5 x 5 Sub-on-the-Fly Variation

A variant of regular Ultimate rules occasionally used for indoor ultimate tournaments is to institute on-the-fly substitution. Here is a little Survival Guide to give you some pointers.

The Sub-on-the-Fly Variation (5x5) follows the USA Ultimate 11th Edition Rules, with the following exceptions:

• Games are played by teams of 5 on the field, not 7 with mixed having a gender ratio of 3/2.
• Only 2 pulls every game: at the beginning of the game and after halftime. Each team pulls once.
• Two cones are set up on one sideline to indicate the substitution zone for both teams. – you want them to change on the same side of the field (see the field diagram below)
• Players may change on-the-fly during a point. Substitutions are to be made by tagging (by touching) a teammate while you are both between the two cones marking the substitution zone.
• There is no pull after a point. Upon acknowledging the point, the receiving player places the disc on the ground where the point was scored, and it becomes the other team's disc at that point. The new offense needs to play the disc from where it was scored. It is not necessary to wait for the defense to be ‘ready’; the disc is always IN PLAY after a point is scored.
• Minimum 2 passes required to score a point after a score. If less than 2 passes result in a score the player with the disc must move to the nearest point on the goal line and put the disc into play there. There is no minimum number of passes after a turnover.
• Teams only switch ends at half. A half time is based on time and not points.  Half should be taken at half the allotted game time. Play resumes after half with the second pull of the game.
• 3-minute halftime at the scheduled midpoint of the game.
• Teams switch sides at the half.
• Each team is allowed one timeout per half.
• Timeouts cannot be called in the last 5 minutes of the game.

5x5 FIELD DIAGRAM