Spirit of the Game in League Play: Explaining, Maintaining

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Spirit of the Game in League Play Explaining,
Maintaining Rewarding
Presented by Elisabeth Bowman, Grass Roots
Ultimate, Boulder, Colo.
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Explaining SOTG Summary

• Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never
  at the expense of mutual respect among players,
  adherence to the agreed upon rules of the game,
  or the basic joy of play.
• Introduction, UPA 10th Edition Rules

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Explaining SOTG cont.

• In Ultimate, an intentional foul is considered
  cheating and a gross offense against the spirit
  of sportsmanship.
• The integrity of Ultimate depends on each
  player's responsibility to uphold the spirit of
  the game
• Preface, UPA 10th Edition Rules

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Explaining SOTG The Reality

• What, no referees?
• Other team sports experience
• Relying on team captains
• Gray areasviolations, etiquette

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Explaining SOTG Etiquette

• If a foul is committed and not called, the
  player who committed the foul should inform the
  infracted player of the foul.
• If a novice player commits an infraction out of
  sincere ignorance of rules, it is common practice
  to stop play and explain the infraction.
• Section XIX. Etiquette, UPA 10th Edition Rules

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Explaining SOTG The Cheer

• Cheer or not to cheer, that is the question
• Hippie-dippie remnant or important part of SOTG
  and Ultimate?
• Embodies SOTG

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Maintaining SOTG Proactive

• Emphasis by league leadership and team captains
• Setting an examplemaking the right call at all
  times
• Beginners clinic
• Focusing on SOTG in an explanation sheet for all
  new players (Top 10 Things to Know About Ultimate)

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Maintaining SOTG Top 10 List

• Spirit of the Game (SOTG)
• Self-officiated
• Non-contact sport
• Fouls
• Movement of the disc
• Disc space
• Change of possession
• Legitimate position
• Picks and screens are prohibited
• Going for the disc is NEVER an excuse

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Maintaining SOTG

• Board determined that some sort of formal ranking
  and recognition of SOTG needed to be implemented
• Spring 04 SOTG ranking system for all captains
  to use AFTER each game (inspired by UPA Nationals
  in 2003)

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Maintaining SOTG 1st Attempt
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Maintaining SOTG Association de Ultimate de
Montreal System

• Series of questions with corresponding pluses and
  minuses for each question
• Base score for all teams assumed good SOTG
  minuses and pluses accrue based on opponents
  experience playing the team
• Online format scores tallied by algorithm
• Spirit Score 5 (total_plus) (total_minus)

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Maintaining SOTG Modifications

• In summer 04, simplified format to yes or no
  answers (based on comprehension issues)
• Anecdotal feedback has been generally positive
• Plan to distribute survey in January/February
  2005 to solicit feedback from all captains

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Rewarding SOTG

• Rankings published on websiteteams can track
  their own scores and view any other teams scores
  in the league (current average)
• Prize on tournament day for team with the
  best/highest SOTG scoreequivalent to what the
  tournament champions receive

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Rewarding SOTG Enhancements

• Teams SOTG scores will be factored into
  tournament seeding at the finals
• Simplify questions on online scoring form to
  eliminate confusion, based on feedback from
  survey
• Clarify role of captains
• Reward captains with partial fee rebate/reduced
  fees
• Captains Workshop
• Create captains packets with standardized info
  and league expectations, especially regarding
  SOTG
• Evaluate captains performances

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Conclusion

• SOTG unique to team sports as a formalized
  concept
• Important to emphasize and model SOTG to
  newcomersbest opportunity to keep Ultimate the
  sport we all know and love
• Maintaining it a challenge as Ultimate becomes
  recognized and legitimate sport
• Community creator