UPA 2003 College Championship Series Guidelines

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The UPA serves as the governing body of the sport of Ultimate in the US. Our mission is:
·	To promote and support the sport of Ultimate and its players.
·	To increase participation in the sport of Ultimate at all levels.
·	To uphold the Spirit of the Game, including personal responsibility and integrity.
·	To provide a framework for players to organize and conduct competition and other activities related to Ultimate.

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About Ultimate (pdf)

2003 College Championship Series Guidelines

General Series Info
Team Info
Player Info
Minor (Under 18) Player Info
False Reporting of Membership
Spirit of the Game
Disclaimer
Competition Guidelines
   Bids to Sectionals
   Bids to Regionals
   Bids to the UPA College Championship
   Uniform Requirements for the UPA College Championship tournament
   Formats
   Forfeit Rule
   Rules
   Observers

General Series Info

The UPA College Series

The UPA College Championship Series (CCS) is a series of tournaments leading up to the UPA College Championships (a.k.a. Nationals). There are two divisions: College Open and College Women (women may compete in only one division, but may compete in either the Open or Women's division). The Series takes place in the spring of each year.

The UPA's College Division is comprised of teams in eight geographic regions. Each region is further subdivided into sections. Any college team, provided that all players meet the eligibility requirements, may compete at their Sectional tournament.

The top teams at Sectionals then qualify for their Regional Championships. A maximum of 16 teams (in each division) may play at Regionals. The top finisher(s) at Regionals (depending on wild card allocation) qualify to compete in the UPA College Championships, a three-day tournament usually held around Memorial Day weekend every year.

Pre-Series Games

Strictly speaking, all games before Sectionals and the Top 25 rankings are irrelevant to the UPA Series (except that series coordinators can take them into account when seeding their tournaments).

Any games between two college teams should be reported to submitted via the Top 25 score reporter. The UPA compiles and distributes a "Top 25" from March through June based on results reported.

Eligibility

Teams must submit a roster, either to UPA Headquarters or to their Sectional Coordinator, before competing in Sectionals. Each player on that roster must be a UPA member. Players may sign up for the UPA via the roster (waiver and membership dues must be included), online, or through the mail. The college membership rate is $20 per player. Each player must meet the UPA's college eligibility requirements. Finally, the roster must be sealed by the school registrar, which certifies that each player meets the UPA College Eligibility Rules.

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Team Info

Sealed rosters, Registrar Instruction form, individual waivers, and membership dues should be received at UPA Headquarters by March 28, 2003. This date is the same for all teams, regardless of when the Sectional tournament is held.
Teams who do not turn in their roster to UPA Headquarters may still compete at Sectionals provided they turn in their complete roster materials to the Sectional Coordinator prior to participating in the tournament. (See #3 below.)
Only teams whose sealed rosters have been received at UPA Headquarters by the roster deadline and who participate in the Series will be included in that section's "official team count." Note, this means received, NOT postmarked, by March 28. Teams that do not submit rosters to HQ by the deadline will be required to pay a $25 late fee at Sectionals. (See item #4 below for exceptions and clarifications.)
Roster deadline clarifications and exceptions:

Roster changes

Up to 2 additions to the roster submitted to HQ may be made prior to Sectionals.
Up to 2 deletions from the roster submitted to HQ may be made prior to Sectionals.
The above changes must be reflected in a new roster submitted to the sectional coordinator prior to participation at Sectionals. A Registrar's seal verifying the players' status as UPA-eligible student-athletes must accompany additions.
If more than 2 additions or deletions are made to the roster submitted to HQ, the team will be required to pay the $25 late fee at Sectionals.

A and B teams

As usual, A and B teams will be considered separate teams for the purpose of a section's "official team count."
The same roster change limits stated in above in 4a apply to changes between A and B team rosters after they are submitted to HQ.

School schedule conflicts

National College Director

Your team sends in an unsealed roster, dues, and waivers by the HQ roster deadline along with official verification (school documentation or letter from administrator) that the registrar could not verify student status before the deadline, AND
A sealed roster is submitted to the sectional coordinator prior to participation at Sectionals. (Roster changes subject to the same guidelines as outlined in 4a above.)

