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Boulder, Colorado 80302
Tollfree: 800-872-4384
Phone: 303-447-3472
Fax: 303-447-3483
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| The UPA serves as the governing body of the sport of Ultimate in the US. Our mission is: |
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To promote and support the sport of Ultimate and its players. |
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To increase participation in the sport of Ultimate at all levels. |
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To uphold the Spirit of the Game, including personal responsibility and integrity. |
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To provide a framework for players to organize and conduct competition and other activities related to Ultimate. |
About the UPA (pdf)
About Ultimate (pdf) |
2004 College Championship Series Guidelines
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
Seeding
Forfeit Rule
Rules
Observers
- Registrar-certified rosters, Registrar Instruction form, individual
waivers, and membership dues should be received at UPA Headquarters
by March 26, 2004. 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 26. 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:
a) 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. Registrar-certification 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.
b) 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.
c) School schedule conflicts
- If school schedule/registration conflicts prevent your registrar from verifying student status in time to meet the roster deadline, then your roster may still be considered "on-time" if you receive written/emailed permission from the National College Director to submit your registrar-certified roster at a later date AND:
- Your team sends in an un-certified 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 registrar-certified roster is submitted to HQ or the sectional coordinator as directed by the National College Director, 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 certified 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 should be typed. *Note: If your school issues individual student certifications instead of certifying the entire roster, you must still include the signed and certified Registrar Instruction form, and each individual certification must include hours enrolled and degree program (and for schools on the quarter-system, verification of spring AND fall or winter enrollment).
- 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 (or other deadline as set and communicated to the teams by the coordinator. (See Competition Guidelines section 1 and 2.) 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/Name of College)
Ultimate Players Association
741 Pearl Street, Side Suite
Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 447-3472
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- 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 after the start of Sectionals may not switch teams for any portion of the Series. This rule also applies to A and B teams from the same school. 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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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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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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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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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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- 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 and participate at the Sectional event (each section's "official team count" as described in General 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)
No region may receive more than two wildcards total.
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:
- 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.
- 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. (unless the top two re-ranked teams are still tied; then they will both receive a wildcard and no game will be played).
- 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. (unless the 2nd and 3rd re-ranked teams are still tied; then they will both receive a wildcard and no game will be played).
Application of the Strength Wildcard formula following the 2003 College Championships
resulted in the wildcards being awarded to the following
regions for the 2004 College Championships:
Open Division
Central - 2 wildcards
Northwest - 1 wildcard
Southwest - 1 wildcard
Women's
Division
Northeast - 2 wildcards
Northwest - 1 wildcard
Southwest - 1
wildcard
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).
If there is a tie, the size wildcard will go to the region with the most players on the "on-time" rosters of teams participating at Sectionals. If there is still a tie, the size wildcard will go to the region with the most total teams competing at Sectionals. The allocation of the 4 size wildcards will be announced prior to the first Regional tournament.
- 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.
- Teams must have two jerseys of distinctly different color.
- Jerseys must have numbers on the back. The numbers must be at least 6 inches high and be one or two digit Arabic numerals. No two players on a given team may use the same number.
- All players on a given team must wear shorts or pants 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.
- Seeding
- Seeding for Sectionals and Regionals will be done by the coordinator using the following information: input solicited from all the captains of participating teams, results of head to head match-ups prior to the Series, results of last year's Series, and other applicable information such as team composition during or prior to the Series. (The coordinator has the authority to adjust rankings according to the best information available.)
- Seeding for Regionals will additionally be held to the following guideline: No team that finishes ahead of another team at Sectionals may be seeded behind that team at Regionals.
- Seeding for the UPA Club Campionships will additionally be held to the following guideline: No team that finishes ahead of another team at Regionals may be seeded behind that team at the UPA Championships.
- Seeding for Sectionals must be pre-approved by the appropriate Regional Coordinator
- Seeding for Regionals must be pre-approved by the National College Director.
- 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
In January 2004, the UPA board of directors passed the following proposal governing the rules set(s) to be used for the 2004 UPA College Championship Series.
2004-11
Temporary Rules Set Modification Proposal
Submitted by Henry Thorne
In 2004, 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.
10th Edition Rules of Ultimate
Supplemental Enforcement Provisions
- 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 facilitate volunteer recruitment and training prior to the
event. The use of observers may be contingent upon rule changes approved through the captain's and/or event organizer's clause, and is subject to availability of observer staff. Also, see Section 8 regarding rules and the use of observers (above).
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