2009 College Championship Series Guidelines
Registration Guidelines
1) All teams must submit a registrar-certified 2009 UPA College Series roster and registrar instruction form by the deadlines outlined below. UPA membership dues and individual waivers must also be submitted prior to participation in Sectionals, although due to the processing time, it is advisable to submit membership dues and waivers with the roster prior to the Team Registration Deadline to ensure that players are listed as paid and waivered in time for Sectionals..
2) Team Registration Deadline: Friday, March 20, 2009
a) Registrar-certified roster and registrar instruction form must be received at UPA Headquarters by 5pm MT
March 20, 2009. This date is the same for all teams, regardless of when their sectional tournament is held. Note, this is to be received, not postmarked, by 5pm MT March 20.
b) A valid roster consists of at least 7 players (unless granted a School Conflict Extension). Teams registered with fewer than 7 players at the Team Registration Deadline will not be permitted to play in the Series.
c) Teams must use the online roster system to add players, submit the roster, and generate the roster materials (PDF) to be printed out and taken to their school’s registrar. (Please see the Rostering 101 guide for details on the online rostering system.)
d) Teams are responsible for ensuring that these materials are processed, mailed (
please note that our Suite number has changed), and received at UPA Headquarters by the Team Registration Deadline. (Note: it may take your registrar several weeks to process these materials, so turn them in as early as possible).
e)
Teams will not be allowed to participate in the series if their roster materials do not arrive at the UPA by the Team Registration Deadline. 3) Finalized Roster Deadline: 5pm MT the
Friday one week prior to the weekend of your Sectional event (i.e,, 8-9 days before your Sectionals):
a) This deadline is only an option for teams that successfully met the Team Registration Deadline, but wish to make roster additions to finalize their roster. These additions must be made in the online rostering system and also go through the Registrar certification process outlined above.
b) Registrar-certified roster and registrar instructions must be received at the UPA by 5pm MT the Friday one week prior to the weekend of your Sectional event (i.e,, 8-9 days before your Sectionals):
- April 4-5 Sectionals – Finalized Roster Deadline 5pm MT Friday, March 27
- April 11-12 Sectionals – Finalized Roster Deadline 5pm MT Friday, April 3
- April 18-19 Sectionals – Finalized Roster Deadline 5pm MT Friday, April 10
c) The UPA will not accept any roster additions received after the Finalized Roster Deadline.
d) There are no late fees associated with roster additions before the Finalized Roster Deadline.
4) Registration clarifications and exceptions:
a)
Player minimumsi) In order for a roster to be considered valid it must include at least 7 players. Teams registered with fewer than 7 players at the Team Registration Deadline will not be permitted to play in the Series.
b)
A and B teamsi) A and B (and C, D, etc.) teams will be considered separate teams for the purpose of a section's "
official team count."
ii) Teams wishing to move Registrar-cleared players between A,B,C,etc. team rosters need to make the change in the online roster system prior to the Finalized Roster Deadline.
c)
Postal exceptionsi) The determination of whether materials were “received by” a deadline is expanded to include late materials sent by overnight mail (
please note that our Suite number has changed) the day before a deadline, as well as late materials sent by 2-day mail two days before the deadline.
d)
Faxing
i) Faxed rosters and waivers will
not be accepted.
e)
School conflict extensioni) If school schedule/registration conflicts prevent your Registrar from verifying student status in time to meet the 5pm MT March 20th Team Registration Deadline, then your roster may still be considered valid by the 5pm MT March 20th Team Registration Deadline if you receive written/emailed permission from UPA Headquarters to submit your Registrar-certified roster at a later date. Complete the
web form with all relevant information prior to the 5pm MT March 20th Team Registration Deadline to request an extension,
ANDii) Your team must register your team using the online rostering system by the 5pm MT March 20th Team Registration Deadline,
ANDiii) A Registrar-certified roster and instruction form must be submitted to UPA Headquarters prior to the Finalized Roster Deadine, or earlier as directed by UPA Headquarters. (Roster changes are subject to the same guidelines as outlined above.)
f)
Canadian Teams
i) Canadian schools must also have their player’s eligibility approved via CUPA in accordance with the college eligibility rules (II.B.). Fill out this
CUPA web form.
5) Registrar certification clarifications and exceptions:
a) 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.
b) The UPA College Championship Series roster and registrar instruction form provided through the UPA website are the only forms teams can use for participation in the Series.
c)
Individual certificationsIf your school issues individual student certifications instead of certifying the entire roster:
i) teams are responsible to make sure each individual certification includes
hours enrolled and
degree programii) for schools on the quarter system, verification of spring
AND fall or winter enrollment must be included.
iii) teams are responsible to make sure an individual certification is included for each player on their online roster
iv) teams must include a printed copy of their uncertified roster PDF generated via online rostering
v) due to the longer processing time for these materials, such teams are encouraged to register as early as possible
6) Official Team Count
a) Only teams whose registrar-certified roster and instruction form have been received at UPA Headquarters by the 5pm MT March 20th Team Registration Deadline
and who participate in the Series will be included in that section's "official team count." Note: this means
received, NOT postmarked, by 5pm MT March 20, 2009.
b) 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.