The "official team count" from each section will be used to determine the number of teams that will count towards each section's bids to Regionals and the number of teams that will count towards regional size wildcards to the UPA Championships (a.k.a. Nationals). Teams who turn in rosters at Sectionals or after the deadline will not be counted towards bids to Regionals or the UPA Championships.
The team's roster (all pages) and the Registrar Instruction form must be signed and sealed by your school registrar in order to participate in the Series. The UPA College Championship Series roster is the only form teams can use for participation in the Series. Player information must be filled out completely and must be legible.
Rosters are closed once Sectionals begins and no players can be added to the roster for the remainder of the Series.
Failure to abide by any of the above rules may result in the immediate disqualification of the team or individual.
Teams should make a copy of their roster prior to mailing it to UPA HQ for their records. This copy should be brought to Sectionals in case it needs to be referenced.
All teams, regardless of whether they turn their rosters in to HQ or at the tournament, should contact their sectional coordinator at least 2 weeks prior to the tournament to let the coordinator know they intend to participate. Click here for coordinator contact info.
Please see the Valid Rosters 101 guide for detailed instructions on how to get your roster done right and for links to the appropriate forms needed (roster, waivers, etc.).
Mail rosters to:
College Series Roster
(Your Division/Section)
Ultimate Players Association
741 Pearl Street, Side Suite
Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 447-3472

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Player Info

All players participating on a team for any or all Series events must be listed on the team roster. If a player not on a team's roster participates in the Series with that team, that player and/or team may be disqualified from the Series.
All players listed on the roster must be current UPA members in good standing. Players who are not current members must sign up for membership on the team roster, sign and return the individual waiver form, and submit the appropriate dues with the roster. Non-members who do not register by Sectionals will be crossed off the roster and will be ineligible to play in the remainder of the Series until they submit the appropriate forms and fees. If a non-member participates in the Series with a team, that player and/or team may be disqualified from the Series.
Players may appear on only one roster for the Series and may not switch teams for any event of the Series. If a player participates in more than one division, or is on more than one roster, that player and or team(s) may be disqualified from the Series.
All players on the team must meet the player requirements AND the team must meet the team requirements of the UPA College Eligibility Rules.
Each player must fill out (completely and correctly) a UPA waiver form for the year in which they will be competing. This form is good for the entire calendar year of UPA membership. Waivers must be submitted to HQ or the sectional coordinator with the roster and/or prior to participation in the Series.
Failure to abide by any of the above rules may result in the immediate disqualification of the team or individual.

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Minor (Under 18) Player Info

Minors participating in the Series must have the appropriate forms completed prior to participation (waiver, medical release, chaperone waiver). A copy of the medical release form must be included with the roster, and the original must be brought to the event.

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False Reporting of Membership

In the Spirit of the Game, we depend on participants to report their correct membership status. The Team Spokesperson is responsible for making sure that all non-members sign up. If you have any questions about a participant's membership status, contact the UPA at 1-800-872-4384 or by email at info@upa.org. Rosters will be checked and a team may be disqualified for ineligible players. After the CCS, the Spokesperson may be invoiced for non-members, and these players will be suspended from all UPA Sanctioned events until the dues are paid.

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The Spirit of the Game

Although Ultimate resembles many traditional sports in its basic athletic requirements, the rules are much simpler, which allows the games to be self-officiated. Ever since Ultimate was born, this form of self-empowerment on the field of play has gone far beyond being a mere convenience factor. The concept called "playing by the Spirit of The Game" has become ingrained in the basic philosophy of the sport; is written into the rules; and is practiced at all levels of play, from corporate leagues to the World Championships.

Ultimate relies on a spirit of integrity, which places the responsibility for fair play on the individual. Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of the bond of mutual respect. Actions that go against these basic principles may hasten a day when players no longer control the game. Remember that no set of rules can replace players' respect for one another and the Spirit of the Game.

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Disclaimer

The team roster is not a contract. The information requested on the roster is to obtain insurance for the tournaments and to accommodate the informational demands of UPA membership. Deliberate misrepresentation of fact may constitute fraud and responsible individuals may be subject to disciplinary action. Participation in the UPA Championship Series is conditioned upon adherence to the Rules of Ultimate and the UPA Bylaws. The UPA is not responsible for injury or loss to participants resulting from the inherent dangers of the sport or the negligence of others.

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Competition Guidelines

Bids to Sectionals
Any team may participate in Sectionals provided they have met the team and player requirements for participation. There is no additional qualifying process for the first level of the UPA Series (Sectionals).

For the purposes of tournament logistics, Sectional Coordinators and Tournament Directors may impose a deadline by which teams must decide whether they will attend the tournament. This deadline may be associated with submission of a tournament entry fee, as determined by the coordinator and TD. Tournament Directors may keep entry fees from teams that pull out of the tournament beyond a certain date, provided that date and the fee are reasonable, were approved by the event's UPA coordinator, and were communicated by the TD or coordinator to the teams ahead of time.
Bids to Regionals
Regional bids will be allocated to sections based on the number of teams in each section that meet the roster deadline (each section's "official team count" as described in Team Info).

