot field a team week to week. Free agent teams (merged small groups or all FAs made into teams) tend to have larger rosters as the players typically do not know one another and everyone’s schedule varies week to week.

Golden Rule

First and foremost all United Social Sports leagues are 50% Social and 50% Sport. We do have officials; however, we expect individuals to respect the league’s culture of fair and fun play. Foul language and rough play will not be tolerated and individuals who cannot adhere to our standards of fair play and sportsmanship may be asked to leave the league.  United Social Sports wants everyone to have a fun and be social while enjoying a great sport.  USS will do whatever they can to make sure all players are having fun

Introduction

Description: Ultimate is a non-contact disc sport played by two teams of seven players with the objective of scoring goals. A goal is scored when a player catches the disc in the end zone that player is attacking. A player may not run while holding the disc. The disc is advanced by passing it to other players. The disc may be passed in any direction. If a pass is incomplete (i.e., hits the ground, is caught out-of-bounds, or is intercepted by a defensive player), a turnover occurs, resulting in an immediate change of the team in possession of the disc. An attempt to unfairly disadvantage an opponent through physical contact is a foul. Ultimate is self-officiated – there are no referees; players are responsible for making their own infraction and boundary (including scoring) calls.

Playing Field

The field is an 80-yard length rectangle with an end zone at each end, 60-yard playing field with 10-yard end zones.

Equipment

1. Rubber and molded cleats, turf shoes, or running shoes may be worn. No metal cleats. Players must remove all jewelry.

2. Teams must wear shirts or jerseys of matching color or pennies.

3. All frisbees will be provided by USS.

Players

1. A team consists of seven (7) players. There must be at least two (2) females on the field at all times.

A. There must be at least two female players on the field at all times

B. Every third throw must be a Female intended throw.

2. A team may start and play a game with as few as five (5) players. One (1) of those players must be a female.

Playing the Game

1. The length of Game: The game consists of two 20-minute halves with a 5-minute half time. Time is continuous for each half, except when there is an injury time-out or a team calls a time-out.

A. There will be no Overtime during the regular season.

2. Starting and Restarting Play

A. A fair method, such as a coin or disc toss, will be conducted by representatives of the two teams.

i. The winner chooses to either receive the initial pull or select the end zone they wish to defend.

ii. The other team is given the remaining choice.

iii. The second half begins with an automatic reversal of the initial choices.

B. After a point is scored, it is recommended that players begin the next point within 90 seconds.

C. After a turnover, a player on the team becoming offense may immediately pick up the disc and put it back into play by establishing a pivot foot in-bounds.

Pull

Play starts at the beginning of each half and after each goal with a “pull” — a player on the pulling team throws the disc toward the opposite goal line to begin play.

A. Each time a goal is scored, the teams switch their direction of attack and the team that scored pulls to the opposing team.

1. On a pull, players must remain in their end zone (not cross the goal line) until the disc is released.

2. A pull may not be made until a player on the receiving team indicates readiness to play by raising a hand.

3. After the disc is released, all players may move in any direction.

4. No player on the pulling team may touch the pull in the air before a member of the receiving team touches it.

5. If a member of the receiving team catches the pull on the playing field, that player must put the disc into play from that spot.

6. If the receiving team allows the disc to fall untouched to the ground, and the disc initially lands inbounds, the receiving team gains possession of the disc where it stops if in-bounds or at the point on the playing field, excluding the end zone, nearest to where it crossed the out-of-bounds line.

7. If the pull lands out-of-bounds the receiving team puts the disc into play at the point on the playing field, excluding the end zone, nearest to where it crossed the out-of-bounds line.

In and Out-of-Bounds

1. The perimeter lines themselves are out-of-bounds.

2. A disc is out-of-bounds when it first contacts an out-of-bounds area or anything which is out-of bounds.

3. For a receiver to be considered in-bounds after gaining possession of the disc, the first point of contact with the ground must be completely in-bounds. If any portion of the first point of contact is out-of-bounds, the player is considered to be out-of-bounds.

4. If a player makes a catch in-bounds and momentum then carries him/her out-of-bounds, the player is considered in-bounds (to continue play, the player carries the disc to the point where s/he went out-of-bounds and puts the disc into play at that point).

5. The thrower may pivot in and out-of-bounds, provided that the pivot foot is in-bounds.

Scoring

1. A goal is scored when an in-bounds player catches a pass in the end zone of attack.

1. If the score is tied at the end of regulation, play stops and overtime procedures are as follows for playoffs:

A. The overtime sudden-death period will continue until the first team scores.

Time-outs

1. Each team has one 2-minute time-out per half.

2. Time-out may be called only by the team in possession of the disc, except that either team may call time-out between points (after a goal, but before the ensuing pull).

3. No time-outs during overtime.

Turnovers

1. A turnover occurs when:

A. A pass is incomplete (dropped, hits the ground, is caught out of bounds, blocked, intercepted).

B. A receiver must retain possession of the disc throughout all ground contact related to the catch (if a player falls to the ground during a catch and drops the disc, it is incomplete).

C. The marker’s count reaches the maximum number (10) before the throw is released.

2. When a turnover has occurred, any member of the team becoming offense may take possession of the disc.

A. To initiate play after a turnover, the person picking up the disc must put it into play at the spot of the turnover.

B. If the disc landed out of bounds, the offensive player puts the disc into play at the point where it crossed the out-of-bounds line.

