USA Ultimate

The Huddle, Issue #24: Spirit Of The Game

I think that if someone tries to tell you in one sentence what Spirit is then all you have learned is that this person doesn't understand the Idea. It's more complicated than that, and it is complicated because some parts of you might want to live with that Idea, and others don't. What matters, to me, is trying to understand how the people in the mix, the people actually dealing with the ramifications and who have the most to gain and lose from it. I've played with cheaters and I've played with idealists and I've played with a lot of other folks that didn't classify well. I'm more sure than ever that Spirit of the Game is a Big Idea, and that it is worth our time and thought.

 

• Platoon
  
  
  
  • ECC and Chesapeake are behind us, as is Sectionals. We've spent the past 8 weeks running 120s. We started Cones after Sectionals. In what will have been a mere stepping stone of a game for us, the trust building and empathy through conditioning mentioned above will raise its beautiful head at Regionals, as will the burden of self-officiating.
    
    2nd round and it's 5 all and on serve. hile there are no certainties, except that one that says we'll receive for the 2nd half, they will only score 3 more points to our 10; but at 5 all, nobody but nobody knows this. Our D doesn't have their legs under them yet. Our O is 5 for 5; while our D has had their hands on the disc 4 times and come up empty each time. The only untoward behavior so far has been from their hot shot college handler, let's call him Bunny, who has called not one, but three fouls on high stall counts where, with no one cutting break, he's pivoted into the marker and called foul; and one of our players, we'll call him Big Harold, called foul on what's usually a routine catch. The reception would have given us our first break, but instead his foul was contested and sent back and what followed was a miscue on the first pass. Now at 5 even, our D has the disc again. On a strong under cut, Taylor gets his hands under a dying disc just before it hits the ground. "DOWN!" cry everyone wearing black. "F-ing Up!" cry everyone wearing white.
    
    "It's not down cause you're wearing white and I'm wearing black," explains one of them. "It's down, because it's down." Next I'm waiting for them to say "We gave you the last one," which outside of the pre-game gift and Spirit speech (non-fiction: at Chicago Tune-up in 2002 the Warriors were given a gift and Spirit speech from Jack-Leg (because we've heard about you, they said), and suddenly we're down 5-9 before going 1-3-3 and prevailing 13-11), is one of the lamest and unspirited things you can say or do.
    
    "You have to tell him it's down," says Jr., the guy defending me. "There's no way you can call that up—you saw it—you tell him it's down." And it's that exact moment where the premise of the sport fails. Taylor standing there calling the disc up; who weeks ago running 120s was puking after 4 and could barely get through 10; and Big Harold there insisting that the disc is up and not backing down because his will to win is as great as their's, unable to get more than 20 second rest on his 120s, and cramping all the way. Yeah, like I'm going to turn on them.
    
    Make yourself comfortable being uncomfortable they say. Don't give as you got, they also say. But what happens when what you have been training and conditioning and practicing for suddenly becomes something else, something entirely different. Ideally, we'd like to think our preparation will allow us to develop enough self-control to perform reasonably under a variety of stress producing situations; but more often than not controlling one's self becomes impossible and the burden on the player is possibly too great.
    
    Never mind the comparison to basketball, soccer, and football. Excluding the 3 pillars of baseball, Ultimate is most like and is meant to be most like what takes place within cycling's peloton: rivals working together to maintain a code of etiquette and level of integrity. And as everyone knows, we get "platoon" from "peloton". Here's Bunny standing alongside captain Barnes. "We gave you the last one," says Bunny. And on this side, shoulder to shoulder with Big Harold and Taylor, we've got Elias, captain of the white squad. "Stick with your call, kid," says Elias. Something has to give.
    
    And so the disc goes back to the thrower.
    
    "Fugazi," says Barnes.
     
  • TULLY BEATTY
• The Real Issues With Spirit
  
  
  
  • I love the Huddle. I think the work they do is a great contribution to Ultimate, I love reading the other contributors' work and I am honored that they would include me as an author. That said, I can't believe they are making such a colossal mistake in having ONE Spirit of the Game issue.
    
    Spirit of the Game is essential to Ultimate. Every time we step on the field to play, we are participating in what makes Ultimate unique and special. If you know me, you know I'm not a hand-holding, let's-all-love-each-other player. But you are an idiot if you think that Spirit doesn't matter, however you choose interpret it. To dedicate a single issue to Spirit of the Game is like having an issue entitled "Offense: Discuss" or "Defense: How do you do it?"
    
    Rather than answer their question about Spirit, I'm going to lay out the issues Ben and Andy should have arranged.
    
    1. Does Spirit of the Game work? Lots of people think it doesn't and they have their reasons. Lots of people think it does and they have their reasons. This is the fundamental question and a natural beginning.
    
