Rules of Ultimate
4. Point, Goal and Game
- 4.1. A game consists of a number of points. Each point ends with the scoring of a goal.
- 4.2. A game is finished and won by the first team to score fifteen (15) goals.
Annotation: Timing of games
Games can also be played with a Time Cap. Refer to the Appendix for more details.
- 4.3. A game is separated into two (2) periods of play, called halves. Half time occurs when a team first scores eight (8) goals.
Annotation: Half time
Half time usually lasts 7 minutes in games with a Time Cap of 100 minutes. Refer to the Appendix for more details about Half time.
- 4.4. The first point of each half starts when the half starts.
- 4.5. After a goal is scored, and the game has not been won or half time has not been reached:
Steinar's comment (unofficial!): Buzzer beaters
If you play with a (hard) time cap, and you score right before the end, what happens?
14.4 provides part of the answer; what matters is whether you had established possesssion or not of the scoring pass when the whistle went off (or more precisely, when it started going off). If the disc was in the air, then possession was established after the end of the game, and you play no more points (unless it's a tie, of course). If you were still struggling with the balance, or you were in the air yourself, you have not yet established possession and the same rule applies.
But if you had caught it safely, were in contact with the endzone and then the whistle goes off, then the next point is started (by 4.5.1 above) and play that one more point before the game is over. Often, it is useful to establish the facts together with the opposing team (what happened when?) before getting into the rules debate.