Top 10

I recently attended No Surf in Cleveland and was not surprised to run into misunderstandings of the rules or sheer lack of ever reading them. It's relevant to note that even top notch ultimate players fail to read or obtain a working knowledge of the rules. An elite level player from Boston has said on his blog he has not read the rules in close to 2 decades. I even had an extremely talented player (who threw a high release flick literally over my head...I think for a score) at No Surf tell me he hasn't read the 11th edition. I have already given my thoughts on this persistent problem in ultimate and how if all individuals decided not to know the rules it would disintegrate effective self-officiating on the field.

I want to take it a step further and outline what I take to be the Top 10 rules/violations that are either misunderstood, not correctly applied, or mostly not used.


1. "It's his call."

This has been possibly the biggest misconception since I started playing ultimate. Many players seem to think that whoever is in possession of the disc when a call is under question has the right to make the final call. I remember as a freshman being tought that concept that if there is a close "up or down" call or a close "in or out" call, that ultimately the man with the disc gets to make the decision. THIS IS COMPLETELY WRONG. The player with the best perspective gets to make the call. Now there may be multiple players with the best perspective and they cannot agree on the call, but that's the nature of best perspective. Additionally, sometimes the man with the disc does have best perspective. However, when a close call comes up in a game, it is never "his call" to make, the player(s) with the best perspective render the final decision.

2. Delay of Game

This one is particularly relevant for Miami since we get in many arguments over this rule. If an offensive player takes an unreasonable amount of time getting to a disc or is found standing over a disc without putting it into play, a marker is allowed to announce a "delay of game" warning, wait two seconds, and then initiate the stall count. Many handlers try to give their cutters time to set up by meandering around or standing over the disc. This rule is designed to prevent that. Quick aside: They were going to eliminate an active delay of game warning from the 11th, but I felt this would be a huge mistake. So I took to the Rules Committee message board and had a discussion with some committee members (and others) about how this rule needed to stay. With the support of Doug, we fought to get this rule placed back into the 11th. We won.

3. "Check feet."

This never has been and still isn't a call. Do not stop play when someone says "check feet." It is best perspective's responsibility to determine and make the call whether you were out or not. Check feet only delays the game and stops offensive flow.

4. Traveling

Many players seem to like to call a traveling violation when their zone defense has been broken and the offense is quickly working the disc upfield. When catching the disc in the air or on the run, without changing direction or speed, a player with the disc is allowed up to three points of contact before they are required to release the disc.

5. Marking foul

When both the marker and the player with the disc are vying for unoccupied space and non-incidental contact occurs it is always a foul on the marker. It is the responsibility of the marker to ensure no contact occurs as a result of movement on a pivot. However, it is not foul if the throwers' movement is the sole reason for the contact.

6. Checking the disc

The only time a disc needs to be checked in with the defender is after a stoppage of play on a foul/violation. Walking the disc in from out of bounds, off a brick, etc. only requires an offensive player to ground check the disc.

7. Replacing a disc

A lot of times when a disc gets real bent from a catch or someone landing on it, some players think they can ask for a replacement disc. The disc has to be punctured or torn in some fashion to replace a disc in the middle of a point. Believe it or not some players actually think that a stall count can be delayed to wipe off a wet disc in the rain.

8. Starting a stall count

If a player catches a disc and their momentum carries them into the endzone or out of bounds it is not required that the stall count be delayed until they reset their pivot at the proper spot. The marker is allowed to initiate a stall count right after they catch the disc.

9. Incidental contact/Cutter and Defender vying for unoccupied space

There is a certain amount of contact that is inevitable in the game and is NOT a foul. Many cutters will try to argue that certain contact that occurs is a foul on the defender. It is not a foul if they are both going for the same unoccupied space and only incidental contact ensues.

10. Continuation

This rule has been altered in the 11th edition and is extremely critical. When a pick or a foul is called and the thrower is in the act of throwing or the disc was already in the air and the receiver/defender were not affected by the infraction, the outcome of the play stands. Also, if a thrower fails to acknowledge the pick or fail and consequently throws the disc, barring it is to any affected players, the outcome of play stands. So, a pick is called in the endzone on the break side and the thrower is in the process of throwing the disc to a guy on the open side. No one on the open side was affected by the call, the man catches the disc, a goal is awarded.

These are some very important rules for every ultimate player to know and ones I hopefully convey to those who I play with. If there are any mistakes in what I said, I would trust that Doug will correct me promptly. And if he does, I'll change it even if that makes me look like an idiot and confirms the rumor that Doug actually recorded the whole 11th edition on tape with his own voice and plays it back to himself on repeat every night.