    2. How will Spirit of the Game affect the future of Ultimate? rec.sport.disc has a lot of opinions about this one, but it'd be nice to hear from someone with a brain.
    
    3. What is the call game? The concept of a call game (and gamesmanship in general) is an essential one to understanding Ultimate, but too many players don't even have the words in their vocabulary. A primer on fundamental aspects of Ultimate is something The Huddle does well, so it's shocking they haven't included this one.
    
    4. What's your best call game move? We all know about stepping into the mark on stalling 8 to draw the foul, but what about all those subtle sneaky moves club players use? Wouldn't you like them to share those little tricks (and how to stop them?) This issue should probably be anonymous.
    
    5. Should you use the call game? Beyond what it is (Spirit Issue 3) and how to do it (Spirit Issue 4) stands the ethical question: should you use it? I had a couple older guys take me aside and give me some advice I should have headed (thank you Will Healey and Gary Brady) but that I ignored. All the young players out there should have an equal opportunity to ignore good advice.
    
    6. Great mistakes you've made. Everyone has calls they wish they could have back. This is the chance to put them down on paper and get some much needed expiation. I have a hard time imagining anyone stepping up to write this one, but if they did, it'd be great reading.
    
    7. How would you 'fix' Spirit of the Game? We all have our little pet projects and ideas on how to improve Ultimate. I'd be interested in hearing how people want to adjust the core principle of our little game.
    
    8. Refs or observers or nothing? Give everyone a chance to weigh in on this rec.sport.disc classic.
    
    9. Which article would you recommend and why? I always want a chance to rebut or amend or just comment on what the other authors have written. Given the importance of Spirit, a rare The Huddle opportunity to reflect on the other contributors' writing would be a pleasant way to wrap things up.
    
    There you go. Nine issues and probably not enough.
    
    As always, you can contact me at louburruss@gmail.com.
     
  • LOU BURRUSS
• Even If No One Is Watching
  
  
  
  • Really, honestly, how can anyone possibly not believe that this is a worthy philosophy to embrace? The only thing that kills me is the the name: "Spirit of the Game." The word spirit is not synomynous with common words and expressions I associate with sports: Grit - Battle - Fair - Integrity - Determination - Motivation - Guts - Glory - Respect. "Spirit" is a word that I would associate with yoga class, folklore, or a Bible Group. It is not a bad word, just the wrong word for this particular audience.
    
    The definition of SOG plays a relatively large role for me. When I first started playing this game, I thought it was ridiculous. I thought playing games without officials was silly and I thought it took away from the quality of the sport. Now, after years of careful observation and experiences as a player, captain, coach, and administrator, I think it is what could be our ticket to the next level. It could be our ticket to the next level because it could be the ticket to the next level in the youth division. Youth Ultimate is the key to the growth of our sport and if you can get that to grow, Ultimate will grow at all levels.
    
    Spirit of the Game, and what it stands for, what it really, really means, can be a huge selling point when presenting this sport to those you want to buy in. It teaches kids to place respect and fairness first. It teaches them conflict resolution. That is huge. I was blown away by the premise of Ultimate Peace (the foundation that led the charge to teach kids in the Middle East Ultimate frisbee in hopes to teach SotG and conflict resolution). I mean, if we could all be a little bit better at conflict resolution, how much better of a world would we be living in?? If you knew you would not get caught, or not be penalized, would you still steal? Ultimate not only reveals character, but builds it. A sport that builds character. How great is that?
    
    Therefore it means a lot to me. I am the President of the Triangle Youth Ultimate League and the coach of the UNC-Ch Women's Ultimate frisbee team. My character, whether playing for Backhoe or coaching, or playing at winter league, is on display at all times and I want to represent well. I participate in this sport on many levels and I want to do so with a sense of pride. And, if no one is looking, I would still want to act within the definition of SotG, because it is the right thing to do.
    
    But, that does not mean I am not human. I will make mistakes. I will lose my cool. It isn't so much about me having these fallacies but my ability to reflect on them and make myself a better player, a better person by learning from my mistakes.
    
    What does it mean for my team? I would like to think that we play fair and we play within the rules. I would like to think we respect the definition of spirit of the game and conduct ourselves accordingly. We do not condone taunting, we do not condone bad calls. We will tell a player on our team to shut it if necessary. We will tell a player on our team that they were out, or it was down, or it was a foul, or it was not a foul - even it does not have our best interests in mind (best interests = winning). Why? Because we want to win a game outright because we were the better team within the rules of the game. We won (or lost) fair and square. No excuses.
    
    Why would you want to win any other way besides playing completely within the rules of the game? And, win with grace, respect, and honor? So, you win a big game and act like an ass to the other team. Do you really feel good about yourself? Win with grace. Win with honor. Even if the opponent was a jerk to you. The Golden Rule": Treat others as you would like to be treated. How can you possibly argue against that philosophy? The challenge is to do that when the other person is treating you really badly or cheating you.
    
