Rules of Ultimate

15. Calling Fouls, Infractions and Violations

Steinar's comment (unofficial!): Related sections

For more on fouls, see section 17. There is also a bunch of related annotations in section 12, e.g. annotations on 12.6.

Annotation: Calling a breach or turnover

A player that makes a foul, violation, infraction, or turnover call must have reasonable grounds to think that a breach or turnover might have occurred, but they do not have to be certain that it has occurred.

If a player believes that they have reasonable grounds to think that a breach or turnover might have occurred, they may call a stoppage (without making a specific call) to enable players to discuss the situation and determine what did occur and the appropriate outcome.

  1. 15.1. A breach of the rules due to non-minor contact between two or more opposing players is a foul.
    Annotation: Accidental Contact

    Non-minor contact that occurs accidentally is still a foul – it does not need to be intentional. In fact there should be no intentional contact in Ultimate.

    1. 15.1.1. A player intentionally initiating minor contact is still a breach of the rules, but is to be treated as a violation, and not a foul.
  2. 15.2. A breach of the rules regarding a Marking or Travel breach is an infraction. Infractions do not stop play.
    Annotation: Infractions stopping play

    Play does not stop for an infraction call. However travel and marking infractions can lead to a stoppage if, for example, after a travel infraction a completed pass is thrown, after an egregious marking infraction, or after a contested infraction call.

  3. 15.3. Every other breach of the rules is a violation.
  4. 15.4. Only the player fouled may claim a foul, by calling “Foul”.
    Annotation: Informing opponent of a breach

    If a breach is committed and not called, the player committing the breach should inform the opponent or their team. However play must not be stopped to do so.

    Steinar's comment (unofficial!): Calling a foul on yourself

    Note specifically that this rule prohibits calling a foul on yourself. While it shows good spirit, it would also stop play, which may not be in the best interest of your opponent. Thus, you should instead say something like “I think I fouled you, do you want to call it?” without stopping play. However, this does not go for all calls; for instance, it is completely fine to call oneself out and just put the disc on the ground. In fact, 13.3 says you must call any turnover, as long as you are reasonably sure (annotation on 15).

  5. 15.5. In general only the thrower may claim an infraction, by calling the specific name of the infraction.
    Annotation: Making Infraction Calls

    Only the thrower may call marking infractions, except in the case of a double team. For marking infractions excluding double team, if other players notice a marking infraction they may alert the thrower of this, however this call will have no effect. The thrower may subsequently make the call themselves, in which case the opposition should respond accordingly.

    Any offensive player may make a double team call, however if the call is not made by the thrower, the call should be made loud enough for the thrower and marker to hear. If the thrower echoes a double team call made by a teammate, this should be treated as the same double team call (eg the stall count needs only to be reduced one time.)

    Any opposing player may make a travel infraction call, however if the call is not made by the marker, the call should be made loud enough for the thrower and marker to hear.

    1. 15.5.1. However any offensive player may call a double team, and any defensive player may call a travel infraction.
  6. 15.6. Any opposing player may claim a violation, by calling the specific name of the violation or “Violation”, unless specified otherwise by the particular rule.
  7. 15.7. When a foul or violation call is made that stops play, players must stop play by visibly or audibly communicating the stoppage as soon as they are aware of the call and all players should echo calls on the field. If play has stopped for a discussion without any call having been made, a call is deemed to have been made when the discussion started.
  8. 15.8. Calls must be made immediately after the breach is recognised.
    Annotation: Calling a breach immediately

    If a player who is unable to make the call recognises it, such as a receiver in the case of a straddle, the breach can still be called once the player who can make the call recognises it (ie the thrower in this example). However if, for example, the marker recognises that the thrower has established a pivot at the incorrect spot, they cannot wait until the stall count gets to 6 before they call a travel.

    In addition, if a player had a reasonable opportunity to recognise that a breach had occurred, but continued play as if no breach had occurred, they should not make the call later on. For example if the thrower establishes a pivot at the incorrect spot, and the marker starts the stall count, then once the stall count reaches 6, the marker should not call travel for the pivot having been established at the incorrect spot, even if they do not notice until the stall count reaches 6.

