7. The Pull
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7.1. At the start of the game, after half-time or after a score, play commences with a throw by the defence, called a "pull".
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7.1.1. Teams must prepare for the pull without unreasonable delay.
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7.2. The pull may be made only after both teams have signalled their readiness by having the puller and a player on offence raise a hand above their head.
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7.3. After signalling readiness all offensive players must stand with one foot on their defending goal line without changing location relative to one another until the pull is released.
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7.4. After signalling readiness all defensive players must keep their feet entirely behind the vertical plane of the goal line until the pull is released.
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7.5. If a team breaches 7.3 or 7.4 the opposing team may call a violation (“offside”). This must be called before the offence touches the disc (7.8 still applies).
- 7.5.1. If the defence chooses to call offside, the thrower must establish a pivot point as per 7.9, 7.10, 7.11, or 7.12 and then play restarts as soon as possible as if a time-out had been called at that location.
- 7.5.2. If the offence chooses to call offside, they must let the disc hit the ground untouched and then resume play as if a brick has been called (no check is required).
- 7.6. As soon as the disc is released, all players may move in any direction.
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7.7. No player on the defensive team may touch the disc after a pull until a member of the offensive team contacts the disc or the disc hits the ground.
- 7.8. If an offensive player, in-bounds or out-of-bounds, touches the disc before it hits the ground, and the offensive team fails to subsequently establish possession, that is a turnover (a “dropped pull”).
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7.9. If an offensive player catches the pull and subsequently establishes possession, they must establish a pivot point at the location on the playing field nearest to where possession is established, even if that pivot point is in their defending end zone.
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7.10. If the disc initially contacts the playing field and never becomes out-of-bounds, the thrower must establish a pivot point where the disc stops, even if that pivot point is in their defending end zone.
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7.11. If the disc initially contacts the playing field and then becomes out-of-bounds without contacting an offensive player, the thrower must establish a pivot point where the disc first crossed the perimeter line, or the nearest location in the central zone if that pivot point would be in their defending end zone.
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7.11.1. If the disc does contact an offensive player before it becomes out-of-bounds the thrower must establish a pivot point where the disc first crossed the perimeter line, even if that pivot point is in their defending end zone.
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7.12. If the disc contacts the out-of-bounds area without first touching the playing field or an offensive player, the thrower may establish a pivot point either at the brick mark closest to their defending end zone, or at the location on the central zone closest to where the disc went out-of-bounds (Section 11.8). The binding brick option must be signalled before the disc is picked up, by any offensive player fully extending one arm overhead and calling "brick".