Scoring Spirit in Ultimate
Spirit of the game is at the core of what makes Ultimate one of the most fun sports to play. We have outlined below the general guidelines and considerations to make when scoring spirit, which are based off of recommendations from WFDF and USAU. You can learn more about their Spirit Score guidelines here: WFDF Spirit Scoring Sheets and here: USAU Spirit Scoring Sheets.
When scoring, consider each point as a 1 to10 with 1 being Incredibly Poor with multiple issues, and 10 being Excellent with no issues. Average them out for your overall point scorefor the game and round up for decimal points.
For example: Rules and Knowledge 8/10, Fouls and Body Contact 10/10, Fair Mindedness 9/10, Attitude 9/10, and Communication 8/10. That averages to 8.8 or a score of 9.
How to Score Spirit
Spirit is scored with all of these points in consideration:
1. Rules and Knowledge Use
Did they know the rules and follow them? When they didn’t know the rules was there an effort to learn and apply them?
2. Fouls and Body Contact
Did they play safely? Was contact incidental and was an effort made to avoid collisions? Were there dangerous plays? Was there repeat fouls or reckless play?
3. Fair-Mindedness
When there was a discussion, was it an open conversation with a duty towards upholding the truth of the situation? Did players help in making consistent, accurate calls? Did they unduly delay the game for tactical benefit or make unjustifiable calls?
4. Attitude
Were they respectful and considerate regardless of the outcome of calls, or the outcome of the game? Was their sideline making rude or hurtful comments? Did they damage any equipment intentionally? Was their behaviour inappropriate in any way (disrespectful trick-throw points, very aggressive attitudes, etc.)?
5. Communication
Were they engaged in conversations and actively listening to feedback or concerns? Did they ever refuse to discuss issues or calls? Were players on the sideline getting involved in calls, or were they leaving discussions up to players on the field?