What is Beach Ultimate?

Beach Ultimate is a fast growing and exciting sport. Teams of 5 players try to score points by receiving the flying disc (Frisbee™) in the endzone of the opponent (similar to American Football). You can read more about the rules below, or watch these videos.

Rules in Brief

  1. The Field — The field consists of a 45 m x 25 m (49 x 27 yd) rectangle called the playing field proper, with a 15 m by 25 m (16 x 27 yd) rectangle called an endzone aligned along each of the 25 m (27 yd) sides
  2. Start of the game — The winner of the coin (or disc) toss determines whether it will start on offense or decides what endzone to defend first. Next, both teams (5 players on each team) line up on the front of their respective endzone line. The defense throws the disc to the offense and the game begins.
  3. Movement of the disc and the players — The disc can be thrown from one player to another in any direction. A player may not run with the disc in hand. The person with the disc in hand has 10 seconds to throw the disc to a teammate. The defender guarding the thrower counts the seconds out loud (“stall one, stall two, stall three…”).
  4. Change of possession — A turnover (i.e. defense takes possession of the disc and becomes offense) results whenever one of the following items occur:
    1. the disc touches the ground (also when first touched by the defense)
    2. the disc is caught outside the field (line is out)
    3. the disc is intercepted by an opposing player
  5. Scoring — A goal, worth 1 point, is scored when a player throws the disc to a teammate and it is successfully caught in the endzone of the other team. Play is initiated after each score. Games are played until a team reaches an agreed number of points (usually 13 points) or a time limit (usually 30-40 minutes)
  6. Initiate Play — Each new point begins again with both teams lining up on the front of their respective endzone line with the team that just scored throwing the disc to the other team.
  7. Player substitutions — A player can only be substituted after a score was made and the teams are lining up, or if a player is injured. No other substitutions can take place while the point is in progress.
  8. Non-contact — Beach Ultimate is a non-contact sport and when a player initiates contact on another player a foul is committed.
  9. Self-Refereeing — All fouls are called by the player(s) involved. When a foul results in loss of possession, the play is stopped and resumed as if possession was not lost. If the player committing the foul disagrees with the foul call, the play is redone.

Complete rules

Check out the links below for the official WFDF Beach Ultimate rules, approved by the WFDF Board of Directors: and effective May 2024:

2021-2024 Beach Ultimate rules

Championship Appendix

Spirit of the game

Beach Ultimate is about sportsmanship and fair play. Competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of respect between players, adherence to the rules, or the basic joy of play. More at https://ebucc.eu/about-beach-ultimate/spirit-of-the-game/