Outdoor League Regulations

These rules are subject to change at the start of each season.

Disclaimer: All league information on this website is subject to change at the discretion of the Leagues Co-ordinator. These Regulations related to outdoor ultimate. Current indoor ultimate regulations can be found here, and will be updated prior to the winter 2012 seasons.

A. General

  1. Rules: WDS games are played to the WFDF 2009 rules, with some variations noted for indoors. Learn the rules. It's your responsibility to learn them and ensure your team has done so too. We expect players to know the rules. Captains should educate their team on the rules where needed so that disputes can be resolved quickly and fairly.
    • The rules may be found on the here.
  2. Conduct: Remember the Spirit of the Game. Players in WDS leagues are governed by the NZU Players Code of Conduct. Remember the Spirit of the Game.
    • In the first instance, Ultimate Frisbee is a self-regulating sport. Individuals must take first responsibility for their own actions. In the second instance, teams should take responsibility for ensuring that all their individual players play with good spirit and within the rules of the game.
    • In the event of minor breaches of conduct, you shold first approach the opposition Captain, who will talk to their player. If this does not satisfactorily resolve the problem then you shoudl approach teh Leagues Coordinator.
    • In the event of a serious breach of conduct, you should contact the Leagues Coordinator in the first instance.
    • Complaints should be made to the Leagues Coordinator in writing. The Leagues Coordinator will work with the Complaints Committee to conduct a preliminary investigation, seeking witness accounts and other evidence as available. If they believe there are grounds for a complaint they will refer it to the WDS Executive, who will appoint an investigator. The investigator will review the evidence so far collected and may seek more evidence if needed. They will produce a report for the Executive, who will decide what action should be taken. A copy of the final investigation report will be made available to the affected parties.
  3. Rosters: It is the captain's responsibility to keep team rosters up to date. To do this, please update your roster on the WDS website and notify the Leagues Co-ordinator.
    • You will not be allowed to make any changes to your roster after week for the last week of league play before the finals rounds (i.e. changes may not be made after game 6 in a 9 week league with 1 week of semis and 1 week of finals).
    • Players may only be on one roster per league. Note that the expectation is that all players on your roster are playing regularly for your team.
    • All rosters must nominate a team manager and include full contact and postal details for that player. The team manager should understand that their contact details may be supplied to other team managers where useful for administering the leagues.
    • Please stick to your usual roster where possible. You may pick-up one player, and one player only. As a courtesy, captains should notify their opposition when picking up a player.
    • No pick-ups will be allowed during placing games in either semi-finals or finals. (i.e. teams in the top four (4) in each league may not pick-up players in semi-finals or finals.)
  4. Alcohol:
    • Playing while intoxicated puts yourself, your teammates and your opponents safety at risk. It will not be tolerated. Any player suspected of being intoxicated may be asked to leave the game. The WDS executive reserves the right to ban individuals who have played while intoxicated. Team captains are expected to prevent their players from playing while drunk.
  5. Points: Points will be awarded for each game as follows:
    • For leagues operated through pool play, three (3) points for a win; two (2) points for a draw; one (1) point for a loss. A default results in a penalty of negative one (-1); therefore, the total points accrued for a default loss is zero (0) (one point for a loss less the one point penalty for the default).

B. Game Specific

  1. Timing: Games must start on time. So please show up before your game is scheduled to start. If your opposition team is late, you get one point for every minute until they are on the line. At 15 minutes they will default.
    • Game timing on Martin Luckie will be managed by the League Managers each League Night. Teams playing on MacAlister and Mt Albert should agree on a timer before beginning the game. Games may be ended early by the league Managers on the grounds of any safety concern, most usually poor light late in the summer.
    • 7-a-side games are played to WFDF rules, including timing, except where League Managers may stop play for lighting or other safety reasons.
    • 5-a-side games are played to 60 minutes. There is no half-time. At the time-cap, finish the point underway.
    • In semi-finals and final weeks, draws are not allowed. If there is a draw at full-time, a golden point is played after a two (2) minute time out.
  2. Time-Outs
    • 5-a-side: Two 2 minute time-outs are available to each team. All time-outs must finish before the 5 minute countdown.
    • 7-a-side: Two 2 minute time-outs are available to each team per half. All time-outs must finish before the 5 minute countdown.

C. Player Restrictions

  1. Grading: There are no player restrictions (i.e. the "A" and "B" restricted lists) for outdoor
  2. Gender
    • Monday (mixed) 5-a-side. Minimum of two (2) women at all times. Teams taht are unable to field two women may play a man down, with one (1) female and three (3) males. Teams unable to field one woman must default.
    • Tuesday (mixed) 7-a-side. Defence must match offence to three (3) women. Minimum of two (2) women. Teams that are unable to field three women may play a man down to a minmum of two (2) female and four (4) males. Teams that are unable to field two women must default.
    • Thursday leagues are single gender.
    • Note that boys 14 years of age and under count as women for the purposes of gender matching.

D. Defaults

  1. Teams are expected to give the Leagues Coordinator as much warning as possible that they are going to default.
  • Where 24 hours notice is given the Leagues Coordinator will try to arrange a game with a team that has a bye (if possible) and the defaulting team will be awarded full spirit
  • Where less than 24 hours notice is given, but scrimmage is still played substantially with the defaulting team, teams should award spirit and MVPs as usual. The defaulting team will receive a -2 penalty to their spirit applied by the Leagues Coordinator after all other considerations.
  1. Defaulted games are recorded as 15:0 wins for the team defaulted to unless another game is arranged, in which case that result will be recorded.
  2. The Leagues Coordinator may decline entry to subsequent leagues for teams with more than 3 defaults in a season.

E. Administration

  1. MVPs: It is at the discretion of the teams involved; however, as a general rule, MVP should literally be awarded to the most valuable player. I.e, the player on the opposition that played the best. This is not a most improved award or a 'who tried the hardest' award.
  2. MSPs (Most Spirited Player): Should be awarded to the player on the opposition who played with the best Spirit, or best demonstrated the Spirit of the Game.

F. Captains Discretion

  • It is considered good spirit to enforce these rules, as it allows for a fairer league. However captains' discretion applies to all league regulations, and captains agreement is considered final. Both captains must agree on any variation of the rules, and any rule change must not interfere with the games of other teams. In addition, pressuring another captain to change the rules against their will is a violation of the Spirit of the Game. To cite a common example: if your team has insufficient players of one gender, it is not 'unspirited' for the other team to record a default against you. It is your responsibility to ensure you have enough players at each game.