MEDIA  |  SPONSORS  |  COACHES  |  COORDINATORS  |  OBSERVERS  |  ALUMNI  |  FANS  |   Search
Home
2010 College Season Guidelines

2010 UPA College Season Guidelines


  1. 2010 UPA College Season Overview

    As was outlined in the fall of 2010, the UPA has made significant changes that will be put in place for the 2010 UPA College Season. In addition to teams being able to register for the UPA College Series (Sectionals, Regionals, College Championships), teams will have the option to participate in a UPA College Regular Season in which the game results impact regular season rankings and bid allocation within the UPA College Series, including allocation to the newly created UPA Division III College Championships for small colleges and universities.
    1. UPA College Regular Season Overview
      1. Timeline – The official UPA College Regular Season will run from January 1 through March 28, 2010
      2. Regular Season Games -- The results of games between rostered college teams at UPA-sanctioned events will count towards the Official UPA College Rankings. Official college games may take place at any UPA-sanctioned event including college-specific events, events where there is a college division, or at non-college events where any two rostered college teams play one another. UPA-sanctioned event organizers will be responsible for submitting or verifying the results of games between rostered college teams at their events through the UPA’s online score reporting system.
      3. Eligibility and Roster Verification -- During the UPA College Regular Season, college teams at UPA-sanctioned events will be required to submit their roster of participating players to the event organizer through the UPA online rostering system. College teams participating in regular season games will be expected to do so only with players who meet, or who will meet, the UPA College Eligibility Rules for the UPA College Series. Teams’ registrar-certified rosters, submitted to the UPA in order to register for the UPA College Series, will be cross-checked against teams’ rosters from regular season events, and only game results from events where a team’s roster included only UPA-eligibility-verified players from their registrar-certified roster will be included in the end-of-season Official UPA College Rankings.
      4. Minimum Requirements – Teams will need to have participated in a minimum of 10 regular season games to be included in the Official UPA College Rankings and impact bid allocation. Participation in the UPA College Regular Season is not a prerequisite for UPA College Series participation.
      5. Official UPA College Rankings -- The rankings algorithm will be updated weekly throughout the UPA College Regular Season, after which the results will be used to determine strength bid allocations for Sections to Regionals, and for Regions to the UPA College Championships. For Division III eligible schools, the rankings algorithm will be recalculated after the last weekend of Sectionals to determine strength bid allocations to the UPA Division III College Championships.
    2. UPA College Series Overview
      1. Timeline - The UPA College Series will run from April 10th through May 31, 2010.
      2. Team Registration – Teams that wish to participate in the UPA College Series will need to use the online rostering system to create their roster and click submit to generate their roster PDF (containing both their roster and registrar instruction form) which they will need to give to their school registrar. This registrar-certified 2010 UPA College Series roster and registrar instruction form must arrive by mail at UPA Headquarters by the 5pm MT Friday March 26, 2010 Team Registration Deadline in order for a team to participate in the 2010 UPA College Series.
      3. Roster Additions – Teams may submit additions to their roster via the same registration process up through the Finalized Roster Deadline of the Friday one full week (8-9 days) before their Sectional event.
      4. Series Progression – Every team that meets the Teams Registration Deadline will begin the series at Sectionals. Based upon the results of Sectionals, a number of teams will qualify for Regionals. Based upon the results of Regionals, a number of teams will qualify for the UPA College Championships. Additionally, Division-III eligible schools may qualify for the UPA Division III College Championships based on the Official UPA College Rankings using results up through Sectionals.
      5. Bid Allocation – Bid allocation for Sections to Regionals includes a combination of 12 automatic/size bids (based up Sectional participation) and 4 strength bids.(based on end-of-season official UPA College Rankings evaluating both Sectional and Team strength). Bid allocation for Regions to the UPA College Championships includes a combination of 16 automatic bids (2 per Region) and 4 strength bids (based on end-of-season official UPA College Rankings evaluation both Regional and Team strength). Bid allocation to the UPA Division III College Championships to be granted to teams based on the Official UPA College Rankings of Division III eligible schools calculated after the last weekend of Sectionals, and include 8 geographic bids, 4 size bids, and 4 strength bids.
  2. UPA College Regular Season Guidelines
    1. Regular Season Registration Guidelines
      1. Timeline -- the official UPA College Regular Season will take place between January 1st, 2010 through March 28, 2010.
      2. Official UPA College Regular Season Events – the events which are considered to be official UPA College Regular Season events will be any UPA-sanctioned Events in which rostered college teams play one another.
        1. Official college games may take place at any UPA-sanctioned event including college-specific events, events where there is a college division, or at non-college events where any two rostered college teams play one another. UPA-sanctioned events will be denoted on the UPA score reporting page.
        2. The results of games between rostered college teams at UPA-sanctioned events will count for the Official UPA College Rankings, provided that both teams’ rosters pass the regular season eligibility check.
      3. Sanctioned Event Requirements -- inclusion in the UPA College Regular Season is not a requirement for participation in the UPA College Series.
        1. Teams attending these events will be required to:
