2010 Youth Development Program Competition Guidelines

2010 UPA HS State Championships

• States holding UPA HS State Championships
• Team Info
• Early Registration
• Late Registration
• On-site registration
• Eligibility
• UPA mailing address
• Minor (Under 18) Player Info
• Important Documents

2010 UPA HS Eastern and Western Championships

• Application and Team Selection
• Requirements for Applicants (Teams) and State Tournaments
• Player Eligibility
• Team Info
  

2010 UPA Youth Club Championships

• Application Process
• Team Selection
• Team Make-up
  
• Player Eligibility
  
• Team Info
  

Competition Guidelines

• Spirit of the Game
• Coaching Certification Requirements
• Name/Logo Guidelines
• Uniform Requirements
• Formats
• Seeding
• Forfeit Rule
• Rules
• Observers
• Mixed Division Gender rules
• Player Minimums
  

2010 UPA State HS Championships

States holding UPA State HS Championships

The UPA State HS Championship program is an expanding program.  States are chosen to host a UPA State HS Championship at the discretion of the Director of Youth Development.  The four criteria weighed in granting UPA sponsorship to a new State HS Championship are 1. Existence of a UPA sanctioned state championship in previous years 2. Competent organizers to host the event 3. Keeping the growth at a level where high quality training can be provided to new organizers and 4. Geographic balance.

In 2010 the states hosting UPA State HS Championships are:Northern California, Colorado, Georgia,Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

1. All teams must submit an official 2010 State Youth Championship roster by the deadlines outlined below.  UPA membership dues and individual waivers must also be submitted prior to participation at the State Championships. Players may not pay one time event fees for Championship events.
2. Early Registration: Friday, two weeks prior to your State Championships.
1. Completed rosters must be received at UPA Headquarters by Friday, two weeks prior to your state championships.
   
2. Membership dues and waivers should be submitted with the roster prior to the early deadline
3. Teams submitting rosters by the early registration deadline may use the online rostering system or may manually fill out and submit a paper roster.  (Please see the Rostering 101 guide for details on the online rostering system and manual rostering instructions).
4. There is a $50 late fee for teams that do not submit a roster by the early registration deadline.  This fee may be waived by the State Youth Coordinator.
3. Late Registration: Wednesday before the State Championships
1. The online rostering system is strongly preferred for teams submitting rosters by the late registration deadline, but they may manually fill out and submit a paper roster.  (Please see the Rostering 101 guide for details on the NEW online rostering system and manual rostering instructions).
2. Online late registration must be completed by the Wednesday prior to a team's State Championship (For example, if a team's state championship is May 15-16th, late registration must be completed by midnight on Wednesday, May 12)
3. Paper late registration must be received at at UPA Headquarters by close of business on Wednesday prior to a team's State Championship.
4. State Youth Coordinators may set an earlier deadline for late registration.
4. On-site Registration: The morning of the State Championships*
1. On-site registration is only allowed using a paper roster.
2. State Youth Coordinators may choose not to accept on-site registration.
5. Eligibility
1. Eligibility for the UPA HS State Championships is determined by the UPA State Youth Coordinator.  These events are intended for HS based teams; however the State Youth Coordinator can make exceptions in order to encourage growth.
2. If you are interested in playing for a team that is not based at the high school that you attend, please contact your State Youth Coordinator for your state's eligibility guidelines.
3. A player determined eligible for a HS team at HS States by the State youth Coordinator does not make a player eligible for that same team at HS Easterns or Westerns. All eligibility questions for HS Easterns or Westerns shouldbe directed to the Championship Series Manager.
6. Failure to abide by any of the above rules may result in the immediate disqualification of the team or individual.
7. Teams should make a copy of their roster prior to mailing it to UPA Headquarters for their records. This copy should be brought to State Championships in case it needs to be referenced.
8. All teams, regardless of whether they turn their rosters in to HQ or at the tournament, should contact their State Youth 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).  Click here for coordinator contact info.
9. Please see the Rostering 101 guide for detailed instructions on how to get your roster done right and for links to the appropriate forms needed (roster, waivers, etc.).
10. Mail rosters to:
    

    State Youth Championship
    (State/Name of Team)
    Ultimate Players Association
    4730 Table Mesa Dr.
    Suite I-200C
    Boulder, CO 80305
    (303) 447-3472 or 1 (800) 872-4384

• Waiver
• Medical Release (minors only)
• Chaperone Waiver (minors only)

2010 UPA HS Eastern and Western Championships

Applications for the 2010 UPA HS Eastern and Western Championships will be available on the UPA website in January, 2010.  Applications will be due by March 19th, 2010 (5PM Mountain Time) and invited teams will be notified by March 26th, 2010.  Teams that meet the Requirements for Applicants will be eligible to receive an invitation. Teams will be selected based on team strength and geographic representation. A team's contributions to the development of youth Ultimate may be considered as a tiebreaker in cases where teams can't be separated based on strength and geography.

