SAUDI TURF TEAM ULTIMATE DISC Spirit of the Game

SAUDI TURF TEAM ULTIMATE DISC Spirit of the Game

Although professional ultimate uses a refereed system in the USA, club ultimate is known for its “Spirit of the Game”, often abbreviated SOTG. Club ultimate's self-officiated nature demands a strong spirit of sportsmanship and respect.

In Europe and other countries, even top level play does not have referees. Some world championship games have had no referees, and disputes were decided by the players themselves.

"Observers" are used in some high level tournaments outside the USA. Disputes are handled by the players, but advisers step in if no agreement is reached. Some other hybrid forms of refereeing exist. In some settings, the advisers use a stopwatch to track the stall count and the defending players are not counting the stall.

Ultimate has traditionally relied upon a spirit of sportsmanship which places the responsibility for fair play on the player. Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of the bond of mutual respect between players, adherence to the agreed upon rules of the game, or the basic joy of play. Protection of these vital elements serves to eliminate adverse conduct from the ultimate field. Such actions as taunting of opposing players, dangerous aggression, intentional fouling, or other ‘win-at-all-costs’ behavior are contrary to the spirit of the game and must be avoided by all players.