ALL GAMES WILL BE PLAYED ON THE LAWN NEXT TO THE FOOTBALL FIELD AND THE FIELD HOUSE
BASIC RULES
Play consists of four players divided into teams of two. Members of the same team (partners) stand at opposite goals. This simply means partners stand at opposite ends of the court. Partners will alternate throwing and deflecting a flying disc.
One partner throws the flying disc and, when necessary, the other partner redirects (deflects) it toward or into the goal. After both partners complete one throw each, the flying disc is passed to the opposing team. The thrower can score points with a direct hit to the goal or the deflector can score by deflecting the flying disc to hit or land inside the goal.
Players waiting to tip may NOT touch the goal in any way, even to let it edge up to their legs for support. It must remain free standing at all times to be legal.
Deflectors can move anywhere within the playing area to redirect the disc, including in front of the goal if necessary.
Once the game starts with the first throw, players must finish the game from the same goal. Partners are not allowed to swap sides (goal they throw/deflect from) in the middle of a game. If in a “best-of” series, players can switch sides after the completion of a game.
A team must achieve an exact score of 21 points to win, and teams must complete an equal number of turns (except when an Instant Win is scored).
If the team that starts the game reaches 21 points first, the team with The Hammer always has their last turn to either catch up in points, or, if 21 points is not attainable from one round of throwing, toss an Instant Win. If the team with The Hammer reaches 21 points first, they are the winners; the other team does not have another round to tie.
Any disputes over the score, rules, or a certain play must be decided before the game is over, unless the dispute happens on the game-deciding play. Disputes should be resolved prior to completion of a game or series.
GOING OVER 21 POINTS
Since a team must score exactly 21 points, if a given throw results in points that raise a team’s total score above 21, the points from that play are deducted from their current score and play continues. For example, if a team has 19 points and accidentally dunks a BUCKET (3 points), their score is reduced to 16 points (current score of 19 points – 3 points = 16 points). If a team has 20 points and hits the goal on the fly for a DEUCE (2 points), their score is reduced to 18 points (current score of 20 points – 2 points = 18 points).
Players from the same team must each complete one throw every turn, except when an Instant Win is thrown on the first shot of a turn and certain situations in Overtime (see
Overtime below). Once again, anytime an Instant Win is thrown, the game is automatically over.
Once a team reaches 21 points on the first throw of their turn, they still must toss the disc back to the starting goal. In the event the disc happens to hit the goal on the fly on the toss back or their partner accidentally tips it to score points, that team will be over 21 points, and follows the rules described above for going over.
OVERTIME
If both teams reach 21 points in the same number of rounds, the game is extended to overtime.
Overtime consists of each team taking a single turn; this would mean that each partner will get one throw. After the first team completes their turn, the team with The Hammer must either tie the opposing team’s overtime score to force a second overtime round or simply score more points for the outright victory.
For example, team #1 throws and scores 2 points total. If the team with The Hammer scores a clean BUCKET (3 points) on their first throw, the game is over as a victory for team #2. In this case, there is no need for the team with The Hammer to throw the disc back, as they already won the game.
Example of how overtime scoring works:
If both teams score 4 points, for example, another round of overtime begins. The game proceeds as one round of overtime as needed until one team outscores the other. It is not uncommon to have a game extend to multiple overtime rounds. An Instant Win thrown in overtime still ends the game. The opposing team does not get a chance to complete their turn, even if they have The Hammer.
SCORING
- DINGER – 1 point: Redirected Hit
Deflector redirects thrown disc to hit any part of the goal.
- DEUCE – 2 points: Direct Hit
Thrower hits the side of the goal unassisted by partner.
- BUCKET – 3 points: Slam Dunk
Deflector redirects the thrown disc and it lands inside the goal. This will almost always occur through the top of the goal, but may also occur if the disc is deflected into the slot opening.
- INSTANT WIN! Direct Entry
Thrower lands the disc inside the goal unassisted by partner. The disc can enter through the slot opening on the front or through the open top of the goal. When an Instant Win occurs, the throwing team is declared the winner and the opposing team does not receive a “last toss” option.
No points are awarded when a throw hits the ground or object (such as a tree) before striking the goal directly or making a tip.
