Valley Ultimate Fall League – Adult Competitive Division

Welcome to VU Fall League (VUFL) –
Adult Competitive League

When: Thursdays,  6 – 9 pm 
Dates : September 5 – October 24 (8 weeks)
Location: The Oxbow, under the lights!
Ages: 15 & over
Cost: $60 (sliding scale options available)
Lottery Registration – August 6 – August 22nd
Ability Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Vibe: Mixed, Competitive, Fun Ultimate!
Coordinators: Dan Kaplan, Sage Campbell, Ben Ayres

Details: Read below

Registration – click here 

League Goals and Values

This is our 3rd year running this league and we look forward to continuing a welcoming, fun, and competitive atmosphere to keep us all playing Ultimate even as the daylight fades in New England autumn.

We seek to create a community space for players to compete in a welcoming and friendly environment. We strive to foster an inclusive playing opportunity and welcome feedback on how to continue to improve in this area. We adhere to the USAU Gender Inclusion Policy and have collected equity resources on our website, which we encourage players to explore. We expect all participants to demonstrate the highest level of respect for one another and the ultimate community; harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated and should be reported to the league coordinators (contact info below). Players will be removed from play immediately pending further investigation.

VU Fall league competition format:

  • 7 v 7, mixed (coed) play (4:3)
  • Current USAU Ultimate Rules 
  • Games start at 6 or 7:30pm
  • Games to 15, half at 8 (or at 60 minutes if not 8 points yet)
  • Hard Cap at 90 minutes (7:30 or 9pm)
  • TImeouts – 1 per half, plus a floater
  • Halftime is 5 minutes. It can be shorter by agreement of the captains.

Dates, Standings, Regular/Post-Season: 

  • Weeknight league play will begin on Thursday September 5th with games starting at 6 or 7:30. 
  • The field has lights which will be turned on as we lose light during the season.
  • We will keep track of standings and make them public throughout the season
  • Post-season playoffs & finals are scheduled for October 17th and 24th.

How are teams formed?

  • This is a draft league; Once players are accepted into the league, they will be drafted by captains onto teams.
  • Players must be in good standing (paid, registered) to be eligible for the draft
  • All appointed captains will meet for a draft at least one week before the season begins. 
  • If you would like to be a captain please indicate so on your registration form.
  • We intend to create up to 8 teams (of 16 or 18 players) – evenly split between male & female/anyone-matching players.  (see gender-matching section for details).

Is this league for you?

  • This league is open to all players, but will be geared toward an intermediate /advanced  level.
  • All participants should have some experience playing Ultimate, whether on a team, pickup, or in a previous league. This is not intended to be a teaching/intro league
  • Players can sign up individually and may request to play with one friend

Registration:

    • Acceptance into this league is based on a lottery and is not first-come, first-served, though we will weigh the lottery if necessary to allow for equal gender participation. 
    • Lottery registration is open from Tuesday August 6th at 6am and will be open through Thursday  August 22nd at 10pm. 
    • We will notify you if you are accepted and collect payment then (you will be required to pay within 3 days of selection- if missed, your registration will be given to someone else).
    • Registration is $60 but those who cannot afford to pay full price can choose to pay less at checkout (VU sliding scale).  All players must be current USAU members or purchase the additional, once-per-year Valley Ultimate affiliate fee of $18 (this is how we are being insured). 
    • Male-Matching players who “bundle” their registration with a female/anyone-matching player will receive priority to participate. 
    • If you are interested in playing in this league, please fill out this Registration Form. 

Questions: 

Pricing (VU Sliding Scale): 

  • Sustainer Price: $75
  • Full Registration Price: $60
  • Cost Price: $50
  • Financial Hardship Price: $30
  • Request a full fee waiver – no questions asked

Gender Matching: 

  • Here is language we plan to use regarding gender matching (This was further developed and seemed to work well during our VU Winter League in 2023-24):
    • Female-Matching (“PLANE ”):  a player who matches up against players who typically play in the women’s division or as women-matching players as defined by USAU (section N). A player signifies “plane”  verbally and/or by hand signals (arms extended out)) when on the line or entering a game.
    • Male-Matching (“FLAG”): a player who matches up against players who typically play in the men’s/open division or as men-matching players as defined by  USAU (section N). A player signifies “flag” verbally and/or by hand signals (hands clasped behind head ) when on the line or entering a game. 
    • “Anyone-Matching”: a player who is comfortable marking (or being marked by) any player. Primarily intended for gender-expansive players and not intended for cisgender male players. A player signifies “anyone-matching” verbally and/or by hand signals (arms folded across chest) ) when on the line or entering a game. 
  •  If you play in the “men’s” or “open’ division on a youth or club team, for this league please consider yourself “male-matching.”

Questions: