1. Spirit of the Game- 1.1. Ultimate is a non-contact, self-refereed sport. All players are responsible for administering and adhering to the rules. Ultimate relies upon a Spirit of the Game that places the responsibility for fair play on every player.
- 1.2. It is trusted that no player will intentionally break the rules; thus there are no harsh penalties for inadvertent breaches, but rather a method for resuming play in a manner which simulates what would most likely have occurred had there been no breach.
- 1.3. Players should be mindful of the fact that they are acting as referees in any arbitration between teams. Players must:
- 1.3.1. know the rules;
- 1.3.2. be fair-minded and objective;
- 1.3.3. be truthful;
- 1.3.4. explain their viewpoint clearly and briefly;
- 1.3.5. allow opponents a reasonable chance to speak;
- 1.3.6. resolve disputes as quickly as possible, using respectful language;
- 1.3.7. make calls in a consistent manner throughout the game; and
- 1.3.8. only make a call where a breach is significant enough to make a difference to the outcome of the action.
- 1.4. Highly competitive play is encouraged, but should never sacrifice the mutual respect between players, adherence to the agreed-upon rules of the game, or the basic joy of play.
- 1.5. The following actions are examples of good spirit:
- 1.5.1. informing a team-mate if they have made a wrong or unnecessary call or caused a foul or violation;
- 1.5.2. retracting a call when you no longer believe the call was necessary;
- 1.5.3. complimenting an opponent for good play or spirit;
- 1.5.4. introducing yourself to your opponent; and
- 1.5.5. reacting calmly towards disagreement or provocation.
- 1.6. The following actions are clear violations of the spirit of the game and must be avoided by all participants:
- 1.6.1. dangerous play and aggressive behaviour;
- 1.6.2. intentional fouling or other intentional rule violations;
- 1.6.3. taunting or intimidating opposing players;
- 1.6.4. disrespectful celebration after scoring;
- 1.6.5. making calls in retaliation to an opponent’s call; and
- 1.6.6. calling for a pass from an opposition player.
- 1.7. Teams are guardians of the Spirit of the Game, and must:
- 1.7.1. take responsibility for teaching their players the rules and good spirit;
- 1.7.2. discipline players who display poor spirit; and
- 1.7.3. provide constructive feedback to other teams about how to improve their adherence to the Spirit of the Game.
- 1.8. In the case where a novice player commits a breach out of ignorance of the rules, experienced players are obliged to explain the breach.
- 1.9. An experienced player, who offers advice on rules and guides on-field arbitration, may supervise games involving beginners or younger players.
- 1.10. Rules should be interpreted by the players directly involved in the play, or by players who had the best perspective on the play. Non-players, apart from the captain, should refrain from getting involved. However players may seek the perspective of non-players to clarify the rules, and to assist players to make the appropriate call.
- 1.11. Players and captains are solely responsible for making all calls.
- 1.12. If, after discussion, players cannot agree, or it is unclear:
- 1.12.1. what occurred in a play,or
- 1.12.2. what would most likely have occurred in a play,
- the disc must be returned to the last non-disputed thrower.
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