7) Rosters are closed once the Finalized Roster Deadline has passed, and no players can be added to a roster for the remainder of the Series.
8) Failure to abide by any of the above rules may result in ramifications outlined in the section,"Violations and Sanctions."
9) Teams should make a copy of their roster prior to mailing it to UPA Headquarters (
please note that our Suite number has changed) for their records. This copy should be brought to Sectionals in case it needs to be referenced.
11) Please see the
Rostering 101 guide for detailed instructions on how to get your roster done correctly.
Click here for a list of important forms (roster, waiver, etc.).
12)
Please note that our Suite number has changed.Mail certified rosters and certified registrar instructions to:
College Series Roster*
(Your Division/Section/Name of College)
Ultimate Players Association
4730 Table Mesa Drive, Suite I-200C
Boulder, CO 80305
(303) 447-3472 or 1 (800) 872-4384
* If the mailing consists of roster additions after your team registration, please add “ – Additions” to the first line.
1) All players participating on a team for any and all Series events must be listed on the team roster. The ramifications for having a player not on a team's roster participate in the Series with that team are outlined in the section, "
Violations and Sanctions."
2) 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 prior to participation in Sectionals. 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. The ramifications for having a non-member participate in the Series with a team are outlined in the section, "
Violations and Sanctions."
3) 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. The ramifications for having a player participate in more than one division, or be on more than one roster are outlined in the section, "
Violations and Sanctions."
4) All players on the team must meet the player requirements
AND the team must meet the team requirements of the
UPA College Eligibility Rules throughout the entire College Series.
i) Eligibility status will be checked by the UPA through the rostering process, in conjunction with information from school Registrar offices, and using information from UPA player and team records.
ii) The UPA reserves the right to use additional relevant information, should it become available, in a fair and consistent manner to ensure player and team eligibility standards are met throughout the Series.
iii) Player eligibility status may be re-checked at any point prior to, during, or following the Series. Rosters will be randomly re-verified with school Registrar offices following each stage of the Series (Sectionals, Regionals, UPA Championships).
5) Each player must fill out (completely and correctly) the appropriate 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 UPA Headquarters or the sectional coordinator prior to participation in the Series.
6) Failure to abide by any of the above rules may result in ramifications outlined in the section, "
Violations and Sanctions."
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 chaperone form must be included with the roster. The medical release form is the responsibility of the chaperone; it must be brought to each Series event and kept on hand by the chaperone. This form allows medical personnel to treat an injured minor without a parent/guardian having to be present. (Without this form medical personnel might not treat an injured minor.)
The following documents can be found here on the UPA website:
The College Series Roster and Registrar Instructions are generated automatically through the online rostering system. Refer to
Rostering 101 for more detailed instructions on the online rostering system.
Failure to abide by any of the Series Guidelines may result in sanctions through the
UPA conduct process. Such sanctions may be imposed on a team or individuals associated with a team deemed to be in violation of the guidelines, and may include, but are not limited to, suspension or disqualification from UPA Series competition.
In order to help teams follow Series Guidelines and avoid violations, the UPA will continue to work to improve registration procedures and communication of information pertaining to the UPA Series. As these improvements are made by the organization, teams will continue to be held more fully responsible for following Series procedures and understanding Series information. Because consistency in holding all participants to the same administrative and competitive standards is vital to the integrity of the Series, because many violations lead to unfair advantages in competition, and because it is often difficult to determine intent, guideline violations will result in serious repercussions. Such repercussions will provide an incentive for players and teams to understand the guidelines fully, follow the guidelines carefully, and avoid intended or unintended violations in the future.”
Competition Guidelines
Ultimate has traditionally relied upon a spirit of sportsmanship which places the responsibility for fair play on the player himself. 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.
Spirit of the Game sets Ultimate apart from other competitive team sports. For 40 years, Ultimate has flourished, reaching a highly competitive level, without the use of referees. In Ultimate, the honor system works. Sure, human nature rears its ugly head from time to time—just as in any sport, just as in life. Yet, one of the many beauties of Ultimate is how, even amid the most difficult of situations, utmost graciousness is allowed to meet that challenge head on. Through this balance, Ultimate players are free to demonstrate the most honorable and the most joyous sides of human nature in sport.
