Editing Ultimate frisbee (section)

==Spirit of the game==
[[Image:Foulcall.jpg|thumb|300px|right|A disputed foul was called by the Swedish player (in blue) after this attempted block in the 2007 European Championship final between Great Britain and Sweden in Southampton, UK.]]

All youth and most club ultimate games are self-officiated through the "spirit of the game", often abbreviated SOTG.  Spirit of the game is described by WFDF as an expectation that each player will [[Sportsmanship|be a good sport]] and play fair, as well as having high values of integrity; including "following and enforcing the rules".<ref name="WFDF Spirit">{{cite web |url=http://www.wfdf.org/sports/ultimate/161-spirit-of-the-game- |title=Spirit of the game |work=WFDF.org |access-date=August 31, 2016}}</ref> Another example is the practice of the players "taking a knee," i.e., kneeling on one knee, during the timeout when a player suffers an injury; as a sign of respect to the injured.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gipson |first1=Gregory |title=Layout Abuse Alert! |journal=Skyd Magazine |date=January 14, 2013 |url=https://skydmagazine.com/2013/01/layout-abuse-alert/ |access-date=13 June 2021}}</ref><ref>
{{cite AV media
 | people = [[USA Ultimate]]
 | date = Aug 9, 2021
 | title = YCC 2021, U-20 Girls Final: Eugene Downpour vs. D.C. Rogue
 | medium =
 | language =
 | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9MGFzVZlzA&t=4093s
 | access-date = 27 August 2021
 | minutes = 68
 | publisher = [[YouTube]]
 | location = [[Blaine, Minnesota]]
}} Shows players taking a knee after an injury.</ref> SOTG is further contextualized and described in the rules established by [[USA Ultimate]]; according to ''The Official Rules of Ultimate'', 11th Edition:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usaultimate.org/resources/officiating/rules/11th_edition_rules.aspx |title=11th Edition Rules |work=USAUltimate.org |access-date=May 14, 2016 |archive-date=June 4, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140604061122/http://www.usaultimate.org/resources/officiating/rules/11th_edition_rules.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{{blockquote|Ultimate has traditionally relied upon a spirit of sportsmanship which places the responsibility for fair play on the player. 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.}}

Many tournaments give awards for the most spirited teams and/or players, often based on ratings provided by opposing teams.  The largest youth ultimate tournament in the world, Spring Reign, uses spirit scores to award a spirit prize within each pool and to determine eligibility of teams the following year.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.discnw.org/events/840/info/spirit-of-the-game |title=Spring Reign (2015) |work=DiscNW |access-date=August 31, 2016}}</ref>  In many non-professional games, it is common for teams to meet after the game in a "spirit circle" to discuss the game, and in some cases grant individual spirit awards.

While "spirit of the game" is a general attitude, ultimate has an agreed upon procedure to deal with unclear or disputed situations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wfdf.org/sports/ultimate/162-basic-rules |title=Basic Rules |work=WFDF.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714203409/http://www.wfdf.org/sports/ultimate/162-basic-rules |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |df=mdy-all |access-date=August 2, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In Europe and other continents, even top-level play does not have referees. Most world championship games have had no referees, and disputes were decided by the players themselves.

Observers are used in some high-level tournaments outside the US, as well as in some tournaments sanctioned by USA Ultimate. Most calls and disputes are initially handled by the players, but observers may offer to step in if no agreement is reached. A few calls, such as out-of-bounds, are considered "active calls", and are treated like referee calls in other sports.

Other forms of refereeing exist in ultimate. Professional ultimate in North America uses referees, in part to increase the pace of the game. In some international competitions, game advisors are used who may provide rules clarification or their perspective on plays, though calls and final decisions remain in control of the on-field players.