    How do you prepare for an opponent that might not make calls in good faith? Ask for observers. Forewarn them of the behavior. Go get observers. Keep your cool. Never, ever lower yourself to their level. Play with integrity.
    
    A teammate that may do the same: First of all , an apology can go a long way. Even if it is after the game. Even if it is not from that player, but just from you on behalf of your team. Second of all, control your teammates. Stand up for something that is bigger than any individual on your team, including yourself. Do it because it is the right thing to do. Even if no one is watching.
     
  • LINDSEY HACK
• A Tennis Analogy
  
  
  
  • I usually try to write on the presented topic from a objective and scientific viewpoint, however, due to the nature of this topic, this will be rather subjective and opinionated. Also, much of this is a comparison to tennis since that is where I have participated in the highest levels of competition prior to frisbee.
    
    Growing up learning the sport of Ultimate in Australia, my viewpoint of SOTG comes from a more global perspective of competition. Now playing for Ring of Fire, I feel I have witnessed a large spectrum of viewpoints on the topic of SOTG, from nonexistent and unnecessary to dressing up to the theme of the team, uncontesting any questionable calls, and giving out gifts at the end of the game.
    
    For me, personally, I find that Ultimate and tennis share a lot of the same competitive features. SOTG really just refers to competing at the highest level presented while still retaining the utmost respect for the competition. How you define retaining respect is now the key feature and how that is displayed is at the crux of the issue. In tennis, even at the highest levels (pre-professional), you make your own line calls. Whether in a heated battle for break point in a match to make the final, or blowing some chump off the court, 99% of the tennis matches I was a part of consisted of the players doing their best to make the right call at every opportunity, whether or not it cost them the match. From Hawaii to Australia, this phenomena is consistent in every tennis match I participated in. It is true that 1% (1 match in every 100) of the time there was a match where this was not the case and the opponent tried to take advantage to obtain a victory, but people are human and this trait will appear (see below), so moving on.
    
    I found the reason that this high level of respect and sportsmanship was consistent in tennis is because each match, not just was your game on display, but your character, valor, and nobility as a person was on display. It seems to be understood amongst tennis players that it is better to challenge yourself to become a better player and improve every shot, than to make a bad call at the expense of the opposition just to win a single point. It may not be due necessarily to respect for the opposition as much as a desire to become the best you personally can be, and a respect for the sport, a game based upon a struggle with oneself mentally and physically to overcome all adversities. However, because all players seem to take this to heart, a respect for the opposition is inherent since each player knows that the other player is also challenging themself to be the best they can be in the face of every adversity.
    
    This respect can be seen even at the professional level of tennis when a player claps when his opposition betters him on the field of battle, or when a player wins on a technicality (let court) and holds his hand up apologetically. This is the heart of SOTG; it isn't about goofing around or giving your opposition the edge every opportunity, or so on, but about respecting those that share the field of battle with you and displaying it appropriately. Making the right calls no matter the circumstance, congratulating someone on a great play whether they bested you or not, playing at your highest level even if you are bageling a team, these are ways of showing respect, and inherently, SOTG.
    
    I find that this is the world view on how SOTG is perceived. For example, at the World Ultimate and Guts Championships in even the tightest, most significant games, teams came together afterwards in a circle to show appreciation for the fight that each team put forth.
    
    I think this is consistent with the top teams and lowest level teams in the US; they would rather expect more from themselves, improve their personal games and win on their own accord, than take advantage and obtain victory through false means. For example, at ECC, when Ring was playing Furious in the game to 5, Andrew Lugsdin gave up his bobbled catch in the end zone when we called it down and a player on the sideline with the best view also called it down. He easily could have sent it back or even argued it up, but he respected us, the sport, and himself enough to expect more from himself and his team than take advantage of the situation. This, to an extent, is what makes the top teams the elite teams, they don't make excuses but expect the best from themselves.
    
    It is true, there are still a few guys on each elite team that abuse SOTG and show no respect to the opposition (much like that 1% of tennis matches), however, they are usually the minority in the elite ranks in the US. For example, playing Boston at ECC, there was a foul call on a catch and it was contested and sent back, a single Boston player on the sideline started to yell, swear, and berate our player for the call, though all the players on the field, and the sideline, had already respected the outcome and accepted it. This sort of outburst never resorts in any benefit for either team (can you remember a time your teammates verbally assaulted another team and the call and game went smoother?), but can find one player of this sort on each team. However, as stated, this is the minority on the elite teams.
    
