Q & A: Mountain Bike Ultimate
Adapted by Craig Giles from MBU Central

What is Mountain Bike Ultimate?

Mountain Bike Ultimate is the combination of two sports: Mountain Biking and Ultimate.

Played a little like Ultimate, a little like polo on a field with a goal area and a clear area (like in 1/2 court basketball), the game is fast paced and fun!

You can play 2 on 2 and greater, you can even play with an odd number by adding a full-time offensive player. 3 on 3 has been found to be the best.

In short, there are two teams - everybody on Mt. Bikes. One team (the offense) is passing the disc to their teammates in an attempt to score. No pedaling is allowed while you have possession of the disc. The other team (defense) is looking to block, intercept or gain possession via a turn-over (drop.) Scoring is accomplished by completing a pass thru the goal markers.

How do you play the game?

The rules of Mountain Bike Ultimate (MBU) are more similar to the rules of Goaltimate than Ultimate. The game has these important features:

1. MBU has two or more players per team, each riding a mountain bike.
2. The game starts from behind the Clear Line when a Defensive player rolls the disc towards the goal line where the Offensive players have lined up.
3. The disc is thrown from player to player, in order to throw the disc between the goal cones and catch the disc within the End Zone. A turnover occurs if the Defense intercepts or knocks down the disc.
4. A player in possession of a disc may not pedal or touch the ground while in possession of the disc. The player with the disc may coast until the disc is thrown.
5. There is no stall count.
6. While any contact would naturally be a foul, a Defensive player may "steer off" or force an Offensive player to change direction by gradually changing direction while in front of that player. A player may not however block another player's path unless the other player has the room and time to avoid a collision.
7. When the disc is on the ground or after a stoppage in play, the disc must be picked up off the ground thrower while the thrower is riding to resume play. This is called the "scoop".
8. After a goal, there is no stop in play. The Offense maintains possession and must work the disc back to the Clear Line in order to advance for another score.
9. At every turnover the disc must be once again taken back across the clear line.
10. There are no restrictions on the number of players who may be within ten feet of the thrower.
11. Substitutions can only be made during a timeout or within ten seconds of a turnover.
12. Games are played to 5 points, win-by-2 and a cap at 7.

What does the MBU field look like?

The field of play is a grassy area with two cones marking the goal line and additional cone(s) marking the clear line. The field may be of any size and the out-of-bounds areas usually follow natural boundaries and topography, rather than any pre-determined markers. The goal line should be ten yards long with the clear line approximately 60 yards away. The end zone should be approximately 15 yards deep. (See diagram)