Bids to Regionals will be based on the following formula:

N=total number of teams in the region that meet the roster deadline and participate at Sectionals
R=total number of spots in Regionals (R=16)
a=number of teams that meet the roster deadline and participate at Sectionals for Section A
b=number of teams that meet the roster deadline and participate at Sectionals for Section B (and so on)
a + b. . .=N

Section A gets (a/N) x R bids to Regionals

Partial (fractional) bids will not be awarded unless fewer than 16 total bids have been allocated (see below). There will be a maximum of 16 bids to Regionals.
- Each section (unless there is team migration) must receive at least one bid. If application of the formula results in a section being allocated zero bids to Regionals, and there are unallocated bids, one unallocated bid will be awarded to each section with zero bids. If application of the formula results in a section being allocated zero bids to Regionals and all bids have been allocated, then one bid will be taken from the section with the most bids and awarded to the section with no bid.
- If each section has at least one bid, and fewer than 16 bids have been allocated, the decimal remainder from the formula results for each section will be compared. The remaining bids will be awarded to sections (one each), in order from highest to lowest remainder. (For example: a section with a decimal remainder of 0.82 will be awarded a bid before a section with a remainder of 0.67.)
- If there is a tie for the final bid to Regionals, the number of players on the tied sections' "on-time" rosters will be used to determine the final bid. If there is still a tie, the number of teams participating at Sectionals will determine the final bid. If there is still a tie, a disc will be flipped (or Rosham if preferred).
If a team forfeits its bid to Regionals, the bid will be offered to the next highest finishing (eligible) team from the forfeiting team's section. This procedure will be followed until the bid is awarded. If no teams in that section accept the bid, this process will be repeated starting with the section next in line to receive a bid according to the allocation formula. If a team drops out less than one week prior to the tournament, the Regional Coordinator may accelerate the above process by shortening response times and immediately contacting all potential replacement teams. If the spot has not been filled 3 days prior to the tournament, the RC may award the bid at his/her discretion with the approval of the National Director.

For the purposes of tournament logistics, Regional Coordinators and Tournament Directors may impose a deadline by which teams must decide whether they will attend the tournament. This deadline may be associated with submission of a tournament entry fee, as determined by the coordinator and TD. Tournament Directors may keep entry fees from teams that pull out of the tournament beyond a certain date, provided that date and the fee are reasonable, were approved by the event's UPA coordinator, and were communicated by the TD or coordinator to the teams ahead of time.
Bids to the UPA College Championship (a.k.a. Nationals)
The College Open Division and College Women's Division will each qualify sixteen teams for the UPA College Championships (a.k.a. Nationals). The top team from each region will automatically qualify. The remaining 8 bids will be allocated to regions through 4 strength wildcards and 4 size wildcards, as follows:

Wildcards for UPA College Series (Open and Women's)

Strength wildcards (4):
Four strength wildcards per division will be awarded for the following year based on the algorithm below.

Apply the algorithm rules in this order:

0. No region may receive more than 2 strength wildcards.

Using placements at the previous year's college nationals:
1. If two teams from a region make the semifinals, and that region had only two teams at the tournament, then that region receives two strength wildcards.
2. The remaining strength wildcards are awarded based on the placement of all regions' 2nd and 3rd place teams (or only team, if a region had only one bid to Nationals). The final national placement of these teams is compared and the remaining wildcards are awarded to the regions in the order of their finish. (Note: This means that both the 2nd and 3rd place teams from a region may each earn a wildcard for their region.)
*The strength wildcard algorithm will be applied after the quarterfinals and two rounds of placement games have been played. If at this point two or more teams are tied in the strength wildcard standings and there are fewer bids available than there are teams involved in the tie, then the following will occur:
- If 2 regions are tied for 1 bid, the two relevant teams will play a wildcard game for the final bid.
- If 3 or more regions are tied, they will be re-ranked based on the rank of the 1st place team from their region, then:
- If there is 1 bid remaining, the teams from the top two re-ranked regions will play for that bid.
- If there are 2 bids, the top re-ranked region will be awarded one bid and the teams from the other two regions will play for the final bid.
- If there are 3 bids, the top 2 re-ranked teams will be awarded one bid each and the teams from the other two regions will play for the final bid.
Application of the Strength Wildcard formula following the 2002 College Championships resulted in the wildcards being awarded to the following regions for the 2003 College Championships:

Open Division
Atlantic Coast - 1 wildcard
Northeast - 1 wildcard
Central - 1 wildcard
Great Lakes - 1 wildcard

Women's Division
Northwest - 1 wildcard
Central - 1 wildcard
Southwest - 2 wildcards

Size Wildcards (4):