Substitutions: May be made after a goal and prior to the ensuing pull, before the beginning of a half, or to replace an injured or ejected player.

The Thrower 

1. Any member of the offensive team may take possession of the disc.

2. The thrower must establish a pivot foot and may not change that pivot foot until the throw is released.

3. The thrower may pivot in any direction, but once the marker has established a legal defensive position, the thrower may not pivot into him/her.

The Marker

1. Only one player may guard the thrower at any one time; that player is the “marker.”

2. The marker may not straddle the pivot foot of the thrower.

3. There must be at least one disc’s diameter between the bodies of the thrower and the marker at all times.

. The marker cannot position his/her arms in such a manner as to restrict the thrower from pivoting.

Stall count: The period of time within which a thrower must release a throw.

1. A player in possession of the disc has 10 seconds to release a throw.

2. The marker must be within 10 feet of the person with the disc before beginning the stall count.

3. The stall count consists of the marker counting to 10 audibly at one-second intervals (e.g. “stalling one, two, three . . . .”).

4. If the thrower has not released the disc by the count of 10, it  results in a turnover . If this call is disputed, the thrower gets the disc back with the stall count coming in at “stalling 8.”

5. If the defense switches markers, the new marker must restart the count at one.

The Receiver

1. After catching a pass, the receiver may take only the fewest number of steps required to come to a stop and establish a pivot foot.

A. Exception: If the receiver catches the disc while running, s/he may throw a pass without coming to a stop, but only so long as s/he releases the disc before the third ground contact after catching the disc.

2. If offensive and defensive players catch the disc simultaneously, the offense retains possession.

Fouls and Violations

1. A foul is the result of physical contact between opposing players; a violation generally is any other infraction of the rules. When an infraction (a foul or violation) occurs:

2. The offending player loudly calls out the infraction (e.g., “Travel,” “Foul,” etc.).

3. A player called for an infraction may contest that call (by loudly calling “contest”) if that player believes that s/he did not commit the infraction.

4. After a call, play stops and players remain stationary until the parties involved have resolved the call.

5. If a call is not disputed, play resumes in a way simulating what most likely would have occurred without the infraction.

A.  If a thrower was fouled while throwing and the pass was incomplete, the  thrower gets the disc back with a new stall count.

B. If a receiver is fouled on a reception attempt and the pass is incomplete, the receiver gets the disc at the point that the foul occurred.

6. If a call is disputed and the players cannot come to a resolution, the play is redone with each player returning to the position s/he occupied when the disputed infraction allegedly occurred.

7. Infractions include:

A. Foul:

i. Contact between opposing players.

ii. Fast count: When the marker counts at intervals of less than one second.

B. Double-team: When more than one defensive player is guarding the thrower within 10 feet.

C. Disc space: If the marker touches or is less than one disc diameter away from the thrower.

D. Travel: When a thrower fails to establish a pivot foot at the appropriate spot on the field, and/or to keep in contact with that spot until the throw is released.

E. Strip: When a defensive player knocks the disc out of a thrower’s hands.

F. Pick: Obstructing the movement of a player on the opposing team.

Positioning

1. Each player is entitled to occupy any position on the field not occupied by another player.

2. Picks: No player may establish a position, or move in such a manner, so as to obstruct the movement of any player on the opposing team; to do so is a pick.

A. When the disc is in the air, players must play the disc, not the opponent.

3. Each player has the right to the space immediately above him/her. A player who has jumped is entitled to land at the same point of take off without hindrance by opponents.

Forfeits

1. Teams must be ready to play their game within 10 minutes of the scheduled game time.

2. If a team does not have at least 2 females and 4 guys then they are considered to have forfeited 9v9, and 1 girl and 3 guys for 7v7.

3. Should teams have enough of their own players that they don’t need to forfeit but not enough for a whole team, they may pick up players from another team provided that they are registered United Social Sports Players.

A. If remaining players from the scheduled team arrive after the start of the game then any players who have been picked up by another team should leave the game.

B. Any team who picks up players should not add more players than can play on the field at any given time- meaning that team should not have any substitutes.

Player Conduct

1. Discipline – The Team Captain assumes the responsibility regarding team leadership and maintenance of order and discipline. United Social Sports expects each Captain to set a positive example for their players in promoting good sportsmanship and self- control.

2. Sideline Control – The Captain is responsible for the behavior of his/her bench area. After being verbally warned or cautioned (yellow card) by the referee for unsportsmanlike behavior from his/her bench area, the Captain will receive a red card if the situation persists.

3. The referee also has the power to eject any spectator at any time at his or her discretion.

4. Use of Foul Language is not appreciated in any circumstances and can result in a warning or in extreme circumstances can result in ejection from a game. USS plays on city park property and there are others present during games, thus, we cannot allow for inappropriate conduct.

 Player Suspension

 United Social Sports will refuse registration to any player currently on suspension from any Washington DC-area league.

United Social Sports also reserves the right to suspend players from league play.

This is at the sole discretion of United Social Sports and cannot be appealed. Registration fees will not be refunded to suspended players

All players must be registered through the commi.sh website and have signed a Registration/Waiver Form.