Spirit of the Game is a set of principles which places the responsibility for fair play on the player. Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of mutual respect among competitors, adherence to the agreed upon rules, or the basic joy of play.

All players are responsible for knowing, administering, and adhering to the rules. The integrity of ultimate depends on each player's responsibility to uphold the Spirit of the Game, and this responsibility should remain paramount.

It is assumed that no player will intentionally violate the rules; thus there are no harsh penalties for inadvertent infractions, but rather a method for resuming play in a manner that simulates what most likely would have occurred absent the infraction. An intentional infraction is cheating and considered a gross offense against the Spirit of the Game. Players are morally bound to abide by the rules and not gain advantage by knowingly committing an infraction, or calling one where none exists.

Players should be mindful of the fact that they are acting as officials in any arbitration between teams. Players must:

The following are examples of possible actions to support good spirit:

The following actions are clear violations of the Spirit of the Game and must be avoided by all participants:

Teams are guardians of the Spirit of the Game, and must:

In the case where a novice player commits an infraction out of ignorance of the rules, experienced players are obliged to explain the infraction and clarify what should happen.

Rules should be interpreted by the players directly involved in the play, or by players who had the best perspective on the play (3.A). Players may seek the perspective of sideline players to clarify the rules, and to assist in making the appropriate call.

Players are responsible for making all calls except where specific rules designate non-players to make calls.

If after discussion players cannot agree, or it is unclear: