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OVERVIEW It is assumed that no player will intentionally violate the rules. Thus there are no harsh penalties in the UPA rules for inadvertent infractions, but rather a method for resuming play in a manner that simulates what most likely would have occurred absent the infraction. In Ultimate, an intentional infraction is considered cheating and a gross offense against the spirit of sportsmanship. Often a player is in a position to gain an advantage by committing an infraction, but that player is ethically bound to abide by the rules. The integrity of Ultimate depends on each player’s responsibility to uphold the Spirit of the Game™, and this responsibility should remain paramount. PHILOSOPHY Spirit of the Game, often abbreviated as SOTG, is the unique philosophy that differentiates this game, and arguably makes it better, than any other sport. The effect of Spirit in Ultimate cannot be denied. The ultimate community has created and nurtured this quality such that it permeates the culture and etiquette of the sport. That said, the application, perhaps even the understanding, of the Spirit of the Game, has ebbed and flowed since its conception in 1968. However, individual or team personalities aside, Spirit is alive and strong in the Ultimate community today. By Spirit of the Game, we are not referring to the cheers, songs, mini-games, or Haikus that commonly celebrate a hard-played game and serve to deflate any strong emotions that may threaten to bleed into future matches. It is not the non-traditional uniforms (skirts, comical hats, or silly costumes) that reveal that fun is just as important as winning. Although these are related to Spirit, they should not be used to evaluate the degree of spirit in a team or player. Spirit is evident when players take back a poor call. It also reveals itself when national champioinships are held without referees. Rather, Spirit is the demonstration of respect, the emphasis on joy of play, and honesty. Respect for both your fellow team-mates and your competitors is essential to the game. It becomes apparent by the digity and integrity that you bring to the field. It is vindicated when you understand that no matter how right you are, someone else's reality may turn out to be different, and you accept that disagreement without anger or heated argument. Honesty and integrity means that you play the game fairly. It is shameful conduct to mis-use the freedom in the rules of Ultimate to gain an advantage. Both the rules and the culture of this game actively dissuade any such behaviour. Intentional violations, attempts to bend or break the rules if an opportunity presents itself, or consistently pushing the rules are forbidden. There is no place in ultimate for cheaters. Joy of play means that you do not play to win at all costs. Instead, you play to win fairly, honestly, and with joy. Your opponent is not your enemy, just your competitor. Playing with spirit implies that two teams can give their best effort on the field of lay and still walk away smiling, regardless of the outcome. Remember: Winning isn't everything. It takes constant, unyielding effort to maintain the Spirit of the Game. Play fair; play hard. Ultimate is growing faster than any other team sport in North America. Experienced coaches and mentors are becoming more difficult to recruit as the number of teams increases. The influx of new players threatens to dilute the elevated standards of the game and increase the incidence of unspirited play. Therefore, it is encumbant on every player to strive to uphold the precious principle of spirit at all times. Spirit of the Game is an infection that can be contagious: The more people that embrace it, the easier it is for others to catch. The effort is definitely worthwhile. An Ultimate game played with spirit is an ultimate game indeed! TEN THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SPIRIT OF THE GAME 1. The golden rule: treat others as you would want to be treated. Spirited games result from mutual respect among opponents. Assume the best of your opponent. Give him or her the benefit of a doubt. You would want the same for yourself. But if you are thick-skinned, do not assume that your opponent is. Maybe you should think of this rule as, “treat others as you would have them treat your mother.” 2. Control: SOTG takes real effort. SOTG is not just some abstract principle that everyone adopts and then games run smoothly without effort. Close calls are made in tight games. Hard fouls are committed. SOTG is about how you handle yourself under pressure: how you contain your emotionality, tame your temper, and modulate your voice. If you initiate or contribute to the unraveling of spirit, the concept falls apart quickly. If you act to mend things (or at least not exacerbate the situation) by following point 1, the game heals itself. 3. Heckling and taunting are different. Ultimate has a long tradition of good-natured heckling. Heckles are friendly barbs, typically from nonplaying spectators. Heckling can be fun, but taunting is unspirited and wrong. Harassing remarks after an opponent's foul call or close play are NOT heckling: they are abusive taunts which create unpleasant playing conditions and often escalate to acrimonious disputes. 4. SOTG is compatible with championship play. It is a fallacy to argue that the stakes are so important that some aspect of SOTG can be cast aside. Time and again, great teams and star players have shown that you can bring all your competitive and athletic zeal to a game without sacrificing fair play or respect for your opponent. 5. Don’t “give as you got.” There is no “eye for an eye.” If you are wronged, you have no right to wrong someone in return. In the extreme case where you were severely mistreated, you may bring the issue up with a captain, tournament director, or even lodge a complaint with the governing body. If you retaliate in kind, however, a complaint may be filed against you. We recall point 1: treat others as you would have them treat you, not as they have treated you. In the end, you are responsible for you. 6. Breathe. After a hard foul, close call, or disputed play, take a step back, pause, and take a deep breath. In the heat of competition, emotions run high. By giving yourself just a bit of time and space, you will gain enough perspective to compose yourself and concentrate on the facts involved in the dispute (was she in or out; did you hit his hand or the disc; did that pick affect the play). Your restraint will induce a more restrained response from your opponent. Conflagration averted, you may resume business as usual. 7. When you do the right thing, people notice. When you turn the other cheek, you know you've done the right thing. You may not hear praise, there may be no standing ovation, but people do notice. Eventually, their respect for you and their appreciation of the game will grow. 8. Be generous with praise. Compliment an opponent on her good catch. Remark to a teammate that you admire his honesty in calling himself out-of-bounds. Look players in the eye and congratulate them when you shake their hands after a game. These small acts boost spirit greatly, a large payoff for little time and effort. 9. Impressions linger. Not only does the realization that your actions will be remembered for a long time serve to curb poor behavior, it can also inspire better conduct. Many old-timers enjoy the experience of meeting an elite player who remembers their first rendezvous on the field and recalls the event in detail. A good first encounter with an impressionable young player can have considerable long-term positive impact. 10. Have fun. All other things being equal, games are far more fun without the antipathy. Go hard. Play fair. Have fun. Reference: Official Rules of Ultimate 11th Edition SPIRIT RATING Many leagues and tournaments in North America encourage the display of spirit during sponsored games by means of spirit scores and spirit prizes. At the end of each game, teams may gather in a circle and rate the other teams spirit level by a display of hands. The captain is responsible for submitting the average of the players' scores (on a level of one to five)to the league coordinator after each game. The team with the highest Spirit Score at the end of league or tournament play is often presented with the highly coveted Spirit Award and a prize. Teams often misunderstand the basis for rating other teams, so we are suggesting our Spirit Rating System as an example to offer to your leagues. SPIRIT STORIES We are posting real-life examples of Spirited (and Un-Spirited) Ultimate experiences. Our motive is to share with one and all the importance of Spirit in relation to Ultimate -and for some life in general. The negative outcomes of a poorly spirited experience are obvious and we can all learn from them. Competitive play with Spirit has always been a highly important aspect of Ultimate, and it is up to each one of us to keep that way. Read about these Spirit Stories or submit your own experiences. |
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RULES OF ULTIMATE You can find more information on the Spirit of the Game here. The official UPA rules of Ultimate are here. If you prefer, the UPA site has an abbreviated version of the rules, called the 10 Rules of Ultimate , that can be used as a "quick-start" guide. |
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