League Rules

  1. Games start at 6:15pm
  2. Soft Cap at 8:05pm (8pm in August). Add two to highest score, play to that number or to 17, whichever is lower.
  3. Hard Cap at 8:20pm (8:15pm in August). Finish point in progress, then game over unless tied. If tied, play one more point.
  4. Gender ratio is 4/3 (MMP/WMP).
  5. One timeout per half, one floater. If it's a particularly hot day with low subs, captains can agree to more timeouts.
  6. No timeouts in cap. Calling timeout when you don't have one is not an automatic turnover, but adds +3 to the stall count. If that brings the stall over 10, it is a turn.
  7. Games to 17, no win by two.
  8. Unfinished games are considered official after 1 hour or if halftime has been reached.
  9. Forfeit counts as a 5-0 victory.
  10. If a player makes a call or fails to make a call out of ignorance of the rules, captains should assist.
  11. Captains should make sure everyone is getting equal playing time.
  12. Keep our field locations beautiful; pick up trash!
  13. Tip the waitstaff at the Merrill.

See also:

Weather

If the forecast calls for extreme weather (thunderstorms or heavy downpour), the board will make a call by 4pm whether to cancel games. That notice will be posted on Facebook, by email announcement, and also via team captains to their teams.

Dangerous Plays

Actions demonstrating reckless disregard for the safety of or posing a significant risk of injury to fellow players, or other dangerously aggressive behavior are considered “dangerous play” and are treated as a foul. The proper call in such circumstances is “dangerous play” and play stops. Dangerous play is considered a foul regardless of whether or when the disc arrives or contact occurs.

The vast majority of dangerous play will involve contact between players. However, contact is not required for a player to invoke this rule where there is reasonable certainty that contact would have occurred had the player not taken steps to avoid contact.

—USA Ultimate Dangerous Play

When a dangerous play is called:

  1. Play stops.
  2. Attend to any injuries/contact, if necessary.
  3. The player that commits the dangerous play and a captain of each team (if both are on the field) will come off the field and let the point finish.
  4. While the point is finishing, captains and offending player will discuss the play on the sidelines.
  5. Captains explain the Dangerous Play Rule and clarify why the play was dangerous if necessary.
  6. Captains will determine whether a player safety strike is warranted.

RIPUL's Three Strikes Player Safety Policy

Player safety strikes will be given for dangerous plays (see above) that involve significant contact.

1st Strike: Captains discuss. Offending Player is allowed to continue to play after discussion. Captain of either team submits a Spirit Feedback Form. Equity/Board sends written warning re-iterating Dangerous Play Rule & 3 strike policy.

2nd Strike: Captains remove Offending Player from the duration of the game in-progress. Offending Player is not allowed to play in the NEXT game at all. They are still welcome to attend said game and cheer/coach from the sideline. Captain from either team submits a Spirit Feedback Form indicating 2nd violation. Equity/Board sends written warning re-iterating Dangerous Play Rule & 3 strike policy.

3rd Strike: Captains remove Offending Player from the duration of the game in-progress. Captain from either team submits a Spirit Feedback Form indicating 3rd violation. Board sends written notice of 3rd strike and disqualification. Player is removed from the league and not allowed to play for the rest of the season.

Strikes FAQ

Do strikes carry over from year to year?

Strikes carry over from year to year, reduced by one at the end of the season. For example, if a player accumulates two strikes during a season, they start their next RIPUL season with one strike.

Are captains informed of previous strikes?

If a player enters a season with at least one strike, all captains will be informed prior to the draft.

Do all captains receive in-season notifications of strikes?

All captains will be notified during the season whenever a strike occurs, and the captains' shared doc will be updated.