Official Rules of Ultimate · 2026-2027
17. Making and Resolving Calls
Quiz me on this section →17.A.
Unless specified differently elsewhere, an infraction may only be called by a player on the infracted team who recognizes that it has occurred. The player must know that a specific rule was violated and have perceived the particular action with certainty. The player must immediately call “violation” or the name of the specific infraction loudly.
17.B.
A player called for an infraction may contest that call if that player believes the infraction did not occur.
17.C.
Any time an infraction is called, the Continuation Rule applies. Continuation Rule: Play stops when the thrower in possession acknowledges that an infraction has been called. If a call is made when there is no thrower in possession of the disc and the disc is not in the air (for example, the disc is lying on the ground), play stops at the time of the call. However, if a call is made when the disc is in the air or the thrower is in the act of throwing, or if the thrower fails to acknowledge the call and subsequently attempts a pass, play continues until the outcome of that pass is determined. For the purpose of the Continuation Rule, an uncontested stall that occurs after another call is treated the same as an incomplete pass. Play then either stops or continues according to the following:
17.C.1.
Despite any outcome dictated by these rules, if the involved players on both teams agree that the infraction did not affect the outcome of the play, play stops and the result of the play stands. This provision does not apply if the thrower is aware an infraction has been called and subsequently attempts a pass.
17.C.2.
Where the outcome of these rules is for play to continue unhalted, the player who called the infraction must announce “play on.” Additionally, any player recognizing that play should continue without stoppage should announce “play on.” If the player who called the infraction does not announce “play on” and the opposing team is uncertain whether play should continue, the opposing team has the option to stop play by calling “violation.”
17.C.3.
For calls made by the offense:
17.C.3.a.
If the pass is complete:
17.C.3.a.1.
If the offense called the infraction before the thrower began the act of throwing (3.N.4), play stops and possession reverts to the thrower.
17.C.3.a.2.
If the offense called the infraction after the thrower began the act of throwing, play continues unhalted.
17.C.3.a.3.
Where an infraction is called by the thrower, players should treat the call as if it was made when the infraction occurred in determining whether the call was made before or after the thrower was in the act of throwing. If the infraction occurred after the throw was released, the call is considered to have been made by a non-thrower.
17.C.3.b.
If the pass is incomplete:
17.C.3.b.1.
If the infraction affected the play (17.C.5), play stops and the disc reverts to the thrower at the time the infraction occurred unless the specific rule (e.g., the receiving foul rule) says otherwise.
17.C.3.b.2.
If the infraction did not affect the play, play stops and the result of the play stands.
17.C.3.b.3.
Where the thrower calls an infraction which occurred before the thrower began the act of throwing, play continues unhalted and the result of the play stands.
17.C.4.
For calls made by the defense:
17.C.4.a.
If the pass is complete:
17.C.4.a.1.
If the infraction affected the play (17.C.5), play stops and the disc reverts to the thrower at the time the infraction occurred unless the specific rule (e.g., the receiving foul rule) says otherwise.
17.C.4.a.2.
If the infraction did not affect the play, play stops and the result of the play stands.
17.C.4.b.
If the pass is incomplete, play continues un-halted.
17.C.5.
An infraction affected the play if an infracted player determines that the outcome of the specific play, from the time of the infraction until play stops, may have been meaningfully different absent the infraction. For example, if a receiver is fouled and thereby prevented from getting open for a pass, the play was affected; however, if the receiver would not have received a pass even without the foul, the play was not affected.
17.C.6.
Positioning after a call:
17.C.6.a.
If no pass is thrown or attempted before the thrower stops play by acknowledging the call, all players return to the locations they occupied when the call was made.
17.C.6.b.
If a pass is thrown or attempted before the thrower acknowledges the call or the call is made after the throwing attempt, and
17.C.6.b.1.
if possession reverts to the thrower, all players return to the locations they occupied at the earlier of:
17.C.6.b.1.a.
the time of the throw,
17.C.6.b.1.b.
the time of the call.
17.C.6.b.2.
if a player other than the thrower is awarded possession due to an uncontested call, all players return to the locations they occupied at the time of the infraction.
17.C.6.b.3.
if the result of a play stands, players return to the locations they occupied when play stopped. In addition, an infracted player is then allowed to move to recover the relative position lost because of the infraction.
17.D.
When a call is made, throwers must stop play by visibly or audibly communicating the stoppage as soon as they are aware of the call.
17.E.
If it is unclear whether a catch was made before the disc contacted the ground, or whether a player’s first point of ground contact after catching the disc was in- or out-of-bounds or in or out of the end zone, the player with the best perspective makes the call.
17.G.
If a dispute arises concerning an infraction or the outcome of a play (e.g., a catch where no one had a good perspective), and the teams cannot come to a satisfactory resolution, play stops, and the disc is returned to the thrower and put into play with a check (10.D.3), with the count reached plus one or at six if over five.
17.H.
If an infraction results in possession reverting to a thrower who was airborne when releasing the disc, play restarts at the spot on the playing field closest to the point of release.
17.I.
If multiple calls occur on the same play or before play stops, the outcomes should be resolved in reverse sequence (latest call first, earliest call last).
17.I.2.
Offsetting infractions: If both offensive and defensive infractions occur simultaneously or the sequence cannot be determined, the resolution for this set of infractions is: the disc is returned to the thrower and put into play with a check, with the count reached plus one or at six if over five.
17.I.3.
Exception: If separate fouls occur while the disc is in the air, but before any player starts to attempt to catch or block the disc, those fouls are treated as simultaneous and on the same play.
17.J.
A player’s ability to catch or make a play on the disc is not considered to be “affected” because that player stopped, slowed down, or otherwise ceased to continue playing because a call was made by another player. Players are encouraged to make every effort to continue playing until play actually stops.