MZU’s Subbing Policy has been updated and will take effect at the start of the 2025 Summer BIY League.
If you have any questions at all, please email: hi@milezeroultimate.com
Roster Compliance (BIY Leagues)
The first step to lessening the reliance on substitute players is to ensure Rosters are compliant.
Refer to Rules – Field and Team Composition for specific requirements for various MZU League Offerings.
For BIY leagues: All teams must submit a compliant roster by the league registration deadline. If a team does not meet the roster requirements MZU will take steps, in the following order, to assist the team in fulfilling a compliant roster.
- Contact team captains to ensure a player did not miss the original registration deadline, if so player can be added to the roster and must pay a nominal late registration fee within 48 hours of the original deadline.
- Players will be added to the roster from the solo registrants. Solo registrants will be added to meet the gender ratio requirements and in order of registration as per the time stamp on their registration. Teams with the most players will have their roster fulfilled first.
- In the event the roster cannot be fulfilled within 72 hours of the original registration deadline the team may be dissolved.
- If only one team is non-compliant the roster will be dissolved and players will have the option to have their registration refunded or join other teams
- If more than one team is non-compliant and neither team volunteers to dissolve in order to be split among other non-compliant teams, the teams may be entered into a lottery.
- One team (or more depending on need and number of incomplete team rosters submitted) whose ball is drawn will be dissolved and players from that team(s) will be added to the rosters of the other incomplete teams in the lottery to try to construct rosters of 14 players or more.
- Teams must indicate if any players on their roster do not wish to be placed on other teams prior to the lottery draw as this may potentially impact the number of teams that may need to be dissolved.
- Lottery odds will be based on roster size of incomplete teams, with the number of people less than the minimum required roster size of 14 equaling the total number of balls in the lotto draw. I.e. teams with a rosters of 13 people receiving just 1 ball in the lottery, teams with 12 receiving 2 balls in the lottery and so on.
- The league will make an attempt to help players form a team or be added to another team, however, no team that submitted a compliant roster of 14 or more players by the registration deadline is required to accept extra players to their roster.
Player Subbing Eligibility
Often times teams will require substitutes in order to have enough players to field a game. A substitute player must meet the following criteria:
- Players MUST have paid their UNL membership fee that covers the time period for the particular league of play. An exception will be made for first time players, who can opt to sign a one-time waiver for their first game. The UNL membership fee must be paid for any additional games;
- Be at least 18 years of age by the end of the current year;
- Not be suspended from MZU or any other UNL leagues;
- Individuals must know who they are subbing for and may only substitute for rostered players with equal or better skill level.
- Individuals may sub for any number of games throughout the regular season and may sub for one playoff game.
Team Subbing Eligibility (BIY Leagues)
All efforts shall be made to play the game as scheduled even if it means playing games with the minimum number of players (3 Female-matching and 3 Male Matching). Substitute players should only be requested so that games can be played as scheduled, they are not meant to maintain and/or increase the skill level of your team. However, if an equally skilled player has been agreed upon by the opposing team, they are an acceptable substitute player.
- By default, teams are only allowed to have subs in the regular season so that they have
- 6 male-matching and 6 female-matching players in 7v7 leagues;
- 5 male-matching and 5 female-matching players in 6v6 leagues;
- 5 male-matching and 5 female-matching players in 5v5 leagues;
- 4 male-matching and 4 female-matching players in 4v4 leagues.
- Teams will be capped for the number of allowable substitute players during the regular season at 75% of the total regular season games rounded up to the nearest whole number. (i.e. for an 11 game regular season, teams are allowed 9 total substitute players)
- Teams are encouraged to make contact with the opposing team as early as possible to discuss and agree on any substitute players. If teams cannot agree 48 hours prior to game time, the requesting team must contact the VP League and cc the opposing team captain.
- Captains should still make every effort to resolve the situation themselves (e.g., finding an alternate sub) and contacting VP League should be a last resort to resolve the situation.