    Much like the elite teams, the low level teams also exhibit a high level of SOTG. This again is due to their focus upon improving themselves than worrying about a questionable call. The one place where SOTG seems to lack in the US is in the second tier teams. The teams that feel they deserve some recognition and praise for their work, that are always a few spots from making nationals. I find that they take a call as a personal gesture of disrespect and an insult directed at their game. They are the ones that have lost perspective about why they play the game; they don't expect the best of themselves, but find excuses why someone got the better of them. A call cost them the game, or their pride gets in their way, they no longer play with the expectation of perfection from themselves, but have deluded themselves into believing that they have worked as hard as they can and no one deserves to ever beat them. This is where SOTG fails to be present because these players have already entered the game without respect for the opposition. They believe victory is all that matters and that they deserve it irregardless of play. This is where SOTG falls short.
    
    With regards to how teams I have been a part of dealt with Spirit, the younger players would always refer to the respected players on anything questionable.
     
  • BRETT MATZUKA
• Our Rules
  
  
  
  • No one gets four strikes in baseball simply because they think its wrong that the rules allow only three. You don't pick and choose which rules to follow. You play by the rules of the game. Whether or not you agree with it, the Spirit of the Game concept is a fixture in the official rules of Ultimate so we, as players, have an obligation to adhere to it. But in the middle of a game, especially one with much at stake, what does it mean to adhere to a concept that is so vaguely defined?
    
    We've all heard cheers of "good spirit" raised by opposing sidelines when a teammate concedes a contested play. But yielding to an opponent's opinion cannot be what the rules mean by Spirit of the Game. Instead, the core of the Spirit of the Game concept is a mandate to play with integrity. Playing with integrity means playing as honestly and as objectively as possible. But it also requires the courage to stand by your honest opinion.
    
    To me, Spirit of the Game means calling it the way you see it. It means not yielding to an opponent when your honest perspective differs. On the flip side, it means not allowing a vocal teammate to influence your perspective. And perhaps most difficult, it means not allowing the fact that your decision may determine the outcome of the entire game to influence your perspective.
    
    It's true that Spirit of the Game is often abused and disregarded. I have just two comments on those that play that way. First, disregarding Spirit of the Game is cheating, plain and simple. There is no faster way for a player to lose my respect than to disregard Spirit of the Game by knowingly making false calls to gain a competitive advantage. Second, any victories achieved without upholding Spirit of the Game are hollow victories. We commit hours and hours of time and energy all year long to compete on the field to determine the better team. All that effort is for naught when one gains a competitive advantage by cheating instead of by putting in hours on the track and at practice.
     
  • RYAN MORGAN
• Codifying Spirit
  
  
  
  • This topic is not useless, but I find that my thoughts on it are fairly disconnected.
    
    A phrase that reminds us to respect each other and the game makes sense even if it is not as effective as some would like preventing players from cheating or acting like jerks. We are really just codifying the idea that Ultimate players should practice good sportsmanship, That has value, I hope.
    
    A lot of people discover Ultimate after some bad experience with another sport. Turned off by the win at all costs attitude of little league or youth soccer they find the culture of Ultimate inviting. To some degree Spirit of the Game helps us maintain that valuable difference, even if those who battle for a national championship only think of spirt as a kind of anachronism.
    
    But as much as possible I hope the top teams try to invest a little preparation time into playing with good spirit.
    
    For the record, the team I help coach, Ironside, sets as one of our main goals to be considered a fair team, a team our opponents want to play. Honestly, I don't know how we are doing. The scoreboard supplies a clear metric of whether or not we win a game. How we are doing in terms of earning the respect of other teams is harder to tell. No doubt we have made some dubious calls. This year and last we have had a few tiff's against various rivals. Our fault? Theirs? Depends on who you ask. No matter, I assume it is on us to do better and have tried to make myself more accountable for this to the leadership of other teams. Not easy though. What happens on the field should (I think) be the player's responsibility and, like everyone else, I often see with biased eyes. When I hear my players say something incendiary I get on them right away but every once and a while its me saying "are you serious" with that call. We all have to police each other in this respect.
    
    (I am a big fan of the Farriker award, but not sure what team spirit ratings do. Maybe Farriker award nominees should have to put in the spirit score for their own team?)
    
    It's worth remembering that there is a difference between cheating and not knowing.
    
    We all put a ton of time, effort, and money into what we do and all that makes the dragging toe or little bump that would never get noticed in summer league seem huge in late October. We all want shape the reality in our favor. Of late, I think top club teams have come to recognize this and are ever more comfortable just going to the observer. That we are getting more and more qualified observers helps, obviously.
    
    You may not know John Bar or Stu, but there was a time when everyone in Ultimate knew those guys. They went to every tournament and the sport was small enough for such guys to be at every party. (Is there a spot in the hall for them?) It was one of them who said that the arguments in an Ultimate game were not what kept us from getting on T.V. In fact, if we want higher ratings, what we should do is get a microphone and camera in on the arguments. Fans would love that. And unfortunately, that's probably correct.
    
