New to Pittsburgh Ultimate

So you're new to the scene here in Pittsburgh, huh?  Here's a crash course in what the Community for Pittsburgh Ultimate ('CPU'), is all about!

The Basics

Pittsburgh Ultimate offers multiple leagues throughout the year that are open to ALL players and ALL experience levels.  Players who are new to the game are always welcome!

Pittsburgh Ultimate also offers leagues that are designed specifically for High School players, mirroring the setup of traditional interscholastic High School sports.

Finally, Pittsburgh Ultimate offers leagues through a partnership with the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project's Pittsburgh Sports League (PSL).  These leagues are geared more towards recreational players with minimal Ultimate playing experience


League Types

Clique - Teams are formed by groups of individuals who want to play together.  Often Clique leagues will give an option to register as an individual and be placed on a team.  Winter League and PSL are Clique Leagues.

Core Draft - "Core Groups" are formed independently by a group of individuals who want to play together.  These groups can vary in size but are typically in the 5-7 person range.  These "Core Groups" then draft the remainder of their team from people who registered without a group.  Spring League is a Core Draft league.

Draft - Team Captains are pre-selected by the league, and the captains draft their team from a list of all other players who have registered for the league.  Summer League is a Draft League

Hat - Teams are randomly chosen OR are chosen based on some predetermined criteria (such as balancing teams for strength, etc).  Fall League is a Hat League

School-based - All players on a team must come from a single school.  School-based leagues are typically for players under 19 years old.  Pittsburgh High School Ultimate League a School-based League.


Team/League Gender Classification

Mixed - Mixed refers to leagues that are mixed gender leagues.  The gender ratio is usually expressed as M:F, and refers to the number of males and females are permitted on the field at one time.  Sometimes, leagues have a variable gender ratio.  Most CPU leagues are Mixed Leagues, including Summer League, Fall League, Spring League, Winter League, and PSL.

Single Gender - Single Gender leagues are open only to a specific gender (i.e. Men, Women).  CPU's only Single Gender league is the Pittsburgh High School Ultimate League, which has both Boys and Girls divisions.


Summer League

League Overview: Summer League is the largest Pittsburgh Ultimate recreational league.  ~500 players compete in this mixed-gender, draft league.  Summer League has multiple divisions, separated by both location and game times, so players can choose a location and game time that works best for their schedule.

Contact:

Type: Draft

Gender: Mixed 5:2

Games: Early June through Middle August

Registration: Early April through Middle May



Fall League

League Overview: Coming soon...

Contact:

Type: Hat

Gender: Mixed 4:3/5:2

Games: Early June through Middle August

Registration: Early April through Middle May


Winter League

League Overview: Coming soon...

Contact:

Type: Clique

Gender: Mixed 3:3/4:2

Games: Early January through Early March

Registration: Early December through Early January


Spring League

League Overview: Spring League is the first outdoor league of the calendar year.  About 100-150 people participate in this mixed-gender core league.  Teams consist of clique cores made up of 6 people who draft their remaining team members from a pool of free agents.  All games take place within the city limits on various weeknights.

Contact:

Type: Core Draft

Gender: Mixed 4:3

Games: Early April through Early June

Registration: Early March through Late March


Pittsburgh High School Ultimate League ('PHUL')

League Overview: Pittsburgh High School Ultimate League is Pittsburgh's interscholastic High School Ultimate league.  Teams consist of players of one gender (Boys or Girls) from a single High School, and play is structured similar to other interscholastic varsity/junior varsity sports.  PHUL offers both Boys and Girls divisions.

Contact: 

Type: School-based

Gender: Single Gender (Boys or Girls)

Games: Late March through Middle May

Registration: Middle January through Middle March