NEWS

2018 USPA Rules

RULE 36- PENALTY PROCEDURES AND VIOLATIONS

c. For Penalties 2 (30 yards) and 3 (40 yards): For Penalty 2s taken from the center and for Penalty 3s, when the Host Tournament Committee has determined or the Tournament Conditions state that the Penalty 3 may not be defended, if the ball stops before the end of the field the Umpires shall blow the whistle and the defending team will be awarded a free hit (Penalty 5.a) from the spot where the ball stopped.
d. For Penalties 4 (60 yards) and 6 (safety): If the ball is missed or mis-hit in a legitimate attempt to score in one hit, the hitter and/or other players from either team may attempt a safe play on the ball and all rules of Right of Way are in effect. If, in the umpire’s opinion, the initial attempt to hit the ball was deliberately missed, mis-hit, tapped or dribbled to improve the hitting team’s chance of scoring, a spot hit (5.a) will be awarded to the fouling team.

e. For Penalties 2, 3, 4, 5.a, 5.b and 6,

If a member of the fouling team is off the field at the time the ball is hit or hit at, he may enter the field opposite the side his team is defending but may not make a play until he passes a player of his own team who was properly positioned at the time the ball was hit or hit at. A violation of this procedure will result in an increased penalty against the fouling team. If all four players on the same team are off the field further from the goal his team is de-fending than the spot where the ball is hit or hit at, no player on that team may make a play until play is interrupted and resumed. If any such player makes a play, a Penalty 2 shall be awarded to the other team.

f. Procedural Violations (Penalty 8)

(4) Players may not in any way alter the surface of the playing field to tee up the ball. Players may not dismount to tee up the ball. Once an Umpire calls “Play”, a ball may not be re-teed. In the event a player alters the surface of the field or dismounts to tee a ball, the Umpire shall blow the whistle and award a penalty.

36. PENALTY PROCEDURES AND VIOLATIONS d...INTERPRETATION:
This call is up to the discretion of the Umpire(s). Any attempt to deliberately miss the ball to leave it for a teammate, mis-hit, tap or dribble a ball in order to improve the fouled team’s chances of scoring shall be considered a foul.

PENALTY 2

a. A penalty hit at the ball by the team fouled from the center of the 30-yard line nearest the fouling team’s goal or, if preferred, from the spot where the foul occurred (the choice to be made by the team fouled). For a penalty hit from the 30-yard line, all of the fouling team shall be positioned behind their back line, outside of the goal, until the ball is hit or hit at. Once the ball is put into play, no player of the fouling team may enter the field.

If the penalty is to be hit from the spot and therefore defended, none of the fouling team may be within 30 yards from the ball and may not enter the field from between the goal posts. The player hitting the Penalty 2 from the spot may hit the ball more than once (dribble). All players of the team fouled not hitting must be positioned behind the ball. Once the team fouled has hit or hit at the ball, the ball is in play and all rules of Right of Way are in effect.