1. In order to compete at HS Easterns or Westerns the school's team (e.g. Varsity, Junior Varsity, A or B) must compete in the previous year's UPA sanctioned state tournament (e.g. for Amherst Reg. HS Varsity to compete at HS Easterns in 2010, that team must have competed at the UPA MA State Championships in 2009).
1. Teams that apply for Easterns and Westerns must have competed at the previous year's state tournament.  50% of the team's players at the previous year's state tournament must have been regular members of the school.
2. In the event that the state tournament has a Mixed (coed) Division, teams from that division may qualify to compete at Easterns or Westerns, provided the gender ratio for the Mixed Division of the state tournament was 4/3.
3. In the event that there is only one team in a state, or it is otherwise deemed by the UPA that a state tournament would be too difficult, the state tournament requirement will be waived
2. State Tournament: Requirements for the State Tournament
1. The state tournament must be a UPA sanctioned or sponsored event
2. The state tournament must be publicly announced at least 4 weeks prior to the event.  Announcement must include:
1. Date of event
2. Location of event
3. Contact information for event
4. Registration requirements
3. The state tournament must include every HS team in the state that meets the Tournament Director's deadlines
4. In the event there are too many in-state teams to accommodate at a state tournament there must be a UPA sanctioned qualifying event(s) for the state tournament.
5. The state tournament can include teams from outside of the state as long as it does not prohibit in-state teams that have met the registration requirements.

The UPA Eastern and Western HS Championships are intended as an event for school based teams. All players on teams participating in the event must meet the following guidelines for "High School Players".

1. High School Players - To be considered a High School Player students must meet the following requirements
1. Students must be regular members of the school they represent in order to participate in an interscholastic athletic activity.
1. Students are a "regular member" of a school if they are enrolled half time or more, exclusive of interscholastic athletic activities
2. Students must not turn 20 prior to June 1st of the current school year.
3. Students must not have graduated or received a GED before January 1st of the current school year.
4. Students who are home schooled will be considered eligible to participate on a team at Easterns or Westerns as follows:
1. If the student is part of a UPA-recognized home school cooperative, they may participate as part of that cooperative's Ultimate team, provided that team meets the state tournament participation requirements.
2. If the student is not part of a UPA-recognized home school cooperative, they may participate as part of the Ultimate team at the public high school that they would normally attend, provided that team meets the state tournament participation requirements.
2. Club Players - Club Players (i.e. players who do not meet the requirements of "High School Players" above) are not eligible for HS Easterns and Westerns.
3. Violations of these rules may result in disqualification from the current UPA High School championships and possible sanctions through the UPA conduct process.
4. Clarifications - These rules are designed to be as fair as possible for all of the wide range of players participating in the UPA High School Championships.  Experience has shown that there can be cases where these rules do not determine absolutely the eligibility of a particular player.  The following procedure is available for players/teams for whom the rules are not clear:
1. The coach, team representative, or the player in question may submit an inquiry to the Youth Eligibility Committee via the eligibility form.
2. The inquiry form must be filled out completely, and submitted by the date on the form.  Late requests will not be accepted.
3. The inquiry will be reviewed by the Eligibility Committee, and responses sent by e-mail. 
4. Email  if the form is not available or for any other questions.
5. The eligibility committee will rule on a player's case based on the published Youth Competition Guideines, and is not the mechanism for requesting changes to the guidelines. Please contact the Director of Youth Development on the process for proposing changes.

Information on paperwork requirements and deadlines will be sent to selected teams along with the invitation to the event.

2010 UPA Youth Club Championships

1. Phase 1: Applications for the 2010 UPA Youth Club Championships will be due by March 5th, 2010 (5PM Mountain Time). Bids will be awarded according to the team selection process on March 12th, 2010.
   1. UPA sanctioned Youth Club Leagues must fill out the application by the deadline.
   2. At-large applicants must fill out the application in order to receive instructions for the required youth club development proposal. Both the application and proposal are due by the deadline stated above. It is highly recommend that you submit the application early in order to have time to develop a quality youth club league development proposal.
2. Phase 2: Applicants that miss the Phase 1 period can apply during Phase 2 for any available spots or to be added to the waitlist should a Phase 1 team turn down a bid in any division. The waitlist application will be made available on the UPA website in April 2010. The deadline for the waitlist application process will be May 14th, and teams will be notified of the status of their bids by May 28th
   1. UPA sanctioned Youth Club Leagues must fill out the application by the deadline.
   2. At-large applicants must fill out an application in order to receive instructions for the required youth club development proposal. Both the application and proposal are due by the deadline stated above. It is highly recommend that you submit the application early in order to have time to develop a quality youth club league development proposal.

1. For the purposes of Team Selection for the YCC, leagues will be defined as follows.
2. UPA Youth Club League
1. UPA-sanctioned
2. Provides playing opportunities for youth in a youth-focused environment
3. Open registration/enrollment
1. Registration deadlines are acceptable, but must be communicated clearly and enforced consistently
2. Limitations on player registration are acceptable for logistical reasons, but must be communicated clearly and enforced consistently
3. Skill level of players may not be a factor in determining a player’s ability to register
4. Competition and team makeup is not based on school affiliation
5. Minimum of 4 league meetings (scheduled game days per team) over a minimum of 4 weeks
3. UPA High School League
1. UPA-sanctioned
2. Competition and team makeup is based entirely or partially on school affiliation
3. Minimum of 4 league meetings (scheduled game days per team) over a minimum of 4 weeks
4. The UPA reserves the right to determine whether leagues applying for bids to the YCC meet the above criteria.