    Last note, from the showcase game at ECC. Ben Wiggins burns his defender (a former teammate, Seth Crockford) up the line. As he does so, he says something excitedly to the effect of "I got you, Seth". But as Ben catches and throws, Seth has not slowed down, never thought about marking Ben. He just runs after the throw itself, which he blocks from behind. Now, I don't know if Ben and Seth are buddies, and maybe you think what Ben said was "not spirited," but it led to one of the best blocks I have ever seen, and no one was smiling more after the block than Ben himself. If we are enjoying ourselves, and smiling the way he was after that play, we are playing with spirit.
     
  • TED MUNTER
• Spirit Of The Games
  
  
  
  • I am not going to write about history. I'm not going to write of how "zealots" and "RSDers" alike bake their theory cake and top it with a little Spirit icing so everybody thinks it will taste sweet. If I am going to talk about it, it's going to be about me and what I think, so here goes:
    
    Spirit is respect. Respect for your opponent, respect for the situation, and respect for right to play this game at any level you want.
    
    Every elite team must first slog their way through some pretty easy games on the road to Nationals. This year, Ring of Fire's first game at Sectionals was against a high school team. Easy crush, right? Sure, but that's the best damn thing about this sport. Any 7 people can get together, pay a Sectionals tourney fee, and if you are good enough, win a national title. Here is how Spirit plays out for me in those games. I will make and contest zero calls. Wait, wait, wait... You might be thinking, "So you base your usage of the rules on whether or not you think you will beat your opponent." Answer: Yes. I don't make a lot of calls in general and I certainly have no reason to be contesting most of the time, but I get embarrassed if my team starts calling travels on some college player whose about to get spanked anyway.
    
    What should you do if he's breaking the rules? Chill, let it go, be a nice person. But wait, "Shouldn't you make a point to teach the inexperienced the correct way to play the game, thereby holding him to the strict interpretation of the 11th edition." Answer: No. Let somebody else be that guy. And I'll tell you, that guy is out there just frothing at the chance to show someone his rules prowess. You, instead, be the cool guy who wins like you were born to.
    
    Change the setting to any game at nationals and you get a different picture. The stakes are higher and so is the parity. Oh, and everybody at Nationals should know the rules. Plus there are observers. Here rules are enforced to the letter and everybody mostly agrees that to be okay and Spirited. Where Spirit plays out here is in a respect for the situation. Everybody is playing for that title. For most on the Elite teams, it can be pointed to as the most important thing. That said, things get heated at Nationals.
    
    I get heated at Nationals. I yell and curse and bitch and foul and spike and taunt and if need be go down swinging at Nationals. I play physical, I initiate contact and I will probably foul you once or twice in doing so. Let me know it bothers you? I'll do it even more, cause I am trying to win just like you. I promise I'm not trying to hurt you. I love you. It's just part of the game, just like penalties and fouls in any other sport. You want that to change? Change the rules. You may think that I have less respect for you, but it is quite the contrary: it means I must play that way because you deserve to experience the game the way it was meant to be played.
    
    I will also say this, I am not alone. There is no team at Nationals that doesn't play physical defense, if there is I would ask how many bids their Region must have got. But I will tell you this, win or lose, I will respect my opponent who shared the field of battle with me. If you beat me, I hope I made it worth your while. My Spirit is my soul, and Ultimate is one of those few places where you can channel all that primal instinct and rage into something beautiful, something that only those on the field with you can understand. The sweat and blood and anger and passion is spread out on the field where it was laid for all to witness. You can go around collecting it up, and holding it, like the hate for that girl who dumped you and went out with your roommate, or you can leave it there and have a beer with me.
     
  • TAYLOR POPE
• Character When It Matters Most
  
  
  
  • Spirit of the Game is easy when the game doesn't matter...but that is certainly not the case with Northwest Regionals. Every game is a battle and every game is intense. In my opinion, it is when the UPA Series starts that Spirit matters most.
    
    The best players in the game can play at an incredibly high level without compromising their personal integrity or the reputation of their team. I think that sometimes Spirit of the Game is mistaken for not contesting calls or not being willing to make a call, but really it is honoring your opponents and yourself by playing 100% and making calls if true violations or fouls occur. I really enjoy the moments in Ultimate when someone makes a call and then after a quick discussion realizes it wasn't the right call and takes it back. I am a true believer that SOTG is something that sets our sport apart from others and for the better. I am proud to be able to say that I have played at the highest level of this sport without the assistance of referees.
    
    I know, for me personally, there is something very rewarding about battling with an opponent and then turning around and giving them a high five when they just skyed you in the endzone or got a sick layout D. I haven't experienced that feeling in other sports growing up and it is moments like those that make me feel incredibly proud to be an Ultimate player.
     
