Update on the Status of WFDF’s World Championships
20 March 2020
Consideration of the impact from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic
Following the outbreak of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) and its rapid spread around the world, WFDF released an official statement on 4 March regarding the impact of the pandemic on its world championship events scheduled for the coming months. As of 19 March 2020, WFDF remains fully committed to holding the 2020 events – WUGC, WJUC and WMUC – as scheduled.
There are two major events scheduled to take place in Europe in July: the WFDF 2020 World Ultimate & Guts Championships (11-18 July in Netherlands) and the WFDF 2020 World Junior Ultimate Championships (18-25 July in Sweden). The WFDF 2020 World Masters Ultimate Championships is to be held in September in Australia.
The measures being taken around the globe by international, national and local governments are extraordinary in response to the seriousness of the situation we now face. As this is a new disease, there is no certainty about how or when the pandemic will run its course. WFDF’s first priority will always be the safety and well-being of all athletes and other participants. WFDF thanks all of the medical personnel around the world, working tirelessly at reducing and eradicating this unprecedented threat, and it is in solidarity with the whole of society to contain the virus.
Although WFDF is closely monitoring the unfolding developments and updated information from various health organizations and government authorities, based on continuing conversations and research, WFDF is still planning on holding the events in July, as scheduled. WFDF and the Tournament Organizing Committees (the “TOCs”) are proceeding with event planning for these events, given the considerable amount of time to assess and respond to developments between now and July. WFDF will continue to monitor the situation on a daily basis and will evaluate this evolving situation as new facts and information, as well as government advisories, present themselves. WFDF is also considering what steps can be taken at our events to ensure the safety of our athletes, staff, and spectators.
We have received a number of inquiries from teams and member national federations asking for more information about team fees and player fee refunds if the events are eventually cancelled or postponed. The WFDF policy on tournament fee payments is that they are non-refundable; however, given the unprecedented nature of the present situation, should an event be cancelled, the intent is to have the TOCs reimburse teams as possible with available funds that have not been spent or that have been refunded from vendors and suppliers for such events. WFDF and the TOCs are using all reasonable measures to minimize the impact any such cancellations would have. We appreciate your patience in this effort. WFDF encourages all participants to continue to prepare for the July events as best they can.
Rest assured, WFDF will only hold our events if permitted by government regulations and if the health and safety of all participants and spectators can reasonably be assured. Teams and participants making their own travel arrangements (flights, rental cars, visas, personal accommodations, etc) need to be aware of, understand, and take into consideration the terms of sale when entering into any purchase or contract. WFDF recommends that any travellers purchase travel insurance to minimize the impact of a cancelled event, to the extent possible and feasible.
WFDF will provide additional updates as new information develops.
Latest WFDF Communiques
29 June 2020 - Official Communication 
The World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) is proud to present the newly published e-book “Ultimate at Schools Programme Teacher’s File” by author José Amoroso. This e-book provides 139 pages of teaching materials in the Flying Disc sport of Ultimate, on the rules of the game, specific aspects of the sport like throwing and catching, and teaching methods and learning assessment, along with a brief overview of other Flying Disc disciplines. An important part of the book is an introduction to Ultimate’s concept of “spirit of the game.”
“It is a great pleasure to present this first e-book issued for school and university teachers on the Flying Disc sport of Ultimate, which we hope will help spread the knowledge about our sport around the world,” commented WFDF President Robert “Nob” Rauch. “The book, originally published by José Amoroso in Portuguese and now translated to English, is proudly supported and published by the World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) as part of our Development Programme funded with the cooperation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
10 June 2020 - Official Communication
Brings membership to 87 Countries
The World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) is pleased to announce that its Congress has approved the Cayman Islands Ultimate Association and Malawi Flying Disc Federation as its newest Member associations, increasing WFDF’s membership to 87 countries.
“To add Cayman Islands and Malawi to the Flying Disc Family during these difficult times is perhaps a harbinger of the return to the organized practice of Flying Disc sports around the globe and further proof of the effectiveness of the WFDF Development Program,” commented WFDF President Robert “Nob” Rauch. “To be able to expand our membership in the Carribean and Africa shows how the focus of WFDF’s development efforts are supporting the expansion of Flying Disc in all regions around the world. While efforts are obviously more complicated now, we are looking forward to add other candidates for membership soon despite the difficulties.”
26 May 2020 - Official Communication
Worlds (WUGC) and Masters (WMUC) events to be postponed to 2021, Juniors (WJUC) canceled
As published by WFDF on the 19th March 2020, WFDF’s three major events WUGC, WJUC and WMUC scheduled to take place in 2020 were all put on hold due to the outbreak and global pandemic of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus). After extensive meetings since March with key stakeholders, the event hosts and TOCs, the WFDF Ultimate Committee and Events Team followed by agreement from the WFDF Board of Directors, WFDF is announcing to all member associations, teams, and athletes that the Worlds (WUGC) and Masters (WMUC) championships will be rescheduled to 2021 and the Juniors championships (WJUC) will unfortunately be canceled.
