SOTG Rating System-an Ultimate Spirit Rating Guide

Generic Spirit Rating System

Ultimate relies upon a spirit of sportsmanship that places the responsibility for fair play directly on each 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.

This form provides a guideline for tournament and league directors to assist teams to formulate an appropriate spirit score at the conclusion of the game which evaluates the timeliness, rules knowledge, sportsmanship, and overall spirit of the opposing team. The goal of this system is to achieve an objective but personalized perspective of each team's participation. Highly spirited individuals and teams should be recognized and rewarded while poorly spirited individuals and teams can receive the necessary training and support, with the end result of reducing the risks which are consequence of dangerous behaviour. A 5-Point scoring system is recommended for ease of use and practicality, with five representing an exemplary spirit and zero representing the worst possible score. Each team begins with five points, which is then reduced by negative modifiers that are derived from the description in the chart below . Submissions that poorly rate opposing teams should provide written rationale, which is intended to sollicit an appropriate, pro-active response from the league/tournament director. Positive comments are also encouraged.

Determining a spirit score is intended to be a team activity with input from each player. You may find it convenient to take the spirit census while your team is standing in a circle (for example, while working on the cheer). The Captain can ask everyone to indicate a score with all five digits of one hand. The team score would then be the average number of digits shown (that is, the sum of all the digits divided by the number of players). It is mandatory that the Captain (or designate) submit a spirit score for their opponent to the coordinator within the time period specified by the league or tournament. Captains, in the interest of encouraging, maintaining, and improving good spirit, please discuss the game's events with each other. This is especially important if any incidents arose that demonstrated poor spirit.

Spirit Rating Chart

Spirit Rating = 5

I enjoyed playing with all of the players on the other team.
The other team showed up on time, exhibited great sportsmanship throughout the game, and cheered us at the end.
The other team was knowledgeable about the rules and/OR was receptive to learning them.

Action to be taken:: Invite the other team to join you for a beer.

Spirit Rating = 4

I enjoyed playing with almost all of the players on the other team.
The other team showed up on time and exhibited good sportsmanship throughout the game and during their cheer.
The other team was fairly knowledgeable about the rules and/OR was fairly receptive to learning them.

Action to be taken:: Captains should discuss the particular incident which led to a less than perfect score.
Invite the other team to join you for a beer.

Spirit Rating = 3

I enjoyed playing with most of the players on the other team.
The other team showed up on time and generally exhibited good sportsmanship.
The other team was somewhat knowledgeable about the rules.

Action to be taken:: Captains should discuss the game.

Spirit Rating = 2

I enjoyed playing with only a few of the players on the other team.
The other team showed up late and often exhibited poor sportsmanship.
The other team was generally not knowledgeable about the rules AND was not receptive to learning them.

Action to be taken:: Captains should discuss the game.
Your Captain should report the reason(s) for the low spirit score to the league coordinator or tournament director.

Spirit Rating = 1

I did not enjoy playing against the other team.
The other team showed up late and generally exhibited poor sportsmanship throughout the game.
The other team was not knowledgeable about the rules AND did not want to learn them.

Action to be taken:: Captains should discuss the game.
Your Captain should report the reason(s) for the low spirit score to the league coordinator or tournament director.

Spirit Rating = 0

I didn't enjoy playing against anybody on the other team.
The other team showed up very late or not at all.
The other team displayed a complete lack of sportsmanship and initiated dangerous play on more than one occasion.
The other team was ignorant of the rules AND did not want to learn them.
This is one of the least spirited team I have ever played against.

Action to be taken:: Your Captain should provide a complete game report with a description of all concerns to the league coordinator or tournament director.

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