  • CHELSEA PUTNAM
• The Blender
  
  
  
  • What if the Minnesota Timerwolves had to play Macalaster College and a YWCA pick-up team on their road to an NBA Championship? What if the Commissioner of MLB also governed little league and summer softball league? Those levels of play differ so much they are hardly the same sport. Yet in the Club Series of Ultimate, players from all levels comingle on the same field. The best players in the world compete against absolute novices. It is all governed by a single organization, and usually only a skeleton crew of volunteers oversees the proceedings. This creates community and growth, but also creates tension. We use the term "Spirit" to negotiate the tensions that result.
    
    Most disputes over Spirit are not about cheating. Overt, systematic cheating is so uncommon that it is shocking when it happens. Most games don't need observers. Most Spirit debates involve different cultures of play mixing in the tournament setting. Some people play Ultimate primarily for the camaraderie; others would switch teams in a flash if they thought it would get them more wins. To each the other seems to have no clue what Spirit means. Some teams uphold meticulous pivot foot standards and blow off incidental contact; other teams pay no attention to travels but expect a truly noncontact game. These teams seem to have no respect for each other's Spirit. College teams often bring a level of sideline psyche that feels taunting and aggressive towards their opponents, but is part of high level college gamesmanship. When a high school team brings that energy it seems unspirited and cruel.
    
    Juniors, College, Club, Masters, Mixed, Open, Women's. Each level involves players with different physical and emotional maturity, different experience levels, different life circumstances, and different reasons for playing. Put them all in a blender called the UPA and hit puree. Sometimes ugly, sometimes frustrating, the tension that results is discussed using the language of Spirit.
     
  • CHARLIE REZNIKOFF
• Two Principal Components
  
  
  
  • To me, Spirit of the Game has two principal components: respect (don't be an ass) and integrity (don't be a cheater). I think you could go through reams of paper defining how those two principles should and do play out, which is not my intent here.
    
    My point is that playing with Spirit is much harder than I think we give it credit for. What we are asking of people is to fight against their ego, their desire for appreciation and status. These are basic human desires—humans compete for them in all sorts of arenas (money, popularity, who can hook up with the most attractive member of the opposite sex, and, of course, sport). I believe it's possible and worthwhile to attempt to overcome those desires, but it's a much more arduous process than just deciding to do so.
    
    As a player, I'm probably worse than most in the Spirit category. When I lose my temper, I'm prone to make bad calls, treat the rules as guidelines, or raise my voice in argument. I'm not proud of this behavior.
    
    At the same time, I value the challenge. It's an opportunity to get to know the demons that lurk inside of us, and, with hard work, allows us to get rid of one or two. I value a sport that asks its athletes to take on this challenge.
     
  • ADAM SIGELMAN
• What Goes Through Your Head
  
  
  
  • Last year at Northeast Regionals my team (PoNY) was playing Bodhi to go to Nationals. Game tied at 12s, time cap approaching, PoNY is on defense. Bodhi goes on a fast break with a quick succession of give-go throws—"Pick!" someone yells—and the last throw, a huck, falls incomplete. The two teams start to argue. Was the pick two throws ago, or one? Does the disc go back to Bodhi, or is it a turnover? The outcome of the game might turn on this call. The teams immediately appeal to the observer, who rules that the pick was two throws ago: Bodhi's disc. Then Russell Wallack, one of Bodhi's handlers, jogs over and enters the discussion. "I was right behind the play and saw the whole thing. The pick happened on the last throw. It's PoNY's disc." The observer had just ruled in his team's favor, but Russell effectively overturns the call. His teammates look at him in disbelief as PoNY takes possession. Then they get a D and earn their goal.
    
    Players like Russell have taught me that, all other definitions aside, the Spirit of the Game means two things: self-respect and mental toughness.
    
    The best players treat competition as an opportunity for them to measure their greatness. Imagine a set of scales: you and your team are on one end, your opponents on the other. The fulcrum is made of the rules of the game. If you break the rules, you unbalance the scales and lose the accuracy of the measurement. If you belittle your opponents, you lose your counterweight, and diminish the meaning of any success you might have. (Your win doesn't mean very much if "they suck.") In order to evaluate yourself and your team honestly—that is, to have self-respect—you have to treat your opponents and the rules with respect, and even gratitude. Without them, you can't measure your greatness.
    
    I don't know if this thought, or anything like it, was going through Russell's head when he reversed that observer's call. But I can tell you that Russell is one of the most consistent and mentally tough players I've encountered—and I'm convinced sportsmanship is a big piece of his success. Speaking from my own experience, I've always played my best when my concern for winning has evaporated in the heat of my competitive effort. We all care about the result of the game, but if I let myself focus on who's going to score more points, or how I'm going to look on UltiVillage, or how big a jerk my opponent is and how much he deserves to lose, I'm just distracting myself from the next cut, the next throw, the next D. If, on the other hand, I give all of my energy to the intensity of my effort, I'm a better player. The less I focus on winning, the better my chances of winning are.
    
