Ultimate Eligibility Rules

Adapted from WFDF’s National Team Player Eligibility Regulations for WFDF Ultimate Worlds Events

1.       Definitions

A.      A division is a distinct Ultimate competition within an event, with individual limitations to gender and/or age and currently include:

  • Open

  • Women

  • Mixed

  • Masters (at least 33 years old or turning 33 in the year of the event)

  • Women Masters (at least 30 years old or turning 30 in the year of the event)

B.      A National Team (or Team) is a group of players representing a country in a particular division


2.       Player Classes

Only the following players are allowed to play for a particular country at a National Team Championship:

A.      Legal Citizen

Players are deemed to be "Legal Citizens" if they own a passport or equivalent legal document issued by the country's government.

B.      EUF Citizen

Players are also deemed to be "EUF Citizens" if they have moved to the country at least four years prior to the start date of the event and spent more than 75% of those four years in the country.

C.      Resident Non-Citizen

Players are deemed to be "Resident Non-Citizens"

a)      if they own a legal certificate of permanent residency issued by the country's government; or [DEPRECATED]

b)      if they have moved to the country at least 20 months prior to the start date of the event and spent more than 75% of those 20 months in the country.

3.       Team Rosters

A.      Total number of players

A Team must have a minimum of 12 Players and a maximum of 28 players registered on their roster for the event.

Should a team lose players during the tournament due to injuries the team will be allowed to continue to participate as long as they can field 10 fit players.

B.      Team composition

A Team may have on its roster:

  • any number of Legal Citizens or EUF Citizens,

  • a maximum of 3 Resident Non-Citizens

C.      Tyro Teams

When ultimate is still in a development stage in a country and they are not able to field a fully representative National Team in a division, a country may enter a Tyro (or “Beginner”) team. This enables them to recruit players who would not normally be eligible for that team, from other countries, or from a maximum of one year outside the defined age range. The roster of a Tyro team may contain up to 4 such players. The final roster of a Tyro team will need approval from the EUF Competition Subcommittee.

A Tyro team may not compete in the semi-final stages of a championship event. If 8 or more eligible (i.e. non-Tyro) teams participate in a division, a Tyro team may not compete in the quarterfinal stages of a championship event, but this does not exclude them from finishing 5th if the format of the schedule allows this. Depending on the total number of participating teams the playing schedule may have to be adjusted at the quarterfinal stage and beyond. The team keeps its final placement in the championship, but the next time the team participates in a championship the ranking position will be in last place.  

D.       Divisions

All divisions will apply the same team roster rules.

E.       Dual Eligibility

They may never play in more than two games in a single day.

4.       Rulings

A.      Spirit of the Game

It is expected that National Associations and National Teams will follow spirit of the game in following these rules and EUF places trust on the National Associations to follow these rules.

B.      Penalties

Failure to follow these rules may result in any combination of the following penalties:

  • suspension of a player from the event,

  • loss of competition points, placings or medals earned by a team,

  • suspension of a team from the event.

C.      Authority

Before or after the event, the EUF Competition Subcommittee will rule on issues of Team and Player eligibility.

During the event, the Tournament Rules Group will rule on issues of team and player eligibility and any penalties to be recommended to the EUF Competition Subcommittee.

 D.      Process

A process of natural justice will be followed in any tribunal hearing regarding eligibility matters:

  • The accused shall receive notice of, and know the nature of, the accusation made against them.

  • The accused shall be given the opportunity to state their case.

  • The tribunal shall act in good faith and without bias.