Week 1, Part 1: Why Knowing Rules are Important

For the rookies that may not know, I am WUWU's current walking and talking rulebook and it has been one of my ongoing goals to ensure that WUWU knows the rules. Why know the rules? Because Ultimate is played without any referees, the players on the field are responsible for making and resolving all calls and violations. Knowing when to make calls and what the outcomes are is incredibly important in Ultimate.

Related to rule knowledge is a concept called "Spirit of the Game," which is central to the game of Ultimate. In the 11th edition of the USA Ultimate rules, SOTG is described:

Spirit of the Game: “Ultimate relies upon a spirit of sportsmanship that places the responsibility for fair play on the 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-cost behavior are contrary to the spirit of the game and must be avoided by all players.”

Spirit of the Game/self-refereeing is unique to Ultimate and is one of the reasons why I (and so many other players) love this sport so much. Knowing the rulebook is essential to Spirit of the Game, which is why I emphasize this so much with WUWU. These posts are meant to introduce, familiarize, clarify, and refresh the rules for all members of the team. My plan for these posts is to translate the 11th Edition Rules (the online version of which is HERE) into plain, understandable English. The wording in the rulebook can be confusing and unclear. I will try to refer to the specific sections in the rulebook so that you can reference the online or print versions as I go along.

All this being said, it is perfectly acceptable for newer players to not know every single rule. Remember, if you are ever confused about a rule, please, don't hesitate to ask someone, even on the field. No one expects everyone to remember every detail their first year, even at tournaments.

At practice and also during games it is acceptable to ask questions about a call. Play will be stopped to talk about it. If it is the wrong call, you can always take it back and everyone will understand and help you make the right one. The fall season is all about teaching. All the teams at the fall tournaments are very understanding of this.

Do not be scared of making calls, I promise to help you through them. :) Sometimes calls can be tricky and even I have to recheck the rulebook so don't be embarrassed!