Please note: Regulations are currently under review for the 2024-25 season and so those currently published are subject to change.
ULT i The BUCS Ultimate Championships shall be conducted in accordance with the following BUCS sport specific regulations, the BUCS general regulations, and the WFDF (World Flying Disc Federation) Rules of Ultimate in the case of the Outdoor Championships or the UKU (UK Ultimate) Indoor Rules of Ultimate in the case of the Indoor Championships. Further event specific requirements, rules, and regulations will be contained within the entry and pre-event information for each Championship.
ULT i.i For both the Indoor and Outdoor Championships, the UKU Transgender Policy shall be followed.
ULT i.ii UKU may impose tournament specific variations (e.g. field dimensions, game lengths, number of time-outs) for practical purposes. These will be contained within the entry and pre-event information for each Championship.
ULT ii In the event that these regulations contradict the BUCS general regulations, these BUCS sport specific regulations will supersede, unless specifically stated otherwise.
ULT iii In the event that these regulations contradict the WFDF (World Flying Disc Federation) Rules of Ultimate in the case of the Outdoor Championships or the UKU (UK Ultimate) Indoor Rules of Ultimate in the case of the Indoor Championships, these BUCS sport specific regulations will supersede, unless specifically stated otherwise.
ULT 1 Championships BUCS will host annually the following Championships:
ULT 1.1 Indoor Championships The programme shall include the events listed in Appendix 1 (‘BUCS Competition Offer and Associated BUCS Points’), subject to entry numbers.
ULT 1.2 Outdoor Championships The programme shall include leagues and knockout competitions as per BUCS general regulations, Appendix 1 (‘BUCS Competition Offer and Associated BUCS Points’) and Appendix 10 (‘BUCS Promotion, Relegation and Knockout Information’).
ULT 2 Disputes at events In line with REG 7.7, should a dispute occur at an event, the event appeal panel for Ultimate shall comprise of the Tournament Director and/or a BUCS Staff Member.
ULT 3 Memberships UKU Memberships are required by all competitors. Players competing in the Outdoor Championships leagues and National Shield knockout competition (rounds prior to the National Finals) and the Indoor Championships Regional Rounds require "Basic" membership. Players competing at the Indoor/Outdoor National Finals events will require "Full" membership. Memberships must be obtained by the deadline stated in the BUCS Sport Specific Affiliations Document. Failure to obtain membership by the required deadline will result in sanctions being imposed as outlined in the BUCS Sport Specific Affiliations Document and the possibility of further disciplinary action.
ULT 4 Squad sizes The maximum squad sizes shall be 15 players for Indoor Championship fixtures and 21 players for Outdoor Championship fixtures.
ULT 5 Minimum number of players for a fixture to start The minimum number of players per team required for a fixture to start will be as per the WFDF (World Flying Disc Federation) Rules of Ultimate in the case of the Outdoor Championships or the UKU (UK Ultimate) Indoor Rules of Ultimate in the case of the Indoor Championships.
ULT 6 Outdoor Championships leagues and National Shield knockout competition (rounds prior to the National Finals) specific regulations
ULT 6.1 Pitch surface and dimensions The entire surface of the playing field must be either grass or artificial grass (3G or 4G) and should comply with WFDF (World Flying Disc Federation) requirements. Sand-based artificial turf pitches are not permitted. The following alterations to playing facilities are permitted for the improvement of player-safety, or if no other facility matching the requirements is available:
6.1.1 Ideally there is a 5m run-off from the perimeter of the pitch to any fixed, hard object. Run-off may be reduced in certain circumstances, but if in doubt, revert to the minimum 5m run-off.
6.1.1.1 Run-off may be reduced to 2m between two adjacent Ultimate fields if necessary, but in that case there should be no spectators or equipment of any kind between the two pitches. There should be a maximum of two players per team in this space and they must be standing.
6.1.1.2 Run-off may be reduced to 3m between the ends of the pitch and goalposts that have been fitted with padded post-protectors.
6.1.1.3 Run-off may be reduced to 2m for a change in the ground surface - e.g. where the pitch meets an athletics track. This necessarily depends on the way that the surface changes.
6.1.2 Pitch dimensions may be reduced as follows in order to fit the pitch into a smaller playing area:
6.1.2.1 Length may be reduced from 100m down to a minimum of 90m. If the pitch length is reduced, the endzone should be reduced to a minimum of 16m.
6.1.2.2 Width may be reduced from 37m down to a minimum of 32m.
6.1.3 Pitches with curtain wires running across the pitch are permitted provided that the height of the wire is at least 4m.
ULF 6.2 Ultimate is a self-refereed sport and as such requires no match official. To time games captains are expected to agree on a device to time games which should be placed in a position so that all players can view or access it. If captains agree, a non-playing individual can time the game, indicating game start, and the start of the soft cap.
ULT 6.3 Pitch bookings Home teams should provide a pitch booking for two hours per match, allowing for a 15 minute warm up on pitch, 70 minutes of normal game time and 35 minutes for the soft cap.
ULT 6.3.1 For central venue fixtures where multiple matches are played one after another the pitch booking can be reduced to 100 mins per match.
ULT 6.4 The game shall be played as a first to 15 points match. After 70 minutes of play the timekeeper will indicate the start of a one point soft cap. If after the next goal:
ULT 6.4.1 One team has scored 15 points, then that team wins.
ULT 6.4.2 The scores are level, then a sudden death point is played.
ULT 6.4.3 One team is ahead, then the target number of goals that need to be scored to win the game is reduced to the leading team’s current score plus one.
ULT 7 Women playing in Men's teams Women may play for either men’s or Women’s teams, however once an individual is selected for a team in a specific Championships (Men’s or Women’s) they may not then compete for a team in the other Championships for the remainder of the season. The Indoor and Outdoor Championships are treated independently for the application of this regulation, for example an individual may compete for a Women's Indoor team and a Men's Outdoor team.
