Spirit of the Game
Spirit of the Game
Spirit of the Game is at the heart of Ultimate and is a defining characteristic of the sport. With no referees, Ultimate relies on the Spirit of the Game, placing the onus of sportsmanship and honourable play on the players themselves.
Spirit of the Game: Ultimate relies upon a spirit of sportsmanship that places the responsibility for fair play on the player. Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of mutual respect among competitors, adherence to the agreed upon rules, or the basic joy of play. Protection of these vital elements serves to eliminate unsportsmanlike conduct from the Ultimate field. Such actions as taunting opposing players, dangerous aggression, belligerent intimidation, intentional infractions, or other win-at-all-costs behavior are contrary to the spirit of the game and must be avoided by all players.” USAU 11th Edition Rules, Rule 1.b.
“102 Spirit of the Rules: Flying disc sports have traditionally relied upon a spirit of sportsmanship which places the responsibility of fair play on the players themselves. Highly competitive and committed play is encouraged, but never at the expense of the bond of mutual respect between players, adherence to the agreed upon rules of any event, nor the basic enjoyment of play. Protection of these vital elements serves to eliminate adverse conduct from the playing field. The responsibility for the maintenance of this spirit rests on each player’s shoulders.” WFDF Rules: Article 1 General 102
Guides to Spirit of the Games
- Ten things you should know about Spirit of the Game (USAU): 10 SOTG
- Teaching Spirit of the Game (USAU): Teaching Spirit of the Game
- A How to Guide (TUC, by John Harris): How to Guide
- Improving Spirit (WFDF): Improving Spirit
- Article on “Making Spirit Scores Meaningful“
Spirit Scoring Tools
- WFDF/BULA Spirit Rating System: WFDF/BULA System
- WFDF Scoring Examples: Examples
- TUC Spirit Rating System: TUC System
- USAU Spirit Ranking Guidelines: USAU System