          1. Use the online rostering system to submit their roster of participating players for that event to the event organizer at least 24 hours prior to the event
          2. Play only with players from their online roster for that event
          3. Include on their roster for the event only players who meet, or who will meet, the UPA College Eligibility Rules for the UPA College Series.
        2. UPA-sanctioned event organizers will be required to:
          1. Provide teams in attendance with access to the rosters of all college teams in attendance in order to aid with peer-policing of rosters
          2. Submit or verify the results of games between rostered college teams through the UPA’s online score reporting system.
          3. Other requirements for UPA-sanctioned event organizers are outlined on the UPA-sanctioned event page.
      4. Regular Season Eligibility
        1. College teams participating in regular season games will be expected to do so only with players who meet, or who will meet, the UPA College Eligibility Rules for the UPA College Series.
        2. Teams’ registrar-certified rosters, submitted to the UPA in order to register for the UPA College Series, will be cross-checked against teams’ rosters from regular season events. Teams should deal with their series registration as early as possible in the spring.
        3. Only game results from events where a team’s roster included only UPA-eligibility-verified players on their registrar-certified roster will be included in the end-of-season Official UPA College Rankings. UPA-eligibility-verification includes not only verification of required academic status through the school’s registrar, but also adherence to all aspects of the UPA College Eligibility Rules, including the “5-year rule” and other requirements.
        4. Quarter-system schools – Teams from schools on the quarter system will be held to the same standard as all other teams competing in the Official UPA Regular Season. To clarify, in order for a team’s regular season results to count towards end of season rankings, all players on a team’s roster for an event must meet the UPA College Eligibility Rules when the team registers for the UPA College Series. As has been the case, quarter-system schools may be eligible for team registration deadline extensions when registering for the UPA College Series.
        5. Teams that are found to have violated the letter or spirit of these rules or whose behaviorundermines the competition structure (e.g. misrepresenting the composition of a team at a specific event, misrepresenting the composition of a team over the course of the season, intentionally playing with ineligible players)may be subject to ramifications as outlined in the UPA College Season Guidelines section, Violations and Sanctions. Roster violations should be reported to the National College Director at upa_ncd@upa.org.
      5. Rankings Algorithm
        1. A modified Top25 algorithm will be in use for the 2010 regular season.  
        2. The algorithm will be run and published weekly starting in the second week in February, although all rankings are tentative pending eligibility verification. At the end of the regular season, adjustments as to which game results will count will be made and the final standings will be published. For Division III eligible schools, the rankings algorithm will be recalculated after the last weekend of Sectionals to determine bid allocations to the UPA Division III College Championships.
        3. Teams will need to have participated in a minimum of 10 regular season games to be included in the Official UPA College Rankings and impact bid allocation. Participation in the UPA College Regular Season is not a prerequisite for UPA College Series participation.
        4. If a team plays with a legitimate roster against a college team that is determined to have not had a roster of eligible players at that event, the game will count towards the eligible team’s 10 game minimum, although the game result won’t impact the rankings algorithm.
        5. If a team has a player who becomes academically ineligible mid-way through the season, games prior to the player becoming ineligible may still count, provided that this can be established definitively by the team. Such situations should be brought to the attention of the National College Director (upa_ncd@upa.org)
      6. Clarifications and exceptions
        1. X/Y teams / split squads – Teams that split into more than one team at or across one or more regular season events will have their results attributed to the “parent” team, although if the split squads face each other at an event that results will not count.
        2. A/B/C team movement -- Player eligibility for all teams from a school will be verified without respect to A/B/C team affiliation, in order to allow teams to make final A/B/C team determinations up to the registration deadlines for the UPA College Series. Reasonable movement of such players during the regular season is acceptable. However, deliberate mis-designation of a group of players at an event in order to influence rankings will be considered a roster violation and may be subject to ramifications as outlined in the section, Violations and Sanctions. If such deliberate mis-designation of players is discovered, the UPA reserves the right to assign a game result to which ever team it deems to be appropriate.
        3. For the purpose of bid allocations, the term “ranking” in these guidelines refers to the power rating assigned to a team by the algorithm, not to the numerical ranking (i.e. 1,2,3,etc.) of a team relative to other teams.
    2. Regular Season Competition Guidelines
      1. Event formats, game rules, seeding, and use of observers are all at the discretion of the regular season event organizers.
      2. UPA-sanctioned events will not have their results count for the UPA regular season if:
        1. The event does not meet the UPA definition of ultimate
        2. The competition rules of the event designate the number of players on the field for a team to be any number other than 7.
      3. The UPA reserves the right to disallow regular season results for reasons not outlined in these guidelines, if they are determined not to be in line with the goals of the UPA College Season or the mission and policies of the UPA.
  3. UPA College Series Guidelines
    1. UPA College Series Registration Guidelines
      1. Team Info

