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:

know the rules;

be fair-minded and objective;

be truthful;

explain their viewpoint clearly and concisely;

allow opponents a reasonable chance to speak;

consider their opponent's viewpoint;

use respectful words and body language;

resolve disputes as quickly as possible;

make calls in a consistent manner throughout the game; and

only make a call where an infraction is significant enough to make a difference to the outcome of the action.

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

informing a teammate if they have made a wrong or unnecessary call, caused a foul or violation, or need a clarification of a rule;

retracting a call when you no longer believe the call was necessary or believe that it was made in error and should not have been called;

complimenting an opponent for good play or spirit;

touching base with an opponent on the sideline after a contentious interaction;

discussing and/or making calls about contact that could be considered a foul in order to keep players safe;

introducing yourself to your opponent; and

reacting calmly towards disagreement or provocation.

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

reckless play or dangerously aggressive behavior;

intentional fouling or other intentional rule violations;

taunting or intimidating opposing players;

disrespectful celebration after scoring;

making calls in retaliation to an opponent's calls or other actions;

calling for a pass from an opponent; and

other win-at-all-costs behavior.

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

take responsibility for teaching their players the rules and good spirit;

discipline team members who display poor spirit; and

provide constructive feedback to other teams about what they are doing well and/or how to improve their adherence to the Spirit of the Game.

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.

Coaches should teach players to come to a resolution on their own. If asked during a dispute coaches may offer rules clarifications. Coaches may not make calls from the sideline nor offer their opinion on a play. After a dispute, and when the player is not playing, a coach may talk to their own player about the dispute and offer opinions and guidance.

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:

what occurred in a play, or

what would most likely have occurred in a play,

the disc is returned to the thrower.