    Such an attitude also improves the way I respond to adversity. If I think of my opponent as an opportunity to test my greatness, then the better he plays, the more psyched I get. His great play is nothing but a challenge for me to push my game higher. If, on the other hand, all I want out of competition is a "W" on the board, then my opponent's sweet layout grab feels like terrible misfortune. Did you see the look on Kurt Warner's face when the Steelers scored their go-ahead touchdown in last year's Superbowl? There was more than a minute left on the clock, but you knew the game was over. Poor Kurt would have preferred the Steelers hand him the game than really make him earn it.
    
    I could read that look on Kurt Warner's face because I've worn that look, too. I fail the sportsman's test all the time. It's usually the inspiration of other players—the example of opponents like Russell; the example I want to set for my teammates—that helps me achieve greatness, if I do.
    
    One of my prouder moments on an ultimate field happened early last season. Ironside is coming down on the pull, with Colin Mahoney sprinting down to cover me. The disc swings from the catch to the hitch, and I jog a lazy cut out into the lane. The throw goes up, and my hands are almost closed on it, when Colin dives and yanks it away. I call "Strip!" Colin pounds the ground, jumps up—he's about to scream, eyes bugging out of his head, mouth open in disbelief. He knows he just got a D. He takes a breath. "BVH, I got that." I take a breath. "Really?" Colin points to the disc, which is in his hand, not mine.
    
    I'm still not 100% sure what the right call was, but here was my thought process:
    
    0 seconds after the play: "Definitely a strip. I'm a beast of a receiver. I never get D'ed. Only possible explanation for me not catching a disc is a foul or a strip."
    
    5 seconds: "Colin's a pretty honest guy. He looks really convinced. Is it possible his hand was on the disc first? Is it possible I didn't stop the rotation?"
    
    10 seconds: "That play shouldn't have been close. If I bail out my half-assed effort now with an iffy call, then I'm letting myself develop bad habits."
    
    15 seconds: "But don't I owe it to my teammates to uphold my call if there's any chance it was a strip?"
    
    20 seconds: "People make bad calls when they're afraid, good calls when they're confident. What message do I want to send my team?"
    
    "Ok, Colin. I trust you. No strip."
    
    Two months later, we were playing again, and this time I got a layout D on Colin. Colin calls "Strip!" I say, "Really?" Pause. "Ok, BVH. No strip."
     
  • BEN VAN HEUVELEN
• What We Do
  
  
  
  • I'll let better writers and players describe why Spirit is, or is not, worth your time. I know my answer, and you have to find your own.
    
    If you come away having decided that it is worth your your effort, here are a couple of things that your team can do to improve your own Spirit on the field in meaningful games. At the very least, they are things that my teams have done in the past that have helped.
    
    1. Team Calls
    One player can make a bad call in the heat of the moment. It is easier for a team to be objective. Make calls a team responsibility.
    
    One way you can do this is to have a secret signal that your team uses. After a call, this signal tells the player involved in the call that you have an opinion. It does not give away what you think about that call, only that you have feedback if the caller wants it.
    
    This allows your teammate to check in with you, even if you are off the field. You can then tell them that they are absolutely correct, or you can calmly (and privately) tell them that you had a good look at it, and that this call should go the other team's way. The final onus is on the caller, who doesn't have to accept feedback; but most will if they have a question. Instilling this as a team philosophy makes everyone responsible, and it makes it easier for a heated player to make the right decision.
    
    Note: This will not endear you to teams that cannot deal with any delay. It takes some time to communicate, even non-verbally, and in the past I feel like some of my team's bad calls have been perceived as cheating, and then the caller comes to their senses while our opponent yells a bunch. The reality is that we are discussing the call as a team, and your yelling is just getting in the way of us making sure our call was correct, or giving it up.
    
    2. Be Consistent between Points
    If you would call a travel on game-point against team X, call it at 1-1 the same as at 14-14. Surprisingly often this will force your opponents to stop traveling, and you won't need to call it again later. If they do, then you have a stupid opponent who either has no regard for their footwork, or they have been negligent in practicing their fundamentals. Either way, it is on them, and they should have known better than throwing the same lazy sliding huck on game point.
    
    Note: This will not endear you to the crowd. Screw the crowd. The crowd is made up of very smart people, in most cases. But the crowd is stupid.
    