- The decision of a Captain to contact VP League should not be seen as unspirited by the opposing team.
- After a review, VP League has the ability to overturn the opposing Captain’s decision to decline a sub and allow them to participate in the game.
- Captains should always ensure that players are eligible, the Captains Clause can not be used to circumvent eligibility/subbing rules.
- If players participate in a game where they are not an eligible sub, the game will be defaulted.
- Except in unforeseen circumstances teams shall not request substitute players within 2 hours of the game start time.
Captains MUST record subs post-game, failure to do this may result in penalty. MZU is continually trying to improve subbing policies and captains’ cooperation is greatly appreciated.
Subbing Rules
Definitions:
- Registered Player is one who has registered for the current league and is on the roster of a team playing in the current league.
- Unregistered Player is one who has not registered for the current league and is not on the roster of a team playing in the current league.
BIY Regular Season Subbing Rules:
- Subs can only be used in the case of an injured or missing player.
- The number of substitute players may not exceed the number of rostered players participating in the game. This applies individually to female-matching and male-matching players. For example, if there are 2 rostered female-matching players, and 3 female-matching player subs, then they are not in line with this policy.
- Teams are only allowed to have subs in the regular season so that they have
- 6 male-matching and 6 female-matching players in 7v7 leagues;
- 5 male-matching and 5 female-matching players in 6v6 leagues;
- 5 male-matching and 5 female-matching players in 5v5 leagues;
- 4 male-matching and 4 female-matching players in 4v4 leagues.
- Registered Players and Unregistered Players can sub in any number of games per season.
- Players can sub with multiple teams.
- Players can sub multiple games on the same night
- Subs should be made in accordance with Spirit of the Game
- The subbing player should not greatly influence the outcome of the game, substitute players should only be requested so that games can be played as scheduled, they are not meant to maintain and/or increase the skill level of your team.
- Should the substitute player or captains determine that the sub outclasses the level at which they are playing, the sub should adjust accordingly to match the game play.
BIY Playoff Subbing Rules:
- Registered Players CAN sub in ONE PLAYOFF GAME.
- Unregistered Players can sub ONE PLAYOFF GAME.
- All playoff substitutes must be accepted by the opposing team and approved by the league.
- Teams are only allowed to have subs in playoffs so they have a maximum of the following:
- 7v7 League – 6 male-matching and 6 female-matching players
- 6v6 League – 5 male-matching and 5 female-matching players
- 5v5 League – 5 male-matching and 5 female-matching players
- 4v4 League – 4 male-matching and 4 female-matching players
- All other subbing eligibility rules still apply (e.g.: equal or lesser playing level, agreement among captains prior to game)
Hat League Regular Season Subbing Rules:
- All player subbing eligibility rules apply.
- Subs can only be used in the case of an injured or missing player.
- Registered Players and Unregistered Players can sub in any number of games per season.
- Players can sub with multiple teams.
- Players can sub multiple games on the same night.
- Subs should be made in accordance with Spirit of the Game
- The subbing player should not greatly influence the outcome of the game, substitute players should only be requested so that games can be played as scheduled, they are not meant to maintain and/or increase the skill level of your team.
- There is no cap to the number of substitute players in a single game or season for hat leagues.
Hat League Playoff Subbing Rules:
- All regular season hat league subbing rules apply
- Registered Players CAN sub in ONE PLAYOFF GAME.
- Unregistered Players can sub ONE PLAYOFF GAME.
- Teams are only allowed to have subs in playoffs so they have a maximum of the following:
- 6v6 League – 4 male-matching and 4 female-matching players
- 5v5 League – 4 male-matching and 4 female-matching players assuming Rule A is being used. If Rule A is not being used (ie. league is 3/2 with constant gender ratio) then you can have a sub to have one of each gender on the sideline.
- 4v4 League ‒ 3 male-matching and 3 female-matching players
[Updated June 2025]