        2. All teams must submit a registrar-certified 2010 UPA College Series roster and registrar instruction form by the deadlines outlined below. UPA membership dues and individual waivers must also be submitted prior to participation in Sectionals, although due to the processing time, it is advisable to submit membership dues and waivers with the roster prior to the Team Registration Deadline to ensure that players are listed as paid and waivered in time for Sectionals.

        1. Team Registration Deadline: 5pm MT, Friday, March 26, 2010:
          1. Registrar-certified roster and registrar instruction form must be received at UPA Headquarters by 5pm MT March 26, 2010. This date is the same for all teams, regardless of when their sectional tournament is held. Note, this is to be received, not postmarked, by 5pm MT March 26.
          2. A valid roster consists of at least 7 players (unless granted a School Conflict Extension). Teams registered with fewer than 7 players at the Team Registration Deadline will not be permitted to play in the Series.
          3. Teams must use the online roster system to add players, submit the roster, and generate the roster materials (PDF) to be printed out and taken to their school’s registrar.
          4. Teams are responsible for ensuring that these materials are processed, mailed, and received at UPA Headquarters by the Team Registration Deadline. (Note: it may take your registrar several weeks to process these materials, so turn them in as early as possible in the spring).
          5. Teams will not be allowed to participate in the series if their roster materials do not arrive at the UPA by the Team Registration Deadline.
        2. Finalized Roster Deadline: 5pm MT the Friday one week prior to the weekend of your Sectional event (i.e,, 8-9 days before your Sectionals):
          1. This deadline is only an option for teams that successfully met the Team Registration Deadline, but wish to make roster additions to finalize their roster. These additions must be made in the online rostering system and also go through the Registrar certification process outlined above.
          2. Registrar-certified roster and Registrar Instructions must be received at the UPA by 5pm MT the Friday one week prior to the weekend of your Sectional event (i.e,, 8-9 days before your Sectionals).
            • April 10-11 Sectionals – Finalized Roster Deadline 5pm MT Friday, April 2
            • April 17-18 Sectionals – Finalized Roster Deadline 5pm MT Friday, April 9
            • April 24-25 Sectionals – Finalized Roster Deadline 5pm MT Friday, April 16
          3. The UPA will not accept any roster additions received after the Finalized Roster Deadline.
          4. There are no late fees associated with roster additions before the Finalized Roster Deadline.
          5. There is no limit to the number of players that may be added prior to the Finalized Roster Deadline.
        3. Registration clarifications and exceptions:
          1. Player minimums -- in order for a roster to be considered valid it must include at least 7 players. Teams registered with fewer than 7 players at the Team Registration Deadline will not be permitted to play in the Series.
          2. A and B teams -- A and B (and C, D, etc.) teams will be considered separate teams for the purpose of a section's "official team count". Teams wishing to move Registrar-cleared players between A,B,C,etc. team rosters need make the change in the online roster system prior to the Finalized Roster Deadline.
          3. Postal exceptions -- the determination of whether materials were “received by” a deadline is expanded to include late materials sent by overnight mail the day before a deadline, as well as late materials sent by 2-day mail two days before the deadline.
          4. Faxing -- faxed rosters and waivers will not be accepted.
          5. School Conflict Extension

