Spirit of the Game

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Ultimate is self-refereed. Spirit is everything.

The Spirit of the Game (SOTG) is the cornerstone of Ultimate Frisbee. It places the responsibility of fair play on every player. There are no referees. Competitive play is encouraged — but never at the expense of respect, safety, or sportsmanship. Disputes are resolved between players, calmly and honestly.

At UFA sessions and in our league, after each match each team nominates one player from the opposing team who best demonstrated Spirit of the Game. These nominations are tracked across the season.

The Basics

Ultimate is played between two teams on a rectangular field with end zones at each end. The object is to catch the disc in the opposing end zone.

• The disc may be passed in any direction
• A player may not run while holding the disc
• The thrower has 10 seconds to pass (the stall count)
• If the disc hits the ground or is intercepted, possession changes
• A point is scored when a player catches the disc in the end zone

How We Play

At UFA we play mixed 5v5,6v6 or 7v7 at Villingili Football Ground in Malé. Games are to 11 points or a 30-minute cap, whichever comes first. The team leading at the cap wins.

Fouls & Violations

A foul occurs when there is contact between players that affects play. The fouled player calls the foul. If the player who caused the foul disagrees, the disc returns to the thrower and the stall count resets. If the call is accepted, play continues as if the pass was complete (or incomplete, depending on context).

A violation is a rules infraction not involving contact — such as travelling (running with the disc) or a stall count error. The opposing team calls violations. Contested calls follow the same process as fouls.

Full Rulebook

The rules above are a practical summary for new players. The complete official rules are maintained by the World Flying Disc Federation.