Spirit of the Game
Spirit of the Game is one of the core elements in flying disc sports. It is similar to fair play and sportsmanship, but there is a much higher emphasis put on it in Ultimate.
Ultimate is a non-contact, self-officiated 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.
Whenever there is disagreement about a call, players are expected to resolve the dispute on their own by expressing their perspective and listening to others.
Examples of Good Spirit
- Informing a team-mate if you think they have made a wrong or unnecessary call or caused a foul or violation
- Retracting a call when you no longer believe the call was necessary
- Complimenting an opponent for good play or spirit
- Introducing yourself to your opponent
- Reacting calmly towards disagreement or provocation
“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.”
–Official Rules of Ultimate