02 April 2020 - Official Communication
The International World Games Association (IWGA) announced that The World Games will be rescheduled and will now be held from 7 to 17 July 2022. The decision was approved by the member Federations of IWGA on the programme of the Games in Birmingham, AL, USA, via a videoconference call. From the IWGA release:
“The International World Games Association (IWGA) and Birmingham Organising Committee (BOC) have agreed to postpone the 11th edition of The World Games until 7th to 17th July 2022. The Games had originally been planned to take place from 15–25 July next year.
The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to move the Tokyo Olympic Games to July 2021 made a significant impact on the planning of The World Games in Birmingham, Alabama. Keeping to the original dates in July 2021 would have meant excluding many athletes and officials involved in the Olympics, and would have led to a potential reduction in public and media interest. When the IOC announced its decision, the BOC urgently set about assessing what alternative dates might be viable, particularly as regards venues and accommodation. Meanwhile, the staff of the IWGA were establishing when the vital services provided by key partners, such as Swiss Timing and International Sports Broadcasting, could still be made available.
It soon became clear that only one 10-day period existed in which venues, accommodation and key partner support could be guaranteed: 7–17 July 2022. The IWGA Member Federations with sports on the programme gave their full support to delaying The World Games, and the joint decision of the IWGA and BOC Boards to adopt these new dates was unanimously approved by the federations in a video conference”.
“WFDF is very supportive of the decision to reschedule The World Games, a decision that was unanimously approved by the member federations with sports on TWG Programme,” commented WFDF President Robert “Nob” Rauch, who represented WFDF during this decision-making videoconference. “We are very grateful to the the Birmingham Organizing Committee (BOC), the IWGA Executive Committee and their staff, and all partners of IWGA including the Sports Broadcaster ISB and SwissTiming, to allow for such a speedy decision to be taken. This will now enable WFDF and its member associations to analyze and determine further adjustments to our plans for the 2021 and 2022 event calendars.”
Added Volker Bernardi, WFDF Executive Director and member of the IWGA Executive Committee: “We have to thank the BOC under the leadership of CEO Nick Sellers and the IWGA Executive Committee supported by the IWGA staff for dealing with the current crisis and making such a speedy decision. This announcment ends all uncertainty and speculation and gives great credibility to IWGA as an organisation and The World Games as a Multisport Games event. I would like to express my sincere thanks to my colleagues within the IWGA Executive Committee and particularly the IWGA staff for their great support and hard work during this process, and the BOC for being incredibly supportive in making a decision which I fully believe benefits all stakeholders.”
WFDF is also pleased to report that the IWGA President, Spaniard José Perurena-Lopez, is recovering from his COVID-19 infection and we wish him all the best with a full and rapid recovery in these difficult times.”
You can read the full Press Release issued by IWGA here. 24 March 2020 - Official Communication
Health and safety concerns due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic outweigh all other factors
After consultation with medical experts and the various Tournament Organizing Committees (TOCs), the World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) today announced that it is cancelling or postponing all scheduled world championship events for at least the next six months of 2020, due to the impact of the Covid-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic. This decision takes into consideration first and foremost the safety and health of WFDF athletes, in addition to the uncertainties around the spread of this disease, and resulted after extensive deliberations this last weekend among the Executive Committee of WFDF’s board, staff, and WFDF Medical Officer, Dr. Jamie Nuwer. This decision will affect the following events, at minimum: the WFDF 2020 World Ultimate & Guts Championships (11-18 July in the Netherlands), the WFDF 2020 World Junior Ultimate Championships (18-25 July in Sweden), and the WFDF 2020 World Masters Ultimate Championships (5-12 September in Australia).
“We regret having to take this extraordinary decision, but the health and safety of our athletes, team support, volunteers, staff, and spectators is our paramount concern,” stated WFDF President Robert “Nob” Rauch. “We know that this decision will disappoint many athletes who have been extensively training for these competitions, but it is difficult to imagine moving forward given the current environment of border shutdowns, individual lockdowns, and other exceptional governmental actions. We appreciate the understanding of our incredible TOCs who have been working on these events for the last three years. Further, WFDF appreciates all of the medical personnel around the world, working tirelessly at reducing and eradicating this unprecedented threat, and we are in solidarity with the whole of society to contain the virus.”