            6. If school schedule/registration conflicts prevent your Registrar from verifying student status in time to meet the 5pm MT March 26th Team Registration Deadline, then your roster may still be considered valid by the 5pm MT March 26th registration deadline if you:
            • receive written/emailed permission from UPA Headquarters to submit your Registrar-certified roster at a later date. Complete the web form with all relevant info prior to the 5pm MT March 26th registration deadline to request an extension. AND
            • Your team must register using the online rostering system by the 5pm MT March 26th registration deadline AND
            • A Registrar-certified roster and instruction form must be submitted to UPA Headquarters, prior to the Finalized Roster Deadline, or earlier as directed by UPA Headquarters. (Roster changes subject to the same guidelines as outlined above.)
          6. Canadian Teams -- Canadian schools must also have their players’ eligibility approved via CUPA in accordance with the college eligibility rules (II.B.). Fill out this CUPA web form
        4. Registrar certification clarifications and exceptions:
          1. The team's roster (all pages) and the registrar instruction form must be signed and certified by your school registrar in order to participate in the Series.
          2. The UPA College Championship Series roster and registrar instruction form provided through the UPA website are the only forms teams can use for participation in the Series.
          3. Individual certifications -- if your school issues individual student certifications instead of certifying the entire roster:
            • teams are responsible to make sure each individual certification includes hours enrolled and degree program
            • for schools on the quarter-system, verification of spring AND fall or winter enrollment must be included
            • teams are responsible to make sure an individual certification is included for each player on their online roster
            • teams must include a printed copy of their uncertified roster PDF generated via online rostering
            • due to the longer processing time for these materials, such teams are encouraged to register as early as possible
        5. Official Team Count
          1. Only teams whose registrar-certified roster and instruction form have been received at UPA Headquarters by the 5pm MT March 26th Team Registration Deadline and who participate in the Series will be included in that section’s “official team count". Note, this means received, NOT postmarked, by 5pm MT March 26th.
          2. The “official team count” from each section will be used to determine the number of teams that will count towards each section’s size bids to Regionals.
        6. Rosters are final once the Finalized Roster Deadline has passed, and no players can be added to a roster for the remainder of the Series.
        7. Failure to abide by any of the above rules may result may result in ramifications outlined in the section,“Violations and Sanctions.”
        8. Teams should make a copy of their roster prior to mailing it to UPA Headquarters for their records. This copy should be brought to Sectionals in case it needs to be referenced.
        9. All teams should contact their Sectional Coordinator at least 2 weeks prior to the tournament to confirm with the coordinator that they intend to participate (or any other deadline as set and communicated to the teams by the coordinator). (See Sectionals and Regionals.) Click here for coordinator contact info.
        10. Mail certified rosters and certified registrar instructions to:

          College Series Roster*
          (Your Division/Section/Name of College)
          Ultimate Players Association
          4730 Table Mesa Drive, Suite I-200C
          Boulder, CO 80305
          (303) 447-3472

          * if the mailing consists of roster additions after your team registration, please add “ – Additions” to the first line.
      2. Player Info
        1. All players participating on a team for any and all Series events must be listed on the team roster. The ramifications for having a player not on a team's roster participate in the Series with that team are outlined in the section, “Violations and Sanctions.”
        2. All players listed on the roster must be current UPA members in good standing. Players who are not current members must sign up for membership on the team roster, sign and return the individual waiver form, and submit the appropriate dues prior to participation in Sectionals. Non members who do not register by Sectionals will be crossed off the roster and will be ineligible to play in the remainder of the Series until they submit the appropriate forms and fees. The ramifications for having a non-member participate in the Series with a team are outlined in the section, “Violations and Sanctions.”
        3. Players may appear on only one roster for the Series and after the start of Sectionals may not switch teams for any portion of the Series. This rule also applies to A and B teams from the same school. The ramifications for having a player participate in more than one division, or be on more than one roster are outlined in the section, “Violations and Sanctions.”
        4. All players on the team must meet the player requirements AND the team must meet the team requirements of the UPA College Eligibility Rules throughout the entire College Series.