Team and Player Requirements

1. On-time receipt of application
2. Adequate adult support structure (at least 2 chaperones over 25)
3. All players must not turn 19 prior to June 1st of the year of the UPA Youth Club Championships in order to be eligible.
4. Teams must be made up of players residing in the same (UPA adult club) region, with residency defined as:
1. the location where the person is living for the majority of August, AND
2. the location where the person is living for the majority of either the 3 months prior to August
3. If the above definition means that a player does not have a region as their "residence", then the player is considered to be an out-of-region player.  Teams are allowed a maximum of 2 out-of-region players.
5. If the team is a league sponsored team, all players must have either:
1. participated in the season that the application is based on OR
2. be registered to participate and participated in the league the year of the YCC prior to the beginning of the YCC.
3. "Participation" is defined as competing in a minimum of two league competitions. Leagues are encouraged to set a higher standard of participation.
6. The UPA reserves the right to determine whether players on applying teams meet the above criteria.

Event Registration

Information on paperwork requirements and deadlines will be sent to selected teams along with the invitation to the event.

Competition Guidelines

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.

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, including additional coaches that have no completed the UPA Coaching Ethics Workshop, must read, sign, and agree to abide by the UPA Coaching Ethics Code and UPA 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.

The original Coaching Certification policy, which required Level I certification, was approved by the Board of Directors in the summer of 2006 as an incentive for coaches to get Level I certification as well as to ensure compliance with UPA standards of knowledge and behavior at the UPA's highest profile games. Recognizing the need for increased access to the clinics, and wishing to align the specifics topics of coaching and ethics and professionalizing with the sideline requirement, the policy was revised in 2008.

Coaches should make plans to attend the Coaching Ethics Workshop between January and March of each year in order to ensure access to the sideline for all games at the Championship events.

• 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 High School Eastern and Western Championships and the UPA Youth Club Championship tournaments 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 the same color.
• 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.
• The Uniform requirements for UPA State HS Championships are to be determined by the State Youth Coordinator.
• Frequently Asked Questions regarding uniform requirements.

• Seeding for the State HS Championships 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 Championships; results of last year's Championships; and other applicable information such as team composition during or prior to the Championships. (The coordinator has the authority to adjust rankings according to the best information available.)
• Seeding for the UPA Youth Club Championships and UPA HS Easterns and Westerns will be done by the UPA Director of Youth Development and Director of Championships using the following information: input solicited from all the captains of participating teams; results of head to head match-ups prior to the Championships; results of last year's Championships; and other applicable information such as team composition during or prior to the Championships and geographic location.

1. A team must play all its games at a tournament.
   1. 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.
   2. 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. A team will be considered to have forfeited any game where the number of players that can safely participate falls below the minimum requirement set by the Event Organizer for that specific event.

Only UPA Certified Observers are permitted to officiate at UPA Championship or Championship Series Events.

If officials are used during UPA Youth or High School Championship events, their duties must be in-line with those described in the UPA Observer Manual. ANy changes to these duties must be pre-approved by the National Division Director.

If captains want observers to be present at a tournament, they must notify the event coordinator at least 4 weeks prior to the tournament. This will facilitate recrutiment prior to the event. The use of observers is subject to availability of the observer staff.

1. Youth Club Championships
1. The gender ratio for the Mixed Division of the Youth Club Championships will be 4/3 (4 men and 3 women, or 4 women and 3 men).
2.  The receiving team will determine if the current point will be played with 4 men and 3 women or 4 women and 3 men. The pulling team must match the gender ratio of the receiving team.
3. If the pulling team cannot match the gender of all 7 players, then it must play with fewer than 7 players, matching the gender of as many players as possible.
4. Injury timeouts
1. In the event of an injury time-out where a player leaves the field, the replacing player must be the same gender as the injured player.
2. If a team replaces players, the opposing team has the option of substituting a like number of, or fewer players.
3. The replacing player(s) must be the same gender as the player(s) they replace.      
4. If a team calls an injury time-out but does not have a replacement player of the same gender as the injured player, it may not replace that player and must play with fewer than 7 players.
2. State HS Championships
1. At UPA State HS Championships that include a mixed division, the gender ratio for that division will be determined by the UPA State Youth Coordinator after consulting with the affected teams' captains and coaches.
2. Please note that for teams to be eligible to apply for participation at HS Easterns and Westerns, the Mixed Division of a sanctioned state championship or a sponsored UPA State HS Championship must have the gender ration of 4/3.

1. UPA Youth and High School Championship events will set specific player  minimum requirements for both registration and competition. These requirements may vary based on various factors such as event location, number of teams, event schedule, etc.
2. Registration Minimums: Set to determine whether a team can officially register for an event.
3. Competition minimums: Set to determine whether a team can continue to compete safely at an event.
4. Contact the event organizer or UPA headquarters to determine what these  minimums are for each event.