    3. Be Consistent between Sides
    Splitting a team between O- and D-teams is bad for Spirit. In the 'old' days, more players played both ways, so you would matchup with the same player, and you would have feedback on how each other marked and threw and played. If my opponent called a foul on my mark, I could guage that against his mark on me. Now, I generally see a dozen marks from the same defender per game, and unless our offense is struggling, I may only mark him 1-2 times in that entire game. Since we don't get the same person-to-person feedback as if we were playing every point (guarding each other roughly every-other point) it is more difficult to come to a clear consensus on where the line stands.
    
    We ask our O-team to try to call fewer fouls, so that the other team has to accept our physical defense. We ask our defenders to try to commit fewer fouls, so that our O-team doesn't have to accept a barrage of hacking marks throughout the game.
    
    4. Make Calls in Practice/ Practice Making Calls
    If your team scrimmages in practice like it is life-or-death, then you will be more ready for the high-pressure environment and high-pressure calls of big games. Honestly, though, if your team doesn't already scrimmage full speed and full anatagonism against each other then you have bigger problems. Raising the stakes at practice, and making calls on each other in practice, will help.
    
    5. Kill the 'Auto-BS' Response
    If you want your opponents to play with more Spirit, give them the opportunity. Assume that they will make the correct call...and if you can't do that, then fake it. Give them an opportunity to take their call back without screaming in their face. Let them take back their call without losing face or making it seem like they were backing down to your volume.
    
    Heck, screaming at your opponent is the only way I know to insure that you will not win that call. Everyone has seen a charged-up sideline explode after a call (sometimes even the first call of the game). Explain to your teammates that this is probably losing you calls, and hence losing points, throughout a tournament. Then see if the catharsis they get from yelling at the enemy is really worth it.
    
    6. A Rules Quiz for your Team
    Write a rules quiz, and give it to your team. You don't even need to demand that they take the quiz. Just suggest it. If you have teammates that make sketchy calls, or think they know the rules much better than they do, this can be a non-confrontational way to demonstrate their lack of knowledge.
    
    At the very least, more people on your team will read the rules again.
    
    At best, people on your team will start to defer to (or ask for explanations from) those people on your team that know the rules well. Hopefully, this results in fewer calls from players that really don't know the rules.
    
    Note: Personally, I would love to see a Rules Quiz given to players at high-level, even if just to help illustrate the rules and force players to check in with the rules once per year. The UPA does this with Coordinators: there is an online quiz that isn't hard, but it is a great reminder. Why can't we do this with players? I could have this ready in 3 days using SurveyMonkey. We wouldn't even need to require a passing score; just require that the quiz is taken and make the results public. Open book, even. Trust me, this will help.
    
    Conclusion: This is far from an exhaustive list of the things that you could do to help your team's Spirit. But these all work, and now that you know some options that could work for you, the question comes back: Is Spirit worth the effort?
    
    ADDENDUM: There are a few existing rules tests online. A test based on the UPA rules can be found at: http://www.ultipedia.org/wiki/UPA_Rules_Quiz/.
     
  • BEN WIGGINS
• My Turn As That Guy (by Anonymous Elite Open Player)
  
  
  
  • I know a lot of your other articles are going to be from people that always do the right thing, but not everyone is them. I thank you for letting me write from my perspective without, I think, giving people the wrong impression about my team. But I think it is important that you get all sides here.
    
    I cheated in a game-to-go. When I made the call I thought it was correct but I knew right then about ten seconds later that it was wrong. But I stuck with it, and it mattered, and we won to go to UPAs. The other team, who I have played against many times, did not get to go as well. They were eliminated in the tournament though not in that game.
    
    I did feel and do feel honestly bad about it. I think that the other team made a bad call or two in the game, but I wasn't trying to even it out. I don't even really care that it would have been my turnover either cause I've thrown turnovers before and they don't get to me. Wanting to win was the major reason. Wanting my teammates to win was a second reason that was maybe bigger even than the first reason.
    
    We had a great time at Nationals, and as this was my last year playing with some longtime teammates I am really, truly happy that I had that time to share with them. Of course this means that someone on some other team didn't get it, but I did and it was a great tournament even if we didn't do as well as we wanted to do. I thought about that call during the tournament, but just once and it wasn't too bad.
    
    I'm not trying to say that your bad call will haunt you for the rest of your life or anything, cause maybe it will and maybe it won't. I don't know what it is like for me, I'm not that old yet. I just know that that one time that it was worth it and if I had to go back and do it over, knowing what I know now, I am not a hundred percent sure that I would change it. I bet most of my teammates would, but they and I don't get that chance or want it. Bad calls get made all of the time in other sports, and sometimes they change who gets the spoils and sometimes they don't matter. This time that bad call was me. I will say that I try not to make bad calls now, probably more than I did before that one and having to think about it.
    
    I think my teammates would feel bad right now if they knew this was me, but I think they were really happy to go to the championships then. That's the problem.
     
  • ANONYMOUS (ELITE OPEN PLAYER)