TUA Social League Captain’s Notes

Spring and Summer Leagues 2002

 

----------------------------------------------- PROLOGUE -----------------------------------------------------

 

SPIRIT OF THE GAME: Ultimate stresses sportsmanship and fair play. Competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of respect between players, adherence to the rules, and the basic joy of play.

 

This league isn't just Ultimate

-        it is a SOCIAL league,

-        it is a MIXED league.

 

This means that those who have well developed frisbee skills already will use this league to develop their Spirit skills.

 

We have no umpire, except ourselves, and we all strive to be objective and impartial. Winning points is secondary to being good spirited.

 

Ultimate is NON-CONTACT SPORT. New players especially need to be convinced of the following: we make every effort to avoid obstructing, to avoid threatening with collision, and to avoid actual contact. People coming from other sports (especially football) will need to unlearn the practices of shepherding and "using the body".

 

There are many ways in which proficient players must make ALLOWANCE FOR NEW PLAYERS:

-        not mark hard

-        not deliberately force forehand

-        not demand the dump

-        not cut off all targets for the thrower

-        not poach

-        not overuse hucks

-        do call fouls against yourself or your teammates if they occur

-        do stop play to explain rules if the issue has an effect on play

-        do discuss later rather than penalise minor infractions

 

Ensure your own less able or less experienced players are given tuition, encouragement, and are allowed a full share of the play. Provide a dump option but do not pressure for it to be taken. Throw to them even if the cut is marginal, especially if they are trying hard against a mismatch. Slash spirit scores to teams that "look off" their women or beginners. Don't call plays if you don't have time to explain what is going on to new players. Try hard to organise your team to arrive early for a team warm up, stretch and throw. Aim to warm down and stretch as a team after games.

 

SPIRIT POINTS

Spirit is a subjective thing, and is a sum of the experiences of every player through the game. Captains ought to ask all their players to contribute their assessments. These will mostly be formed on the basis of good or bad calls or incidents through the game, and inevitably also on the way in which the opposition contributed or detracted from their enjoyment of the game. It may also be based on the dynamics within the other team - did they display good humour amongst themselves, and use their own players equitably?

 

Spirit is to be scored out of 5 and must be whole numbers.

 

Ultimate is an all-weather sport. Cancellations due to weather are very unlikely (probably only happen if the council closes the fields.)

 

 

--------------------------------------------------- DUTIES --------------------------------------------------

 

Captains have a duty of care to the players on their team (there are no umpires regulating play.) To exercise this duty they must proactively communicate with the League Director, other Captains and their own team.

 

Captains are responsible for ensuring that they have enough players of each gender each week to compete, and that they are ready to play at the designated time.

 

They are also responsible for ensuring that their team is playing with good spirit, encouraging newer players, and everyone is playing safely. One safety issue is that players will be able to play better and avoid collision better if they wear cleats.

 

They must also be fully aware of the WFDF rules

http://www.wfdf.org/2001ultirulesrev.htm

and the local variations (see below also)

http://www.afda.com/tasfda/ultimate/rules/

 

Many rules and decisions about play are at the discretion of captains; the guiding principles should be Common Sense and the Spirit of the Game.

 

The following are requirements on Captains, or vice-Captains if captain not present:

1.      Forfeits: if a team gives 24 hours notice of the forfeit to the opposing captain and the League Director, they get their average spirit score (rounded up). A team gets 0 for spirit for a forfeit on the night.

Captains have discretion to agree to play rather than or despite a forfeit. Remember that people come to play a game. In fact, in very few players, a game of "hotbox" or a drill might even be an option.

 

Before game:

2.      Captains must ensure that team members have paid their fees (especially AFDA). New or pay-by-the-game players should be directed to the League Director.

3.      Each week a different team will be responsible for setting up and taking down the fields for the night’s games. Captains will be responsible for ensuring that their team is able to set up the fields prior to the official start of games (6pm). There will be a 2 Spirit Point penalty if the team responsible for fields on the night fails to do the set-up or organise someone to do it.

A field set-up roster is attached.

4.      Captains should perform the toss, ensure their players have removed watches etc, and have their team on the line on time. If a team cannot be fielded 10 minutes after the scheduled game start time, they automatically forfeit the game.

 

After game:

5.      Captains must ensure the opposition is acknowledged with a "cheer". The TUA insists on cheers, BUT by "cheer" we mean some group activity by which, at the end of each game, each team acknowledges the other team. Although a cheer is usually a song, there are other activities at the end of a game that can be positive alternative to picking up your water bottle and walking away. It may take the form of a poem or play, but, especially where conditions are adverse, time is short, or after the last game each night, captains may agree to circle cheers, short games, dances, impromptu speeches or performances, or any activity which raises a smile or in some way says "thanks for the game".

6.      Captains must return game and spirit scores to the League Director. The entire team should decide spirit scores. With spirit scores teams should take into account how well the opposing team used their team; it is not poor spirit to follow these rules.

 

 

----------------------------------------------------- RULES -------------------------------------------------

 

The definitive reference for the rules is the web pages listed above. Below is a quick interpretation of the present local variations:

1.      The pull may be dropped.

2.      The brick is 10 metres.

3.      Mixed league, minimum of 1 of each sex on the field (for 5-a-side) Defensive teams should field the same number of men/women as the offensive team if possible.

4.      The game is considered to be forfeited if a team cannot field four players (at least 1 women) within 10 minutes of the starting time (unless the opposing captain agrees to play the game with fewer players on the field).

5.      If 24 hours notice of a forfeit is provided to the opposing captain, the game is considered to be a 3-0 loss (rather than a forfeit), with each team being awarded their spirit average (rounded up).

6.      Games start on the hour (e.g. at 6:00pm and 7:00pm), at which time teams must field four players at a minimum. Each game is 45 min long. If a team cannot field four players the team must commence play when directed by the opposing captain, with as many registered players as they can muster. This means that in some circumstances, a game may start before a forfeit is declared. No team has to match opposition player numbers.

7.      Each game ends at the whistle. This means that the disc cannot be thrown again once the whistle has sounded - the disc in the air can be played until it is caught or goes to ground. This is to encourage prompt starts to following games. If there is no following game, then captains may agree (BEFORE the game starts) to play out the point when the time-cap goes and then play another point if one is required to resolve a tie.

8.      Each team may call up to two 2-minute time-outs per game. There is no half-time.

9.      Pick-up players can play, by agreement of both captains. Only paid-up players who have played at least THREE games with the team may play finals.

10.   At the end of each game, there will be an exchange of cheers.

11.   Spirit is scored out of 5 (no half points).