Most Ultimate players care deeply about Spirit of the Game. The organizational challenge for the UPA is to foster an environment where the challenge does not become, "to see what I can get away with." Rather than dictate what Spirit of the Game is or should be, it is up to each player to do so for him- or herself within the context of the teams he or she plays with and against.
1) 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 College Series (Sectionals).
2) Division II sectionals may be offered at the discretion of the sectional coordinator.
a) Participation in Division II sectionals is optional and is entirely contingent upon the team's desire and consent to play in Division II.
b) Teams that participate in Division II sectionals are not eligible to advance to Division I regionals or advance to the UPA College Championships. Division II teams may advance to Division II regionals if offered. This is not required of regional coordinators.
c) Teams that participate in Division II sectionals are subject to the same series guidelines as Division I teams and may count towards a section's "
official team count."
3) For the purposes of tournament logistics, UPA Coordinators and/or 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. Tournament Directors may keep entry fees from teams that pull out of the tournament beyond a certain date, provided that date (it cannot be before the UPA registration deadline, for instance) 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 (coordinators are to put the approved deadline on the event's
Score Reporting Tool page). Any deadline imposed by a coordinator or tournament director that would restrict access to the tournament for teams that would otherwise be considered eligible must be announced well in advance and must be approved by the National Director.
1) Regional bids will be allocated to sections based on the number of teams in each section that meet the team registration deadline and participate at the Sectional event (each section's "
official team count").
2) Bids to Regionals will be based on the following formula:
N=total number of teams in the region that meet the team registration deadline and participate at Sectionals
R=total number of spots in Regionals (R=16)
a=number of teams that meet the team registration deadline and participate at Sectionals for Section A
b= number of teams that meet the team registration deadline and participate at Sectionals for Section B (and so on)
a + b. . .=N
Section A gets (a/N) x R bids to Regionals
3) Each section (unless there is team migration) must receive at least one bid.
i) 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.
ii) 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.
4) Partial (fractional) bids will only be awarded if fewer than 16 total bids have been allocated. There will be a maximum of 16 bids to Regionals.
5) 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 .82 will be awarded a bid before a section with a remainder of .67).
a) If there is a tie for the final bid to Regionals, the number of players on the tied sections' March 21st team registration deadline rosters will be used to determine the final bid.
b) If there is still a tie, a disc will be flipped (or Rosham if preferred).
6) If, after Sectionals is completed, a section's "
official team count" does not change and another section's count drops, the unchanged section may not have its bids to Regionals reduced, even if the formula would allocate the bids otherwise.
7) Unaccepted bids
a) 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.
b) 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.
c) 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.
d) If the spot has not been filled three days prior to the tournament, the RC may award the bid at his/her discretion with the approval of the National College Director.
8) 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. Tournament Directors may keep entry fees from teams that pull out of the tournament beyond a certain date, provided that date (it cannot be before the UPA registration deadline, for instance) 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 (coordinators are to put the approved deadline on the event's
Score Reporting Tool page). Any deadline imposed by a coordinator or tournament director that would restrict access to the tournament for teams that would otherwise be considered eligible must be announced well in advance and must be approved by the National Director.
UPA College Championships
1) The College Open Division and College Women's Division will each qualify twenty teams for the UPA College Championships. The top two teams from each region will automatically qualify. The remaining 4 bidss will be allocated to regions through 4 strength wildcards, as follows:
2) Strength Wildcards (4) for UPA College Series (Open and Women's)
Four strength wildcards per division will be awarded for the following year based on the algorithm outlined in the
2008 Series Guidelines.
Application of the Strength Wildcard formula following the 2008 College Championships resulted in the wildcards being awarded to the following regions for the 2009 College Championships:
Open Division:
Central – 2 wildcards
Atlantic Coast – 1 wildcard
Southwest - 1 wildcard
Women's Division:
Southwest – 2 wildcards
Central - 1 wildcard
Northwest – 1 wildcard
This means that the bid allocation for the 2009 UPA College Championships will be as follows:
Open
| Region | Automatic Bids | Strength Bids (previous season) | Total Bids |
| Atlantic Coast | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Central | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Great Lakes | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Metro East | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| New England | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Northwest | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| South | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Southwest | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Women
Region | Automatic Bids | Strength Bids (previous season) | Total Bids |
| Atlantic Coast | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Central | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Great Lakes | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Metro East | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| New England | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Northwest | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| South | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Southwest | 2 | 2 | 4 |
The impact of the final standings at the 2009 College Championships will be dependent on the plans for College Ultimate to be discussed and finalized this spring, and if applicable, will be announced before the tournament.
Name/Logo/Uniform Guidelines - The UPA reserves the right to alter, or require a team to alter, a team name, player nickname, team logo, jersey graphic or uniform and/or suggest alternatives at or in conjunction with a UPA program or event should UPA personnel determine that the existing name, logo, graphic, or uniform might hinder the mission of the organization or the goals of a specific UPA program or event. Alterations must meet with the approval of UPA personnel.
