Spirit of the Game
Spirit of the Game is one of the foundational principles of ultimate frisbee. It’s an important part of the BU community and one of the reasons we love playing together. For a full explanation of what spirited play looks like, visit the USA Ultimate page on Spirit of the Game.
The Basics of Spirit
- Players make their own calls based on respectful conversations and knowledge of the rules.
- Fair play and mutual respect are prioritized on and off the field.
- Players practice body control and avoid dangerous plays.
- The pure and simple enjoyment of ultimate is at the heart of the sport.
- Spirit is part of the official rules, meaning everyone who plays buys into this concept.
Our spirited community based on fair play and mutual respect brings us together on and off the field. Whether we’re playing ultimate dressed in Halloween costumes or holding a Prom after a local tournament, we know how to have fun together!
Gender Equity and Inclusion
Gender equity is an important part of ultimate. The BU community plays primarily mixed (meaning people of all genders play together), so we strive to make sure everyone — regardless of their gender identity — feels respected, included, and safe on and off the field.
We recognize a fundamental tension in how the sport is played and who plays it. Mixed ultimate, as it is currently played, requires players to operate in a binary system. Leagues are balanced to have equal numbers of men and women on each team, and defensive players match up against offensive players within their designated category of “Defender of Men” or “Defender of Women.” Recently, we’ve been trying to better include nonbinary players in this imperfect system.
BU’s Gender Equity Forum in December 2023 focused on several issues pertaining to the inclusion and fair treatment of women and nonbinary players. That conversation, summarized in the PDF below, guides our progress going forward. We fully acknowledge that equity and inclusion is an ongoing conversation.
“The BU Board helps to organize our community, but they are not THE community – that is all of us. Please reply with feedback, suggestions, other ideas, etc. We need everyone to promote an environment and culture that makes everyone feel important on the field and in the community.”
Bloomington Ultimate Board, December 2023
Our local efforts to promote gender equity are guided by the people in our community and legitimized by the inclusive policy of USA Ultimate, the governing body for the sport of ultimate in the U.S. Their Gender Inclusion Policy states:
“Within our divisions as they currently exist, USA Ultimate will not discriminate on the basis of gender identity, regardless of sex assigned at birth, or any other form of gender expression for participation in any division.”
USA Ultimate’s Gender Inclusion Policy, adopted in 2020