About Goaltimate

Goaltimate is a half-court flying disc game derived from ultimate, similar to Hot Box. The object is to score points by throwing a disc to a teammate through a large semicircular hoop--called the goal--into a small scoring area. The name is a portmanteau of Goal and the title Ultimate.

Goaltimate has six players per team. Four are in play, with two remaining in the Substitution Box.
The game starts from behind the Clear Line when a Defensive player taps the disc held by an Offensive player. This is called a "Check disc". The Offensive player establishes a pivot foot, similar to Basketball, then throws the disc to a teammate within the field of play. Possession is maintained as long as the throws are completed.
The disc is thrown from player to player, in order to penetrate the Goal, which scores a point. If the Defense intercepts the disc, a turnover occurs and if the Defense knocks down the disc, an incomplete pass occurs.
A turnover also occurs when the Offense fails to throw the disc within 5-seconds, known as "Stalling". Stalling happens after the Defensive player counts aloud to five. This makes the action non-stop and thrilling!
Each goal counts for 1 point, with 2 points awarded for Goals thrown from behind the Clear Line.
After a score, the offense maintains possession and must work the disc back to the Clear Line in order to advance for another score.
Games are played to 5 points and are part of a "Best-of-5" game series.

Goaltimate Field

The Goaltimate field is a circle 60 yards in diameter. PVC piping forms an arch (the "Goal") 11 feet high and 18 feet wide at the base and is located at the front of the End Zone. The End Zone is a half-oval 24 feet wide and 24 feet deep. The back of the end zone starts 10 yards from one end of the playing feild. A two-point line 40 yards long is located 20 yards in front of the Goal. A clear line forms an arc from each end of the two-point line and 10 yards deep at the center. The substitution box is at one side of the field.

History

Goaltimate was invented by Wellesley College ultimate players as an alternative to ultimate when a snowy playing field and a surfeit of players made ultimate difficult. It was originally played between the lower spars of a set H-shaped football uprights. A Boston player brought the game to San Diego, where they developed it into an independent game and replaced the uprights with a large hoop made with PVC pipes. In 1999, Rick Conner, a San Diego entrepreneur with interest in the sport, subsidised a Goaltimate tournament with a $30,000 purse for the winners, inviting top players from competitive ultimate teams. The San Diego team took the prize, defeating a team from Boston in the finals. Through this introduction the sport rapidly spread across the US as a pickup alternative to ultimate.

Style of Play

Goaltimate offensive strategy mimics that of a basketball offense's halfcourt set. Offensive players stand to the fore of the scoring area and make streaking cuts behind the goal. Throwers attempt to either strike through the goal, or, when this is impossible, reset the disc to a position before the goal. Defenders position themselves between the offensive players and the scoring area, and attempt to minimise throwing windows by remaining aware of where the disc is and from whence a scoring opportunity may ensue.

Even in competitive play, defensive effort against a team trying to clear the disc is often token, as defenders will take the opportunity to rest or position themselves to prevent the two point play. The soaring passes and long, streaking cuts familiar to observers of ultimate are typically only present in goaltimate games during the clear. The exception to lax defence on the clear is when a team gains possession well beyond the goal, as it becomes advantageous to leave the thrower unguarded, and double team cuts coming toward the thrower--similar to guarding an inbounds after a score in a full-court press in basketball. Passing is typically quick, and cuts are squirrelly.

Turnovers occur with greater regularity in goaltimate than ultimate. Scores are frequently achieved in a burst of several in a row, when fatigued defensemen find themselves merely chasing their assigned offensive players but are unable to safely sub out.