WFDF is currently in consultation with the TOCs to discuss alternatives. WFDF Vice President and Chair of the Ultimate Committee, Brian Gisel, stated “We are looking at the possibility of postponing the World Masters Ultimate Championships to September 2021. It may be far more difficult to postpone to next year either the World Junior Ultimate Championships or the World Ultimate & Guts Championships, given the already crowded summer schedule featuring The World Games, World Under-24 Ultimate Championships, and the World Championships of Beach Ultimate. We are considering the possibility of a smaller event toward year-end that could serve as a qualifying event for The World Games, which are being held 15-25 July 2021 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. We will continue to evaluate the rearrangement of the WFDF schedule, and will remain flexible as events warrant, with the hope of resuming normal operations as soon as possible.”
With regard to team fees and player fees that have already been paid, WFDF is instructing the TOCs to use all unspent funds or prepaid amounts that can be reclaimed from the vendors and suppliers of the events in order to reimburse teams and players, to the extent possible. WFDF appreciates the patience of the teams and athletes as the TOCs work through this complex process over the coming month. We ask the teams to follow instructions supplied via email on the appropriate channels to ask questions and seek information, instead of emailing the TOCs or WFDF directly.
Nothing is more important to WFDF than the health and safety of its athletes, staff, and spectators. WFDF continues to observe the precautions and practices recommended by public health experts. We encourage the entire Flying Disc community to follow the advice of your local authorities as to best practices in this difficult situation, and refer you to the World Health Organization for definitive guidance: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public WFDF sends its best wishes to all individuals and communities that are affected by Covid-19.
WFDF will provide additional updates as new information develops. 20 March 2020 - Official Communication
Consideration of the impact from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic
Following the outbreak of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) and its rapid spread around the world, WFDF released an official statement on 4 March regarding the impact of the pandemic on its world championship events scheduled for the coming months. As of 19 March 2020, WFDF remains fully committed to holding the 2020 events – WUGC, WJUC and WMUC – as scheduled.
There are two major events scheduled to take place in Europe in July: the WFDF 2020 World Ultimate & Guts Championships (11-18 July in Netherlands) and the WFDF 2020 World Junior Ultimate Championships (18-25 July in Sweden). The WFDF 2020 World Masters Ultimate Championships is to be held in September in Australia.
05 March 2020 - Official Communication
Following the outbreak of COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) in China and the high number of cases across Asia and its spreading to other parts of the world, the Executive Committee of the WFDF Board of Directors and WFDF staff members held a meeting this last weekend with WFDF Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jamie M. Nuwer to evaluate the impact of this situation on the upcoming WFDF World Ultimate 2020 events (WUGC, WJUC and WMUC).
There are two major events scheduled to take place in Europe in July: the WFDF 2020 World Ultimate & Guts Championships (11-18 July in Netherlands) and the WFDF 2020 World Junior Ultimate Championships (18-25 July in Sweden). The WFDF 2020 World Masters Ultimate Championships is to be hosted in September in Australia.
22 February 2020 - Official Communication
The World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) is pleased to announce that WFDF and BULA have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding for the two-year period 2020-2021. Both WFDF and BULA wish to continue a working arrangement to their mutual benefit and for the benefit of the Beach Ultimate Community. The MoU outlines the ways that WFDF and BULA will continue to support the growth and development of the sport and cooperate with each other in these efforts while WFDF will be fully assuming the organization of World and Continental National Team Championships in order to standardize event organization.
“WFDF and BULA have been formally working together since 2011 to promote the growth and development of the discipline of Beach Ultimate,” stated WFDF President Robert “Nob” Rauch. “Beach Ultimate has experienced tremendous growth and we are both committed to work to see that continue.”
21 February 2020 - Official Communication
The World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) has approved Universe Point as the WFDF Official Footwear Supplier and Partner for 2020-2023, after a competitive bidding process that was held in late 2019. This exclusive agreement will run for four years beginning in January 2020 and Universe Point will be granted exclusive sales rights at WFDF sanctioned events.
“We are delighted to award Universe Point the official footwear supplier contract again after a successful relationship over the last couple years,” said WFDF President Robert “Nob” Rauch. “They identified the marketplace need for Ultimate cleats designed specifically for Ultimate athletes. Their footwear is winning acclaim at every level of our sport and their partnership support will assist us as we continue to grow Ultimate and all Flying Disc sports.”
21 January 2020 - Official Communication
The World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) has released a new version of the Appendix to the Rules of Ultimate 2017. The new version came into effect as of 1 January 2020.
These rules will be used for all WFDF Ultimate Events in 2020, including the upcoming World Ultimate and Guts Championships, World Junior Ultimate Championships, and World Masters Ultimate Championships. Non-WFDF event organizers may also choose to use these rules for their events.
These are the main changes for version 4.0:
● Change the name of the "Men's" Division to the "Open" Division
● Adjustments to the seeding and bids process
● Changes to offside penalties
● New hand signals for "4 Men" and "4 Women" (Updated hand signals will be released later in 2020)
● Direction on how photographic or video footage should be used
● Guidance on how to deal with dangerous plays
● Changes to receiving fouls for contact that occurs after a block
The new appendix can be found here.
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