    If play has stopped for a discussion, a player can still make a call as part of the discussion.

  9. 15.9. After a player initiates a stoppage incorrectly, including after mishearing a call, not knowing the rules, or not making the call immediately:
    Annotation: Initiating a stoppage incorrectly

    For example, if a defender tells a receiver to stop play, but play was not supposed to have stopped and a pass to the receiver results in a turnover, the disc is returned to the thrower and the stall count would resume at “Stalling 1” as per rule 9.5.1.

    Extra: If there is disagreement over who initiated the stoppage incorrectly, then the disc should be returned to the last non-disputed thrower.

    1. 15.9.1. if the opposition gains or retains possession, any subsequent play stands.
    2. 15.9.2. if the opposition does not gain or retain possession, the disc must be returned to the last non-disputed thrower, unless 16.3 applies. The stall count resumes as if an accepted breach has been caused by the player who initiated the stoppage incorrectly.
  10. 15.10. If the player against whom the foul, infraction or violation has been called disagrees that it occurred, or does not think it is a correct call, they may call “Contest”.
    Annotation: Contesting a call

    If, for example, the player against whom the breach was called thinks that the breach was not significant enough to make a difference to the outcome of the action, they can contest the call.

    Steinar's comment (unofficial!): What happens on a contest?

    Rule 15.10 doesn't say what actually happens after a contested call; you'll need to piece it together from a set of other rules.

    First of all, there will (nearly always) be a discussion; see annotation on 1.12 and annotation on 1.3.4. If no player changes their mind during the course of the discussion, the call will stay contested (no hard feelings about it!), and mostly, the state is reset to what it was before the throw: The disc is returned to the thrower if it was thrown (1.12) with the same stall count unless it was high (9.5.3, 9.5.4), everybody goes back to where they were (10.2.1, 10.2.2.1), then play restarts with a check (10.1).

    There are some more specific rules for specific situations:

    • Contested dropped pull: Repeat pull (annotation on 13.1.4)
    • Contested offside: Repeat pull (annotation on 7.5)
    • Contested brick: Play from half-way to the brick mark (annotation on 7.12)
    • Contested catch after a “greatest”: Disc goes back to the “greatest” thrower, on the closest point on the field (annotation on 11.3.1)
    • Contested stall-out: Max stall 8 (9.5.3), an incomplete pass will stand (13.4.3), needs to be called immediately (annotation on 13.4)
    • Contested turnover: As other contested calls (13.3, annotation on 11.4)
    • Contested goal: Disc stays with receiver, players go to where they were when possession was established (14.2 and annotation)
    • Contested foul: As other contested calls (17.2.2), except:

      • Contested foul or violation while disc is in the air: Play does not stop immediately (16.2, annotation on 16.3)

      • Contested force-out foul: Stays with receiver if and only if they were not out-of-bounds (17.5.3)

    • Contested pick: As other contested calls (annotation on 18.3.1); in particular, the caller does not get to catch up
    • Contested marking infraction: Play stops, completed passes go back to the thrower (marking infractions otherwise do not stop play) (18.1.2.1)
    • Contested travel infraction: Thrower must call “violation”, play stops (travel infractions otherwise do not stop play) (annotation on 18.2.6, 18.2.9)

    Remember that 16.3 always applies; if the call or breach didn't affect the play, and both teams agree, it stands anyway.

  11. 15.11. If a player making any call subsequently determines that their call was incorrect, they can retract the call, by calling “Retracted”. The stall count resumes as if an accepted breach has been caused by that player.
    Annotation: Retracting a call

    If, for example, the marker calls a foul against the thrower, and after discussion the marker retracts their call, the stall count would resume at “Stalling 1” as per rule 9.5.1.

    Steinar's comment (unofficial!): Four-value logic

    15.9, 15.10 and 15.11 mean that a call can essentially end up in any of four different states: Accepted, contested, retracted or (for the lack of an official term) invalid. The difference between the two latter states is subtle, but it can actually matter quite a lot, since 15.9.1 and 15.9.2 only apply to the last category; see my comment on 16.2 for an example.

