2025 Year at a Glance

Spring Hat League Details

• Mondays – March 24th to May 12th
• Games will be played at 8pm, 9pm, or 10pm
• 18 teams – 12 players per roster
• 6v6 (3 male-matching and 3 female-matching on the field)
• Registration capped at 108 male-matching and 108 female-matching players
• Players can register individually or in pairs
• 7 weeks of regular season
• 1 week of playoffs
• Cost: $75

Registration opens February 24th and closes on March 17th!

Click here to register!

2025 MZU League Schedule

Please note that the following dates are estimates and exact dates for all leagues may vary. Full league details for each league will be sent prior to the registration opening date.

Spring Hat League (Indoor)
February 24th – Registration Opens
March 17th – Registration Closes
March 24th – League Begins
May 12th – League Ends

Summer BIY League (Outdoor)
April 7th – Registration Opens
May 11th – Registration Closes
June 9th – League Begins
August 23rd – Playoff Day

Summer Hat League (Outdoor)
May 5th – Registration Opens
June 1st – Registration Closes
June 18th – League Begins
August 13th – League Ends

Fall Hat League (Outdoor)
August 11th – Registration Opens
September 1st – Registration Closes
September 7th – League Begins
October 26th – League Ends

Fall BIY League (Indoor)
September 22nd – Registration Opens
October 13th – Registration Closes
October 20th – League Begins
December 15th – League Ends

As mentioned, full details for each league will be shared prior to the registration opening date. Please note that these dates are estimations only and exact dates for each league may vary.

Upcoming Rule Implementation

MZU currently uses the WFDF (World Flying Disc Federation) Gender Ratio Rule A (“prescribed ratio”) for our leagues (see full explanation of Rule A below). MZU introduced the use of Rule A in 2019, and we feel it is time to implement the second portion of this rule. Therefore, starting this summer MZU will be introducing the “prescribed pull” portion of Rule A. This means:

• If the personnel ratio for a point has four (4) female matching players, a female matching player must undertake the pull at the start of that point.
• If the personnel ratio for a point has four (4) male matching players, a male matching player must undertake the pull at the start of that point.
• If there is a breach of A6.2.2.1or A6.2.2.2 then this is to be treated as an offside violation by the defence

Keep an eye out for some upcoming opportunities for pulling instruction and practice, so we can make sure all players can feel comfortable and confident in pulling when we move into the summer season!

What is WFDF Ratio Rule A?

At the start of the game, after the first disc flip, an additional disc flip happens with the winner selecting the gender ratio for the first point. For the second and third points the ratio must be the reverse of the first point. For the fourth and fifth points the ratio must be same as the first point. This pattern of alternating the ratio every two points repeats until the end of the game (half time has no impact on the pattern).

Why do we use Rule A?

Rule A promotes gender equity by providing equal field time for male-matching and female-matching players. The major benefit of Rule A is that there are and equal number of points where male-matching and female-matching players have the majority on the field. This rule raises the involvement and impact that female-matching players can have in a game. They touch the disc more, which ultimately helps improve skills and build confidence. Building confidence is key when it comes to a player’s decision about whether or not to keep playing.

2025 Social Events Calendar

This year we are looking to do more than just play ultimate frisbee! We’ve got lots of social events in the works for the coming months. Here are some of our anticipated events. Keep an eye on your email and our social media as these dates approach for all the details!

March – Possible Spring Social
June 7th – Summer Kick-Off Olympics (Tentative Date)
July/August – Summer League Bingo
August 23rd – End of Summer League Party
October – Fall Social

MZU Winter Updates

2025 Winter League

As the end of our Fall BIY League approaches, we’d like to announce our upcoming Winter League offerings. We will have two types of league offerings this winter; a 6v6 Hat League and a 4v4 BIY Hybrid. Registration for both leagues will open at noon on December 16th and close on December 31st! Please read through the following information carefully for all league details! (more…)

MZU Annual General Meeting 2024

It’s time for our 2024 AGM and we’d love to see you there! During the AGM, the MZU Board of Directors will present key details and outcomes of this past year’s events. This is a great opportunity to learn more about how MZU supports the sport of Ultimate in St. John’s, the state of the leagues that we provide, and a chance to engage with us in discussion and feedback on what you feel went well or could go better in the future. (more…)

MZU Updates – August 2024

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2024 Summer Kick-Off – MZU Olympics!

We’re excited to release our plan for the MZU Olympics Event on June 1st! Join us from 2-5pm at the Team Gushue Sports Complex (Mount Pearl) for an afternoon of mini-games and challenges! Any player that is 18+ and that holds a valid UNL membership is welcome to participate. Friends and family are welcome to attend as spectators.
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2023 Fall Hat League

2023 Fall Hat League registration is NOW OPEN!

Come play under the lights @ King George V field!

