Ultimate Frisbee Rules

You may suffer physical and/or mental injury from participating in Intramural Sports. There are certain risks of injury that are inherent to participation in sports and recreational activities. These types of injuries may be minor or serious and may result from the actions or inactions of themselves or others. By choosing to participate in Intramural Sports, you do so at your own risk. It is understood that most activities require a certain level of fitness and health, and that each person has a different capacity for participating in these activities. Participants of Intramural Sports are highly encouraged to have a physical examination and procure health insurance prior to play. UC Campus Recreation does not provide health insurance.

Intramural Supervisors undergo concussion recognition training. In the instance a participant is exhibiting any signs or symptoms of a concussion as a result of a head injury sustained during intramural play, he or she will be removed from the activity. This individual must provide a physician’s note clearing the individual to play by a specific date. This note may be e-mailed to intramural@uc.edu or faxed to 513-556-0601.

Following each game, each team will receive a sportsmanship rating between 0.0 and 4.0.

In order to qualify for playoffs, teams must obtain a 3.0 or higher sportsmanship average during the regular season based on the table below:

* A team that receives a "0" rating will be suspended from competition until its captain meets with the Assistant Director or Coordinator of Intramural Sports. The team may be removed from competition.

In addition to team ratings, any unsportsmanlike actions may be forwarded to Judicial Affairs and may include but is not limited to revocation of Intramural Sports and/or Campus Recreation privileges.

To be eligible for intramural sports, each player must be a current University of Cincinnati student [enrolled in at least one (1) credit hour], faculty, or staff member. Additionally, participants must have a valid and active Campus Recreation membership.

Uptown, full-time UC students receive a Campus Recreation membership through full payment of the Campus Life Fee. All other populations will need to purchase a membership in order to be eligible to play.

Participants may participate on one (1) mixed gender and one (1) non-mixed gender (i.e. men's, women's, open, fraternity, sorority) team per sport, per season. Substituting for another team in the same league is prohibited.

Every game, each participant must check in with the intramural official with a valid Bearcat card.

Intramural particpants must additionally meet all requirements of Section 3.4:

Teams are limited to two (2) competitive club sport participants (in the same or similar sport) on its roster.

Current varsity athletes and professional athletes are not allowed to play on an intramural team of the same or similar sport as their varsity sport.

Former varsity athletes must sit out 365 days from last appearing on a varsity roster to be eligible to play in the same or similar sport as their varsity sport. Teams are allowed one (1) former varsity athlete (in the same or similar sport) per roster.

Jewelry is not allowed during intramural play. This includes earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and fitness trackers, among other things.

Medical jewelry is allowed but must be taped down with athletic tape.

Headwear is not permitted during intramural play. This includes hats, bandannas, padded headgear among other things.

Athletic clothing and footwear is required. Prohibited items include but is not limited to: jeans, cargo pants/shorts, skirts, loafers, open-toed shoes, and boots.

Rubber molded cleats are the only cleats permitted. Removable or metal cleats are prohibited.

Any casts, braces, or other protective equipment must be padded and secure.

Mouth guards are recommended, but not provided.

Jerseys are available for use upon request. Teams are not required to bring their own.

Prior to registration close, a team must have at least seven players confirmed on its IMLeagues roster. Teams that fail to do so may not be included in the league.

Once playoffs begin, players may not be added to the roster without direct approval of the Coordinator and/or Assistant Director of Intramurals.

Teams may have up to twenty (20) players on its roster.

No team shall participate with less than six (6) players at any time

If injuries or ejections cause a team to drop below minimum players required, the team may continue, as long as they started with the minimum number of players.

At the approval of the supervisor and opponent, teams may participate below the minimum number of players needed to start a game if deemed competitive by the staff and the opponent agrees to waive protest rights under Section 5.4

Mixed gender teams may not have more than four players of one gender on the field

Mixed gender teams must adhere to section 5.5 regardless of injury or ejection - even if it results in a short handed scenario

Players may substitute freely during stopage in play [between scores and following timeouts]

The length of the game is two 20-minute halves. Halftime will be three minutes, time permitting.

A running clock will be used for the duration of the game, with excpetion for team timeouts.

No Dead Stop - When time in the half/game expires, the team currently on offense may finish their possession. The half/game will end upon completion of that possession

In the case of inclement weather or other circumstances, a game is considered “official” after the first half is completed.

Each team receives two 60-second timeouts. These timeouts can only be called with possession

All checked-in players and coaches have the authority to call timeouts on behalf of their team.

Teams that arrive late to games and/or are not ready with the minimum roster by start time will receive the following penalty:

1-4 minutes late = Other team starts up 2-0 and receives first pull to begin both halves

5-9 minutes late = Other team starts up 4-0 and receives first pull to begin both halves

10+ minutes late = Game is forfeited

Teams that forfeit must pay a $20 non-refundable reinstatement fee prior to the end of the regular season to be eligible for playoff consideration [Refer to Section XII of the Intramural Handbook for more information]

In order to prevent forfeits, teams may also default once per season. Teams must give a minimum 48 hour notice of default to qualify by emailing intramural@uc.edu. [Refer to Section XII of the Intramural Handbook for more information]

There is no overtime during the regular season.

During playoffs, overtime will be decided by the following format:

Play will continue as time expires and "Sudden Death" will be announced, indicating the beginning of overtime

Overtime shall be performed in a sudden death manner with no clock

The first team to score shall be declared the winner

Teams will not have any timeouts during overtime regardless of how many timeouts were used/saved during regulation

The official will hold a pre-match Rock, Paper, Scissors. Winner gets choice of receiving first pull or which end of the field to defend. Loser will decide the remaining option. 

In playoffs, the higher seed will have choice of receiving first pull or which end of the field to defend

The field shall be the full length & half width of Nippert Stadium's field, including two 20yd end zones 

The thrower has ten (10) seconds to throw the disc

Stall counts are counted aloud by the defender using the "Stall one, Stall two, Stall three..." method

Double teaming the disc thrower is illegal, a second defender on the disc thrower must remain a minimum of ten feet away

Upon catching the disc, players make take up to three steps to stop themselves. If more steps are taken, they must return to the spot of the catch

No physical contact is allowed between players, including picks/screens

Fouls are self-officiated and must be announced at the time of the occurrence for enforcement

Players must catch the frisbee in the endzone for a score to be considered. Reaching the frisbee across or gathering into the end zone does not qualify as a score

Players that gather into the endzone will be returned to the 1yd line

The value of a score shall be one point

Mercy Rule – A game will be considered final if:

A team leads by 20+ at any point in the second half

A team leads by 15+ inside the final five (5) minutes of the second half

A team leads by 10+ inside the final two (2) minutes of the second half

Pulling teams must be fully in their endzone until frisbee release

The receiving team may not be farther out than the 25yd line on pulls

The pulling team has fifteen (15) seconds to pull 

The fifteen second clock begins with the ready wave of the receiving team

Should a team fail to pull in fifteen seconds, the receiving team shall begin possession at the opponent's 10yd line

Should the receiving team not be ready within 45 seconds, the pulling team may freely pull

Throws/pulls that roll are played where the disc stops on the roll inbounds or at the point where the disc rolled out of bounds

Should a pull.throw go into the endzone, the team may take the disc to the 10yd line to begin possession

Should a pull/throw go out of bounds on the fly without making player/ground contact, the disc will be taken to the 20yd line to begin possession

Any turnovers are changed possession where the frisbee is caught or first contacts the ground

Any turnovers in the endzone are taken to the 10yd line