          • Eligibility status will be checked by the UPA through the rostering process, in conjunction with information from school Registrar offices, and using information from UPA player and team records.
          • The UPA reserves the right to use additional relevant information, should it become available, in a fair and consistent manner to ensure player and team eligibility standards are met throughout the Series.
          • Player eligibility status may be re-checked at any point prior to, during, or following the Series. Rosters will be randomly re-verified with school Registrar offices following each stage of the Series (Sectionals, Regionals, UPA Championships).
        5. Each player must fill out (completely and correctly) the appropriate UPA waiver form for the year in which they will be competing. This form is good for the entire calendar year of UPA membership. Waivers must be submitted to UPA Headquarters or the sectional coordinator prior to participation in the Series. Online waivers are now an option for current UPA members.
        6. Failure to abide by any of the above rules may result in ramifications outlined in the section,“Violations and Sanctions.”
      3. Minor (Under 18) Player Info

        Minors participating in the Series must have the appropriate forms completed prior to participation (waiver, medical release, chaperone waiver). A copy of the chaperone form must be included with the roster. The medical release form is the responsibility of the chaperone; it must be brought to each Series event and kept on hand by the chaperone. This form will allow medical personnel to treat an injured minor without a parent/guardian having to be present. (Without this form a doctor might not treat an injured minor.)
      4. Important Documents
        The following documents can be found here on the UPA website:
        • Waiver (online option now available)
        • Medical Release (for minors <18 only)
        • Chaperone Waiver (for minors <18 only)

          The College Series Roster and Registrar Instructions are generated automatically through the online rostering system. Current UPA members may now sign an online waiver through their online member account page.
    1. UPA College Series Competition Guidelines
      1. Spirit of the Game

        Ultimate has traditionally relied upon a spirit of sportsmanship which places the responsibility for fair play on the player himself. 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.

        Spirit of the Game sets Ultimate apart from other competitive team sports. The organizational challenge for the UPA is to foster an environment where the challenge does not become, “to see what I can get away with".For 40 years, Ultimate has flourished, reaching a highly competitive level, without the use of referees. In Ultimate, the honor system works. Sure, human nature rears its ugly head from time to time - just as in any sport, just as in life. Yet, one of the many beauties of Ultimate is how, even amid the most difficult of situations, utmost graciousness is allowed to meet that challenge head on. Through this balance, Ultimate players are free to demonstrate the most honorable and the most joyous sides of human nature in sport.

      2. Sectionals
        1. Any team may participate in Sectionals provided they have met the team and player requirements for participation. There is no additional qualifying process for the first level of the UPA College Series (Sectionals).
        2. Division II sectionals may be offered at the discretion of the sectional coordinator.
          1. Participation in Division II Sectionals is optional and is entirely contingent upon the team’s desire and consent to play in Division II.
          2. Teams that participate in Division II Sectionals are not eligible to advance to Division I Regionals or advance to the UPA College Championships. Division II teams may advance to Division II Regionals if offered. This is not required of regional coordinators.
          3. Teams that participate in Division II Sectionals will count towards the section’s “official team count”. Allocation of bids to Division II Regionals is based entirely upon participation at Division II Sectionals, with each Division II Section assured at least one bid, using the size bid formula as outlined in 3.b.i for all bids.
        3. For the purposes of tournament logistics, UPA Coordinators and/or Tournament Directors may impose a deadline by which teams must decide whether they will attend the tournament. This deadline may be associated with submission of a tournament entry fee, as determined by the coordinator. Tournament Directors may keep entry fees from teams that pull out of the tournament beyond a certain date, provided that date (it cannot be before the UPA registration deadline, for instance) and the fee are reasonable, were approved by the event's UPA coordinator, and were communicated by the TD or coordinator to the teams ahead of time (coordinators are to put the approved deadline on the event’s Score Reporting Tool page). Any deadline imposed by a coordinator or tournament director that would restrict access to the tournament for teams that would otherwise be considered eligible must be announced well in advance and must be approved by the National Director.
      3. Regionals

        There will be 16 bids available to each regional tournament. Bids will be allocated to the sections in that region as outlined below:
        1. Automatic bids – Each section (unless there is team migration) must receive at least one bid. This is outlined as a part of the size bid allocation process (3.b.ii below).
        2. Size bids – Bids up to 12 will allocated based on the number of teams in each section that meet the team registration deadline and participate at the Sectional event. (each section's "official team count").
          1. The size bid allocation formula is as follows:

            • N=total number of teams in the region that meet the team registration deadline and participate at Sectionals
            • R=total number of size bids to Regionals (R=12)
            • a=number of teams that meet the team registration deadline and participate at Sectionals for Section A
            • b= number of teams that meet the team registration deadline and participate at Sectionals for Section B (and so on)
            • a + b. . .=N
            • Section A gets (a/N) x R bids to Regionals
          2. If application of the formula results in a section being allocated zero bids to Regionals, and there are unallocated bids, one unallocated bid will be awarded to each section with zero bids. If application of the formula results in a section being allocated zero bids to Regionals and all bids have been allocated, then one bid will be taken from the section with the most bids and awarded to the section with no bids
          3. Partial (fractional) bids will only be awarded if fewer than 12 size bids have been allocated.
          4. If each section has at least one bid, and fewer than 12 size bids have been allocated, the decimal remainder from the formula results for each section will be compared. The remaining bids will be awarded to sections (one each), in order from highest to lowest remainder. (For example: a section with a decimal remainder of .82 will be awarded a bid before a section with a remainder of .67).

            • If there is a tie in the remainder, the Sectional strength rating will determine which section gets the bid
            • If there is still a tie, the number of players on the tied sections' March 26st team registration deadline rosters will be used to determine the final bid.
            • If there is still a tie, a disc will be flipped (or Rosham if preferred).
          5. If, after Sectionals is completed, a section’s “official team count” does not change and another section’s count drops, the unchanged section may not have its bids to Regionals reduced, even if the formula would allocate the bids otherwise.
        3. Strength bids – The remaining 4 bids will be based on the ranking of teams in each section in the end-of-season official UPA College Rankings, as outlined below.
          1. Sectional strength – The first 2 strength bids will be awarded to the strongest two sections in a region, in order, based on the average ranking of the top X* teams in each section. The average ranking will be calculated by dividing by X*. A section with fewer than X* ranked teams will still be eligible to earn one of these bids, but will be at a disadvantage compared to sections that have at least X* teams. A section may only earn 1 Sectional strength bid to Regionals. If one or both Sectional strength bids cannot be awarded because a region’s sections do not meet the participation requirements, the remaining bids will be allocated based on the size process. 
            * for 2010, X will be 8 in the open division, and 5 in the women's division.
          2. Team strength – The last 2 strength bids will be awarded to sections with the “next” highest ranked team, where “next” describes one more bid than the section has already been awarded up to that point. For example, a section with 4 bids and a section with 2 bids will compare their 5th and 3rd ranked teams, respectively, for a Team strength bid. A section may earn more than one Team strength bid. If one or both Team strength bids cannot be awarded because teams in a region’s sections do not meet the participation requirements, the un-awarded bids will be allocated based on the Sectional strength process.
        4. Unaccepted bids -- If a team forfeits its bid to Regionals, the bid will be offered to the next highest finishing (eligible) team from the forfeiting team's section.
          1. This procedure will be followed until the bid is awarded.
          2. If no teams in that section accept the bid, this process will be repeated starting with the section next in line to receive a bid according to Sectional strength ranking order.
          3. If a team drops out less than one week prior to the tournament, the Regional Coordinator may accelerate the above process by shortening response times and immediately contacting all potential replacement teams.
          4. If the spot has not been filled 3 days prior to the tournament, the RC may award the bid at his/her discretion with the approval of the National Division Director.
        5. Attendance deadlines -- For the purposes of tournament logistics, Regional Coordinators and Tournament Directors may impose a deadline by which teams must decide whether they will attend the tournament. This deadline may be associated with submission of a tournament entry fee, as determined by the coordinator. Tournament Directors may keep entry fees from teams that pull out of the tournament beyond a certain date, provided that date (it cannot be before the UPA registration deadline, for instance) and the fee are reasonable, were approved by the event's UPA coordinator, and were communicated by the TD or coordinator to the teams ahead of time (coordinators are to put the approved deadline on the event’s Score Reporting Tool page). Any deadline imposed by a coordinator or tournament director that would restrict access to the tournament for teams that would otherwise be considered eligible must be announced well in advance and must be approved by the National Director.
      4. UPA College Championships

        There will be 20 bids available to each division (Open and Women’s) of the UPA College Championships. Bids will be allocated to each region as outlined below. A region may not be awarded more than 4 bids to the UPA College Championships.

