USA Ultimate

Seeking new national rules director and rules working group members to assist with 12th edition and ongoing rules work

Colorado Springs, Colo. (Nov. 17, 2017) - The USA Ultimate Spirit, Officiating, and Rules (SOAR) Committee is looking for smart, dedicated individuals to help lead an effort to revise USA Ultimate’s Official Rules of Ultimate. The committee is seeking to fill a new National Rules Director (NRD) role, as well as members to supplement its current Rules Working Group (RWG).

Under the leadership of the NRD and the direction of the SOAR Committee, the RWG will work with the Spirit of the Game Working Group, Observer Working Group, WFDF Rules Committee, players, coaches, and members of the community to update and refine the rules to more accurately reflect the way the sport is played, in a variety of formats, and to improve it for the future. The RWG will also play an important role in developing rules adaptations for various divisions and disciplines, as well as creating educational materials and rules resources.

Between 1997 and 2007, ultimate went through an exciting evolution in how the sport was played and officiated. The Callahan and X-Rules brought the Callahan goal, time limits, new pull rules, modern observer roles and more into select competitions, revolutionizing the sport and setting the stage for increased growth and exposure. The 10th (2002) and 11th (2007) editions of the official rules codified most of those rules, as well as clarifying and streamlining how fouls and other infractions were handled. 

The official rules have not been updated since 2007, which speaks to the great work done by the community and some creative, committed individuals to get the sport to a place most people really enjoyed playing and watching. Yet there have been some interesting and exciting developments since that time - growth of youth, beach, indoor, and international ultimate; more showcase, match-play games aimed increasingly at spectators and media; increased transparency and focus on Spirit of the Game, self-officiating and dangerous plays. These developments point to a need to review and revise the current USA Ultimate rules, as well as develop a better structure for evaluating and revising the rules on an ongoing basis.

Please refer to the job descriptions and application to learn more and to apply to be part of the next exciting phase of developing this amazing sport. You can use the same application for the working group and NRD positions. Applications are due December 7, 2017, so please spread the word and encourage rules experts and innovators to get involved.

Resources:

- National Rules Director Job Description
- Rules Working Group Member Job Description
- Application

Have any questions or comments? We welcome community feedback and discussion made in a respectful manner. Please refrain from profanity or personal attacks, as such public comments negatively reflect on our sport and community.