These wildcards are based on the "official team count" for a region in the current year. The "official team count" will include only those teams whose sealed rosters are received at UPA Headquarters by the appropriate deadline and who participate in the Series (see Team Info). The allocation of the 4 size wildcards can be found here.
Uniform Requirements for the UPA College Championship tournament (a.k.a. Nationals)
- All players participating in the event for a give team must wear jerseys of identical color and design.
- Jerseys must have numbers on the back. The numbers must be at least 6 inches high and be Arabic numerals. No two players on a given team may use the same number.
- All players on a given team must wear shorts of the same color.
The UPA reserves the right to disqualify players who fail to meet the uniform requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. Why does the UPA have uniform requirements?
A. The College Championships has importance beyond the competing teams; it is a spectator event, and non-players (including observers, photographers, journalists, fans, and stat-keepers) need to be able to identify teams and players. The tournament is also one of the UPA's showcase events, and it is imperative that the sport be presented in its best light.
Q. Do we have to wear uniforms throughout the College Series?
A. No. At this point, these requirements apply only to the Championship Tournament (a.k.a. College Nationals). They will likely apply to the entire Series (Sectionals, Regionals, and Nationals) at some point in the future.
Q. What if I want my number to be an ankh or a symbol representing the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter?
A. Only Arabic numerals are allowed. Positive, whole numbers (zero is also OK).
Q. The UPA won't really disqualify a player who shows up at the Championships without a number, will it?
A. Yes. The UPA is quite serious about enforcing these rules.
Formats
Sectional and Regional tournament formats will be determined by coordinators using UPA guidelines. Contact your Sectional or Regional Coordinator for information.
Forfeit Rule
- A team must play all its games at a "qualifying" tournament in order to qualify for the next tournament in the Series. Every player on a team that forfeits a Series game is disqualified for the remainder of the entire Series, in every Division. Any scheduled game where the winner and loser are not determined by playing Ultimate on the field should be considered a forfeit for the loser. At the discretion of the event's UPA coordinator, consideration may be given to situations that might warrant an exception being made, provided it does not affect the fairness or integrity of the competition. Consideration should be given if a team misses the first game of the first day because of travel problems.
- If one team is not ready to play at game-time, points may be assessed, in accordance with the 10th Edition Rules of Ultimate (Section VIII.A.4). Under these conditions, if the score of the game reaches 8-0, the team that has failed to signal readiness will technically forfeit the game (see rule above).
Rules
Board of Directors Statement:
For four years there has been a vote by the captains of the top teams from the previous year to determine the rules set to be used for the College Championship Series. This started because of the overwhelming desire of the college students to use the Callahan rules which they had started to use widely in non UPA Championship Series tournaments. In a sport where we encourage players to make their own calls, it made sense to the UPA board to let the college players make their own call on what rule set they want to use.
The substance of the vote has changed over the four year period, primarily because the 10th edition was voted in by the entire membership and some of the Callahan rules were adopted in it. The result of the voting has however remained entirely constant. Every Callahan rule or Callahan modification presented to be voted on has always been voted in.
In this year, 2003, the UPA board does not believe it is worth the administrative overhead to hold a vote given the overwhelming support the Callahan rules have had from the college division over the last 4 years. The UPA board supports the administration's use of the same rules set that was used in last year's college championship series, the 10th edition with the supplementary enforcement provisions including: mandatory use of Observers to track time limits, offsides, and deal with conduct issues at Regional semis, finals, back-door game(s), and all games at the College Championships, plus the Team Misconduct Foul system and penalties for offsides violations and time violations.
The UPA board also believes there needs to be a system whereby the college or any other division has a means to make changes to the rule sets for their division in an organized fashion as the rules of the game evolve. The Rules Committee is committed to creating such a system.
Supplemental Enforcement Provisions:
a) Mandatory use of Observers to perform at Regional semis, finals, back-door game(s), and all games at the College Championships to perform the following duties:
- Track time limits
- Announce time limit warnings and expirations.
- Resolve player disputes in a timely manner.
  - Any player directly involved in a disputed call may request Observer resolution.
  - An Observer may actively resolve a continuing dispute.
- Censure or eject players for sportsmanship infractions.
- Render opinions on other on-field events (such as line calls and offside calls), within the scope determined in advance by the tournament organizer (UPA).
b) Use of yardage penalties for offsides violations
c) Use of yardage penalties for enforcement of between-point time limits
d) Use of Team Misconduct Foul system for conduct issues
Refer to the Players Guide to Supplemental Enforcement Provisions for more details.
Observers
If captains want observers to be present at the tournament, they must notify their coordinator at least 2 weeks prior to the tournament. This will help ensure that volunteers can be found and that they can be sufficiently trained prior to the event.

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