    In effect, this means that when someone retracts a call, there are situations where you may need to ask there why they retracted it; was it because they realized they were wrong in where the line was (retracted call), or because they realized they were wrong about the out-of-bounds rule with regards to lines (invalid call). This can be confusing, to say the least. In practice, few players will know the difference. Note that making a correct call under a bad name is not an invalid call; see annotation on 8.1.3.

    To make things worse, players will often call “retracted” when they should be calling “play on” (see 16.2.4.1). Retracting a call does not automatically restart play.

  12. 15.12. If multiple breaches occur on the same play or before play stops, the outcomes should be resolved in reverse sequence (latest breach first, earliest breach last).
    Annotation: Resolving multiple breaches

    For example, the marker calls an offensive foul on the thrower during the throw, then later a receiver calls a defensive foul on a defender during the reception on an incomplete pass. The fouls are resolved in reverse sequence. First, the receiving foul is resolved (here, assumed accepted), granting possession to the offensive receiver, then the throwing foul is resolved (here, assumed accepted), returning the disc to the thrower. The earlier infraction (offensive foul on the thrower) takes precedence over the later infraction (defensive foul on the receiver), resulting in the disc returning to the original thrower.

    If the disc is returned to the thrower, the stall count must be resolved as per rule 9.5.4.1.

  13. 15.13. Players are encouraged to use the WFDF Hand Signals to communicate all calls.
    Diagram: WFDF Hand Signals
    Rules of UltimateHand SignalsIn, Out7. In / Out-of-bounds – Out of end zonePoint with one arm extended, flat palm,thumb parallel to fingers, towards playingfield (in) or away from playing field (out)Violation2. ViolationHands above head forming a V, closed fistsAccepted5. AcceptedForearms extended in front of body, elbows tight against torso with palms facing upwardsPick10. PickArms raised, elbows bent, fists facing headDown8. Disc downIndex finger straight arm pointing downat 45 degreeRetracted, Play On6. Retracted / Play OnSweeping crossover motion with both arms extended down in front of bodyContest4. ContestTwo fists bumped together in front of chest,back of hands facing outwardTravel11. TravelClosed fists, rotate wrists around in a vertical circleGoal3. GoalRaise both arms, fully extended, straight up, palms facing inwardsFoul1. FoulHold one arm straight out and chop the other forearm across the straight armUp9. Disc upElbow down forearm vertical index fingerpointing upwardVersion Jan.2021Gender Ratio: Men19. Gender Ratio: MenHands cupped behind head,elbows out to sideTurnover13. TurnoverRight arm extended in front of body,palm facing up and then rotate to palm facing downCalled by Offence / Defence23. Who made the callPointing with two arms straight out, towards the end zone being defendedby the teamTime-out16. Time-outForm a T with the hands, or a hand and the discFast Count, Straddle, Disc Space,Wrapping, Double Team, Vision12. Marking infractionArms extended to side, palms facing frontStall, Violation14. Timing ViolationTap head with open handOff side15. Off sideArms crossed overhead in an X, hands closed in a fistBoth arms pointing straight up to the left,palms facing downMatch Point22. Match PointSpirit Stoppage17. Spirit StoppageUpside down T formed by the handsGender Ratio: Women20. Gender Ratio: WomenArms extended to side, hands closed in a fistInjury, Technical18. StoppageHands clasped and raised above head,arms bentPlay has stoppedWave both extended arms crosswise overhead21.
    Steinar's comment (unofficial!): Hand signal mnemonics

    Many of the hand signals are obvious (e.g. pointing down for “down”), but many are not, and some of them come from symbols. If you know these symbols, they can be easier to remember:

    • Violation: The letter V (for Violation).
    • Goal: Comes from American football, showing the two goalposts (the ball goes between them for a goal).
    • Marking infraction: Shows the marker trying to cover the thrower.
    • Timing violation: Uses your head as an old-fashioned stopwatch.
    • Time-out: The letter T (for Time-out).
    • Spirit Stoppage: The same, just upside-down.
    • Gender Ratio: Women: The shape of the ovaries.