July 1, 2026
By Adam Ruffner

THE BACK 12

• For a San Diego team that hasn’t won a playoff-caliber game since May 9 against Atlanta, only two dates with the Bighorns stand between the Growlers and their second straight playoff appearance. And other than their team huck completion rate, there’s nothing this Growlers group does at an elite level; according to Shown Space, there’s no offensive or defensive metric where San Diego exceeds the 73rd percentile. But owing to their star power, there’s still a sense in the South that nobody wants to face a fully healthy and focused Growlers in an elimination game.

• Seattle struggled once again to limit the deep ball, and it allowed Oregon (12-of-13 on hucks) to linger well into the fourth quarter of their Week 10 matchup. The Cascades offense has a lot of balance and speed at the skill positions with Garrett Martin, Zeppelin Raunig, and Conor Belfield leading the charge. But this team makes it harder on themselves by leaving scoring opportunities on the field; the Cascades rank 18th in red zone conversion rate at just 73 percent. This Saturday’s battle in Salt Lake against the Shred will be a true test for a Cascades team still looking to certify their second place status.

22.Vegas Bighorns (-)
Record: 0-10
Last result: 14-11 (L) vs Houston
Next game: July 4 vs San Diego

21. Houston Havoc (-)
Record: 2-8
Last result: 25-15 (L) at San Diego
Next game: July 17 vs Austin

20. Philadelphia Phoenix (-)
Record: 1-7
Last result: 30-14 (L) at Boston
Next game: July 1 vs New York

19. Oregon Steel (-)
Record: 1-9
Last result: 20-18 (L) at Seattle
Next game: July 10 vs Seattle

18. Chicago Union (-)
Record: 1-6
Last result: 14-11 (L) vs Madison
Next game: July 3 at Minnesota

17. Montreal Royal (-)
Record: 2-8
Last result: 25-18 (W) vs Philadelphia
Next game: July 5 vs Toronto

16. Pittsburgh Thunderbirds (-)
Record: 2-5
Last result: 22-18 (W) vs Chicago
Next game: July 5 vs Minnesota

15. Indianapolis AlleyCats (-)
Record: 2-5
Last result: 21-17 (L) vs Madison
Next game: July 3 at Madison (Friday NIght Frisbee)

14. Colorado Apex (-)
Record: 3-7
Last result: 26-17 (L) vs Oakland
Next game: July 3 vs Seattle

13. San Diego Growlers (-)
Record: 5-5
Last result: 25-15 (W) vs Houston
Next game: July 4 vs Vegas

12. Seattle Cascades (-)
Record: 5-3
Last result: 20-18 (W) vs Oregon
Next game: July 3 at Colorado

11. Madison Radicals (-)
Record: 5-3
Last result: 21-17 (W) at Indianapolis
Next game: July 3 vs Indianapolis (Friday NIght Frisbee)

THE TOP 10

10. Atlanta Hustle (-2)
Record: 5-5
Last result: 21-20 (L, OT) at Carolina
Next game: July 11 vs Austin

Five losses for a team that, statistically, ranks in the top seven in offensive and defensive success rate is a tough pill to swallow. But something hasn’t been adding up between this Atlanta team’s numbers and their performance on the field all season long, and last Friday night in Carolina it showed down the stretch. The Hustle continually got pinned along sidelines when in possession of the disc, and it led to layout block opportunities for their opponents. Now the reigning divisional champs from the South must win out to qualify for the playoffs AND rely on something that has never happened before—a Vegas win. 

9. Toronto Rush (+1)
Record: 5-4
Last result: 22-17 (W) at Seattle
Next game: July 5 at Montreal

The Rush are still on the outside looking on once again in the East Division playoff race, but they’re one of the most watchable teams in 2026. Max Pettenuzzo and Martin Gallant continue to push tempo for the offense, but their “fill” pieces have a lot of rhythm in this system as well. Rookie Spencer Dillon has multiple huck completions in five of his nine starts, and ranks 14th overall in the UFA this season with 13 total hucks at a 72 percent clip. 31-year-old passer Ryan Poloz has also benefitted from the increased speed, and his short range, high velocity hammers do a lot to open up looks downfield. 

8. Salt Lake Shred (+1)
Record: 5-5
Last result: 20-19 (L) vs Oakland
Next game: July 4 vs Seattle

After being buried alive for the first two thirds of the game against Oakland, the Shred fought all the way back from 17-8 to have a chance to tie in the final moments of regulation thanks to Chad Yorgason’s block in the flat. But it was not to be for the Shred as they dropped their second straight heartbreaker at home. The 25 turnovers and 45 percent offensive efficiency ended up being too much to overcome, and while this Salt Lake team has certainly shown their playmaking to be at the level of a contender, their point-by-point focus isn’t there yet. 