Games will be Sunday nights at either 6, 7, or 8 pm. League starts Sept 10th and goes to Oct 29th.

Sign up solo or with a friend! Registration deadline is September 5th.

Register here

Playing surface, cleat choice, and injuries: How can you limit your risk?

Recently the Board asked me for some input on playing surface and risk for injuries as this past indoor season there seemed to be a spike in reported injuries while playing. This blog will discuss the different playing surfaces and their inherent risks, how your footwear choice can mitigate that risk, and some general tips for transitioning from the different surfaces.

Firstly, the playing surface. MZU runs leagues on a variety of grass fields of differing quality, as well as outdoor and indoor turf fields, and some of you may also play indoor on a multipurpose floor as well. All playing surfaces have their respective rate of injury, typically they are compared to grass as that is the most accessible and has been used the longest. One of the perceived risks with artificial turf is a higher prevalence of knee injuries, and while that was true with the 1^st and 2^nd generation turfs primarily installed in the 1960-1990s, more recent turf installations have negated that risk. While the knee injury prevalence has decreased, there remains a risk any time you change surfaces. This is seen from the transition from indoor winter league to outdoor summer, summer to the outdoor fall league, and then back into the winter league playing surface. Each surface has it’s own distinct stressors that it puts on your body, and if you go from playing 2-3 hours per week on one surface and then switch to another, those stresses can cause overload or overuse injuries.

Secondly, your shoes. For the many recreational players in MZU, your cleat choice may have been directed on price point, look of the shoe, or how comfortable they were. There are a variety of cleat choices that offer benefits depending on the sport, the playing surface, even what position you play, so it can be daunting for a rec player to make an informed choice. The reality is that while certain cleats offer advantages in certain situations, for most players those small advantages are negligible, and so perhaps the most beneficial decision is to make one based on injury reduction. The only type of cleat you want to be cautious about wearing on multiple surfaces is a “bladed” cleat. Most cleat tips are circular or conical in design, where bladed cleats are longer and designed to give enough grip to turn and generate force on a hard dry field. This same design on a softer wet field, or artificial turf has been shown to increase rates of knee injuries as the blades sink into the surface and stick. Wearing turf or general cleats on all MZU surfaces are safe bets from an injury prevention approach.

Finally, as you start gearing up for the glorious summer league, there are a few tips that you and your team can take to try to minimize the risk of injuries. Building capacity in your tissue before taking on an increased load or intensity such as in games. Convince your team to run a few practices, or get out and go for a toss, or play some mini games. This concept also applies if you are changing your cleats, either from turf shoes to grass cleats, or maybe you just got a new pair. To limit injury wear them for the first 25% of practice, or your toss around, and then increase that percentage over a couple weeks. One of the big gaps I see with many teams is the warm-up is lacking. Having a good warm up that increases your heart rate, increases blood flow to the extremities and gets muscles ready to work will improve performance and most importantly decrease injury rates in the game!

So to bring us back full circle, any time you transition playing surfaces you have a higher risk of injury, however none of the surfaces you play on in MZU have an inherent increase in risk. Your cleat choice can play a part, but mostly bladed cleats on wet grass or turf. Having a proper transition with surface or footwear change can help mitigate risk as can getting in a 5-10 minute warm up before the game. Hopefully this information helps you have a full year of fun with MZU regardless of the playing surface!

Matthew Moore is a Certified Athletic Therapist and co-owns Premier Athletic Therapy & Sports Medicine. He is an avid MZU player and is currently an Assistant Athletic Therapist with the Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club that competes in Major League Soccer.

2023 QVxMZU Summer League!!!

We are super excited to announce that Summer League registration is NOW OPEN!!!

For all the details on both our traditional Summer League as well our new Wednesday Summer Hat League and where to register, please click here

Spring 2023 Build-It-Yourself (BIY) League EOI

MZU is pleased to announce its Spring 2023 Build-It-Yourself League!

League format is 6-on-6 speedpoint. Games are at the Techniplex on Monday nights, March 6th to May 15th, and will be 55 minutes long starting at 8pm, 9pm, and 10pm. 11pm may be a possibility depending on the number of teams interested.

Teams will get 11 weeks of play: 8 weeks of regular season + 3 weeks of playoffs.

Captains are invited to express interest by midnight, February 15th using this form.

Fall 2022 BIY

MZU is pleased to announce its Fall 2022 Build-It-Yourself League!

League format is 6-on-6 speedpoint. Games are at the Techniplex on Monday nights, September 26th to December 12th, and will be 55 minutes long starting at 8pm, 9pm, and 10pm. Trying no 11pm’s.

The league has room for 24 teams. If more teams express interest a lottery will be held.

EOI will be open from September 8th to the 18th followed by registration being open from September 19th to the 23rd.

By weeks, playoff formats and cost will all be determined based on number of teams.

Captains can fill out the EOI form here.