Houston Ultimate Community

This year there will be 12 teams with 216 participants! That is pretty amazing. Teams will be spread out a little more thinly than last year so please know your teammates are counting on you to show up.

First I want to go over the schedule for this week and then the rules so please read this entire message.

Thursday night we will be having the Pull Party. Last year's event was kind of lame so this year we are going to try to make it more fun by combining the Pull Party with Thursday Indoor Pickup. You can come out, pay your league fees, pick up your shirts and disc and watch some sweet indoor Ultimate or play some sweet indoor Ultimate. Cost to play is $5, no cleats allowed (please read rules on HUC website). There will be a crew upstairs to get you your stuff and there is a bar downstairs.

Saturday: There will be a preleague skills clinic starting at 9 am. Games start at 10am sharp! So show up by 9:00 to pay and get your stuff or 8:30 if you are participating in the clinic. We will have multiple people out there to help you and we will have different lines for people paying and people who have already paid and are just picking up their stuff. Please know your team number when you come to pay so you know which person to go to. As always Paypal is preferred. If you pay that morning by paypal please print out your receipt and bring it. If paying by cash please have exact change. Checks are made out to HUC. PLEASE do not let a line discourage you. This will be the only week that we will have a crew of volunteers there to assist. You will not get your shirts and disc until you pay. A late fee will be assessed on a weekly basis for those who do not pay by week 3 unless you have made prior arrangements with me directly.

Rules:
All games will be played by the UPA 11th edition rules except where specified below. We don't expect new players to have the rules memorized but it is helpful to read through them. I encourage fouls and violations to be called and rules to be explained where appropriate. However when you do so please remember that not everyone has been playing for years so be nice about it!

The most important aspect to the rules is the "Spirit of the Game". Learn it. Live it.

"Spirit of the Game. Ultimate relies upon a spirit of sportsmanship that 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. Protection of these vital elements serves to eliminate unsportsmanlike conduct from the Ultimate field. Such actions as taunting opposing players, dangerous aggression, belligerent intimidation, intentional infractions, or other 'win-at-all-costs' behavior are contrary to the Spirit of the Game and must be avoided by all players."

We will be allowing substitutes. The cost will be $5 a day and the individuals will be assigned to teams that are short handed. Please send all substitutes to me at the beginning of the day. Substitutes found playing on a team of their choice and not paying will be asked to leave. So if your buddy shows up it is your responsibility to explain this rule to them.

Games are point capped at 15, length is 1 hour and 20 minutes. Soft cap will sound at 1:05, hard cap at 1:15. Time outs will be permitted in the soft cap but must last no longer than 60 seconds.

There will be one time out per half plus a floater. Please limit timeouts to 2 minutes.

Gender ratio is 7:0, 6:1, or 5:2. Offense dictates.

That should cover the rules...

Remember that this is a recreational league and it is all about having a good time. If you are not, come and see me and I will try to solve the problem.

Be sure to thank your captain for all of his and her hard work. They were working late into the night last night drafting your awesome team.

Future communication will be coming directly from your captains.

Looking forward to a great league.

Thomas Jackson and Black Angus