7. Austin Sol (-)
Record: 8-0
Last result: 21-20 (W, 2OT) vs San Diego
Next game: July 10 at Carolina

The Sol are about to slingshot through the final part of their regular season schedule following this multi-week bye they’re currently in. The current one seed in the South still have their Carolina-Atlanta back-to-back road trip coming up, and they can’t sleep on their two-game set against Houston to end the season; the Havoc have never beaten the Sol, and knocking Austin from their first place perch would be a high honor for Houston. The Sol’s ability to produce blocks continues to be a defining reason for their late-game successes, and they’ve improved from 13th in 2025 to third in 2026 (9.2 blocks per game to 12.2). 

6. DC Breeze (-)
Record: 6-3
Last result: 27-18 (L) vs Boston
Next game: July 3 at Philadelphia

The Breeze restart their schedule this Friday, and man is it good to see AJ Merriman back in the active lineup after missing the past few weeks with an ankle injury. The two-way star returns alongside the season debut of former Callahan winner Aidan Downey, which gives DC even more elite passers to attack with in transition/on the fastbreak. This team feels like a sleeping giant at this midsummer juncture. 

5. Carolina Flyers (-)
Record: 9-2
Last result: 21-20 (W, OT) vs Atlanta
Next game: July 10 vs Austin

For the second time in three years, Carolina effectively ended Atlanta’s season. The offense is now in the hands of nex-gen superstars Tobias Brooks and Zeke Thoreson, while the Flyers defense is playing like the best unit in the league towards the end of the regular season. Cooper Williams, Matt Tucker, and Friday night’s overtime hero Drew Swanson provide so much size and athleticism, and their instincts on how to attack smaller matchups is a primary fuel for this historically good counterattack.

4. New York Empire (-)
Record: 6-2
Last result: 17-15 (L, OT) vs Boston
Next game: July 1 at Philadelphia

With the exception of their July 12 game at Toronto, the Empire won’t face another prospective playoff team on their regular season schedule. New York has yet to officially lock up their seventh straight postseason appearance, but a win tonight against Philly coupled with a Toronto loss at Montreal on Sunday would do it. The offense has slowed down from their historic pace to start the season, but the Empire still rank number one in O-line success rate with three weeks to play in the regular season.

3. Oakland Spiders (-)
Record: 9-1
Last result: 20-19 (W) at Salt Lake
Next game: July 17 at Salt Lake

With two questionable late game performances in their last three matches, it’s safe to wonder again if the Spiders have fully evolved past the foibles that undid them during last year’s playoffs. Once again, Oakland generated a high volume of red zone chances on the road, and once again they failed to hit even a 70 percent conversion rate. And for as good as this team looks at weaving the disc between their parts, the inability to close the door on drives is really coming back to haunt them in big games. Friday could’ve also just been an anomaly as the Spiders had 25 turnovers on just 10 Shred blocks, their highest turnover amount in over three years. 

2. Boston Glory (-)
Record: 9-1
Last result: 30-14 (W) vs Philadelphia
Next game: July 11 at Minnesota (Free on YouTube)

Similar to a season ago, it feels like Boston’s best frisbee this year lies ahead in the postseason. They’ve not-so-quietly rotated in several different starting lineups, with nearly 40 different players suiting up for the Glory in 2026 so far, and only three players (Lander Decraene, Tobe Decraene, Ryan Dinger) available for all 10 games. The reigning MVP currently leads the league in total scores by a 12-score gap, and he’s already within 11 of eclipsing last season’s (also league leading) total of 91. 

1. Minnesota Wind Chill (-)
Record: 9-0
Last result: 20-16 (W) vs Salt Lake
Next game: July 3 vs Chicago

Despite being billed as possibly the “best defense ever” coming into the season with all their talent, the Wind Chill have had some soft performances against top offenses in 2026; if you just remove their 23-break game against Vegas, Minnesota’s breaks per game number falls from 10.3 to 7.4. Both Madison and Oakland were effective in possessing the disc, and only Justin Burnett has recorded double digit blocks on the Wind Chill so far. It’s not yet a warning sign, but it is something to watch for in the upcoming game against Boston; the Glory offense has been on fire over the past few weeks.