- Frequently Asked Questions on Name/Logo/Uniform Guidelines
- All players participating in the UPA College Championship tournament for a given 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 or numbers with the same value (e.g. 00 and 0, 01 and 1, etc.).
- Uniform bottoms (shorts, pants, skirts) worn by players on the field must be of identical color and design.
- Teams must have numbers on either the front of their jerseys or the front (left or right leg) of their uniform bottoms (shorts, pants, skirts), although teams may opt to do both. The placement must be the same for the whole team. The numbers must be at least 2 inches high and match the number on the back of their jersey.
- Names, logos, and graphics on jerseys must comply with the Name/Logo/Uniform Guidelines above.
- It is recommended that uniform accessories including tights, undershirts, hats, and socks be of identical or coordinated style and color.
- The UPA reserves the right to disqualify and/or fine players who fail to meet the uniform requirements.
- These requirements do not apply to Sectionals or Regionals.
- Frequently Asked Questions on uniform requirements.
Coaching Certification Requirements During games at UPA Championship events where field access is restricted (e.g. semifinal and finals of the UPA College Championships), sideline access will only be granted to players, coaches that are designated by the team and have completed the
UPA Coaching Ethics Workshop, UPA event staff, and media. All other non-player support staff, with player-level or limited field access, including coaches, must read, sign and agree to abide by the
UPA Coaching Code of Ethics and
Spirit of Coaching Statement. Limits on number of coaches and other non-player support staff will be determined by specific event guidelines.
This policy was approved by the Board of Directors in December, 2008 and is to be implemented for the 2009 youth and college championship events and beyond.
Restricted access games currently include the semi-finals and finals, but may be expanded to include other games. Coaches should make plans to complete the UPA Coaching Ethics Workshop before May, 2009 in order to ensure access to the sideline for all games at the College Championships.
Sectional and Regional tournament formats will be determined by coordinators using UPA guidelines in the
UPA Formats Manual for the Championship Series. Contact your Sectional or Regional Coordinator for information.
- Seeding for Sectionals and Regionals and the UPA Championships will be done by the coordinator using the following information: input solicited from all the captains of participating teams; results prior to the Series (e.g. head to head, common opponents, tournament finish); results of last year's Series; and other applicable information (e.g. team composition, conditions). 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 College Championships 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 College Championships.
- Seeding for Sectionals must be pre-approved by the appropriate Regional Coordinator. (If the Sectional and Regional coordinators are affiliated (player, coach, alum, etc.) with the same team, seedings must be approved by the National College Director.)
- Seeding for Regionals must be pre-approved by the National College Director. (If the Sectional and Regional coordinators are affiliated (player, coach, alum, etc.) with the same team, seedings must be approved by the National College Director.)
- Seeding for the UPA College Championships must be pre-approved by the Championship Director. (If the Sectional and Regional coordinators are affiliated (player, coach, alum, etc.) with the same team, seedings must be approved by the National College Director.)
1) A team must play all its games at a "qualifying" tournament in order to qualify for the next tournament in the Series.
a) A team that forfeits a Series game, and every player on that team's roster, is disqualified for the remainder of the current Series, in every Division.
b) 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.
c) 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.
2) If one team is not ready to play at game-time, points may be assessed in accordance with the
11th 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).
3) The list of allowable forfeit scenarios is found in the formats manual (link to be posted as soon as the new version is published.)
The 2009 College Series will be played under the 11th Edition Rules of Ultimate. Any changes to those rules, implemented under the captain's clause, must meet the following criteria:
- they must be agreed upon at the captain's meeting prior to the start of competition; and
- they must be approved by the event's UPA coordinator (This approval is necessary because certain rules may require more notice to implement than would be given the morning of competition or may indirectly affect other aspects of the Series. A coordinator may choose not to approve a rule change that cannot be adequately implemented or that might be deemed inappropriate or inconsistent as part of the overall Series competition.)
- In January 2008, the UPA Board of Directors passed a proposal unifying the Misconduct System. This system will be in use for the 2008 College Series.
- At the January 16th UPA Board of Directors meeting, the Board passed several proposals impacting the UPA College Championships. This included a team vote for the use of experimental rules (specifically active or immediate-referral up/down and travel calls) at 2009 College Championships.
If captains want observers to be present at the tournament beyond the requirements outlined in
Section 8 (Rules) above, they must notify their coordinator at least two weeks prior to the tournament. This will facilitate volunteer recruitment and training prior to the event.
At the January 16th UPA Board of Directors meeting, the Board passed several proposals impacting the UPA College Championships. This included a
team vote for the use of experimental rules (specifically active or immediate-referral up/down and travel calls) at 2009 College Championships.
