🥏 Columbus Georgia Summer League 2026 Rule Guide
Everything you need to run or play the game right, all in one scroll.
🤝 Spirit of the Game
Ultimate is a self officiated sport where players are responsible for adhering to the rules. Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of mutual respect, safety, or the basic joy of the game.
📐 Field Setup
The field uses standard dimensions to ensure consistent play.
Dimensions: 70 yards long by 40 yards wide for the main playing field.
End Zones: 20 yard deep end zones on each end (110 yards total length).
Brick Marks: Placed 20 yards from each end zone, centered on the field.
Sidelines: Team gear must be 3 yards off the playing field, and spectators must stay 15 feet back.
👥 Teams and Rosters
Teams must meet minimum requirements to play.
On the Field: 7 on 7 per point unless an injury occurs or captains agree to alter the format to accommodate missing players.
Minimum to Play: 5 players are required to start. Having fewer than 5 results in a forfeit.
⚖ Gender Ratio
Our league uses an offense dictates system with a best effort clause to maximize fairness.
Offense Dictates: The offense decides how many women are on the field for each point.
Defense Matches: The defense must match the number of women the offense puts out.
Best Effort Clause: If the defensive team does not have enough women available at the game to match the offense, they are not forced to play a player down. They must simply make their best effort to match up appropriately with the available players. The defense can always choose to play more women than the offense if they desire.
⏱ Game Timing
Games are structured to keep the evening schedule strictly on track.
Start Times: Game 1 begins at 7:00 PM and Game 2 begins at 8:30 PM sharp.
Scoring: Games are played to 13 points straight.
Halftime: Halftime occurs when the first team reaches 7 points. Halftime lasts a maximum of 5 minutes.
Soft Cap: At 75 minutes, blow 1 whistle. Finish the current point, then play to the leader's score + 2.
Hard Cap: At 85 minutes, blow 2 whistles. Finish the current point, and the game ends immediately.
🛑 Timeouts and Breaks
Teams have limited stoppages to ensure games finish on time.
Allotment: Teams get 1 timeout per half, plus 1 floater timeout to use in either half (3 total per game). Timeouts last 90 seconds.
Cap Restrictions: Timeouts are allowed during the Soft Cap, but are strictly limited to 1 per team during this window. No timeouts are allowed after the Hard Cap horn.
Heat Breaks: If conditions are excessively hot or humid, captains may agree to take one mandated 1 to 2 minute water break per half for player safety. This does not cost a timeout.
🧠 Core Gameplay Rules
Players must adhere to standard movement, stalling, and substitution rules.
Starting Play: Each point begins with both teams lined up on their end zone lines. The defense throws the disc to the offense. This throw is called the pull. If the pull lands out of bounds, the offense can choose to start with the disc at the 20 yard brick mark in the center of the field.
Movement & Traveling: You cannot run with the disc; you must catch, stop, and establish a pivot foot. A player catching the disc while running may take up to three steps to slow down without it being a travel, provided they do not speed up or change direction. Once your pivot foot is established, lifting, sliding, or dragging it before the disc leaves your hand is a travel.
Marking the Thrower: Only one defender is allowed within 10 feet of the thrower. The defender marks the thrower and counts out loud to 10 at a normal speaking pace (“Stall One, Stall Two…”). If the disc is not released by the "T" in "Ten," it is a turnover.
Turnovers: Immediate live play occurs when the disc is dropped, intercepted, thrown out of bounds, or stalled.
Restarting Play: After a stoppage like a foul or timeout, play restarts with a check. The defender taps the disc to check it in. If no defender is nearby, the thrower taps the disc to the ground to restart play.
Substitutions: Players may only sub between points or for injuries. Injured players must sub out for at least 1 full point.
🚩 Fouls and Clarifications
Players make all calls on the field without referees.
Disputes: If two players disagree on a call, it is "contested," and the disc returns to the last thrower. If an agreement isn't reached within 30 seconds, replay the point.
Fouls: Any non incidental contact that affects the outcome of a play is a foul.
Picks: You cannot use other players as a physical screen to block a defender from chasing you. If a defender is blocked by another player, they call "pick" loudly. Play stops and the defender is allowed to catch up to the person they were guarding.
Dangerous Play: Reckless plays causing significant contact are fouls, even if the defender gets the disc first. Players cannot call dangerous play simply out of a "fear of contact" without taking an avoidance step; significant contact must have occurred or been imminent.
Out of Bounds: Lines are out. A player must land with at least one point of contact inside the field to be in. If forced out by contact, it is a force out foul.
❓ Beginner FAQ
What happens if two opposing players catch the disc at the exact same time? Tie goes to the offense. The offensive player retains possession of the disc.
Can I hand the disc directly to my teammate? No. The disc must completely leave your hand and fly through the air before being caught by a teammate. Hand offs are turnovers.
What is a double team? Only one defender is allowed to guard the thrower within a 10 foot radius. If a second defender enters that area, the thrower can call "Double Team" and the stall count must drop back to one.
Can I swat the disc out of the thrower's hand? No. Once a player has possession of the disc, you cannot knock it out of their hands. Doing so is a foul called a "strip."
Do I have to stop moving the moment I catch the disc? You cannot run with the disc, but the rules give you up to three steps to safely slow down and establish your pivot foot.
🛠 Parks and Rec Duties
Field staff are there to ensure safety, manage the clock, and set up the field.
Setup: Place cones on corners and midpoints, bricks at 20 yards, set up the scoreboard, and fill water jugs.
Clock Management: Start games exactly on time. Track the score and blow whistles loudly for the time caps outlined below.
Restrictions: Do not make calls, do not get in the middle of rules disputes, and do not referee. Let the players handle their own game.
📢 Time Cap Cheat Sheet
Staff must enforce these exact times to keep the league schedule running smoothly.
Game 1 (7:00 PM Start):
8:15 PM Soft Cap / 1 Whistle: Do not stop play. Let them finish the point. Take the highest score, add 2, and that is the new score needed to win. (Example: At 8:15 PM, Team A is winning 10 to 8. Let them finish the point. Team B scores, making it 10 to 9. Take the highest score, add 2 = 12. The first team to reach 12 points wins).
8:25 PM Hard Cap / 2 Whistles: Let them finish the point. The game is then immediately over. If tied, play exactly one more point.
Game 2 (8:30 PM Start):
9:45 PM Soft Cap / 1 Whistle: Let them finish the point. Take the highest score, add 2, to determine the winning score.
9:55 PM Hard Cap / 2 Whistles: Let them finish the point. The game is over. Play one final point only if tied.
📋 TLDR Summary
FIELD: 70x40 yd + 20 yd end zones
GAME TO: 13 straight
HALFTIME: First to 7 pts | Max 5 min
SOFT CAP: 75 min (8:15/9:45) >> finish point >> play to leader +2
HARD CAP: 85 min (8:25/9:55) >> finish point >> game ends
TIMEOUTS: 3 total per game (max 1 per half + 1 floater). Only 1 allowed per team during soft cap.
BETWEEN POINTS: Pull must go up within 90 sec
STARTING PLAY: Pull begins the point. Out of bounds pulls go to the brick mark.
TRAVELING: You get 3 steps to slow down. Dragging your pivot foot is a travel.
FOULS & PICKS: Player called. If unclear or contested, redo the play. No physical screens.
GENDER RULE: Offense decides; defense makes best effort to match
SUBS: Only between points or for injury
STAFF: Setup, safety, and time tracking only, no refereeing