        1. Automatic bids – Each region will receive 2 automatic bids to the UPA College Championships.
        2. Strength bids - The remaining 4 bids will be based on the ranking of teams in each section in the end-of-season official UPA College Rankings, as outlined below.
          1. Regional strength – The first 2 strength bids will be awarded to the strongest two regions, in order, based on the average ranking of the top 8 teams in each region. The average ranking will be calculated by dividing by 8, so a region with fewer than 8 ranked teams will still be eligible to earn one of these bids, but will be at a disadvantage compared to regions that have at least 8 teams. A region may only earn 1 Regional strength bid to the College Championships.
          2. Team strength – The last 2 strength bids will be awarded to regions with the “next” highest ranked team, where “next” describes one more bid than the region has already been awarded up to that point. For example, a region with 2 bids and a region with 3 bids will compare their 3rd and 4th ranked teams, respectively, for a Team strength bid. A region may earn more than one Team strength bid. However, a region may not be awarded more than 4 bids total to the College Championships.
      5. UPA College Division III Championships

        In 2010, the Division III structure will include a single national championship event. Qualification for this event will take place through results and rankings based on the regular college season and the first stage (Sectionals) of the UPA College Series.

        1. School size – In order to be eligible for Division III, a team must be from a school that has a total enrollment of less than 7500 students (undergraduate and graduate combined) based upon the National Center for Education Statistics Fall 2008 enrollment data.  (download excel file)
        2. Official UPA Division III College Rankings – Division III rankings will be contained within the overall UPA College Rankings. In other words, teams from Division III schools will be included in the primary rankings just like all other teams and will be held to the same standards, with the following differences:
          1. Results from Sectionals will be included in the Official Division III College Rankings. This will provide more information for determining team strength and allow more teams the opportunity to meet the 10-game minimum requirement.
          2. Post-Sectionals Division III rankings will be used to determine bids to Division III Nationals.
        3. UPA Division III College Championships – This two-day event will be held on a weekend (TBD) following the last weekend of Regionals. The location and host organization will be determined through an event bid process (TBD). There will be 16 bids available to each division (Open and Women’s) of the Division III College Championships. Bids will be allocated as outlined below. There is no cap on the number of teams from a single region that may be awarded bids to the event. Teams will not be permitted to compete in both the Division I UPA College Championships and Division III College Championships. Bids will be assigned in the following order:
          1. Geographic bids – Eight geographic bids will be awarded. These will go to the highest ranked Division III team in each region, based on Official Division III College Rankings following Sectionals. Geographic bids that are declined will be awarded to the next highest ranked Division III team within that region. If there are no teams in a region that meet the minimum requirements to be included in the rankings, their geographic bid will be added to the strength bid process.
          2. Size bids – Four size bids will be awarded. The 4 regions with the largest number of Division III teams in the Official Division III College Rankings will qualify their “next” highest ranked team, where “next” describes one more bid than the region has already been awarded up to that point. Each region may only receive one size-based bid. Size bids that are declined will be awarded to the next highest ranked Division III team within that region. If there are fewer than 4 regions with any qualifying teams in the Division III rankings, the remaining bids will be added to the strength bid process.
          3. Strength bids – Four strength bids will be awarded. Once the geographic bids and size bids have been awarded to teams in the appropriate regions, the highest ranked Division III qualifying team in the rankings that has not yet been awarded a bid will receive the next bid to Division III College Championships. Bids will continue to be awarded in this manner, regardless of region, until all bids have been awarded.
      6. Name/Logo/Uniform Guidelines

        The UPA reserves the right to alter, or require a team to alter, a team name, player nickname, team logo, jersey graphic, or uniform and/or suggest alternatives at or in conjunction with a UPA program or event should UPA personnel determine that the existing name, logo, graphic, or uniform might hinder the mission of the organization or the goals of a specific UPA program or event. Alterations must meet with the approval of UPA personnel.

        Frequently Asked Questions on Name/Logo/Uniform Guidelines

      7. Uniform Requirements
        1. All players participating in the UPA College Championship tournament for a given team must wear jerseys of identical color and design.
        2. Teams must have two jerseys of distinctly different color.
        3. Jerseys must have numbers on the back. The numbers must be at least 6 inches high, be one or two digit Arabic numerals, and be in clear contrast with the jersey. No two players on a given team may use the same number or numbers with the same value (e.g. 00 and 0, 01 and 1, etc.).
        4. Uniform bottoms (shorts, pants, skirts) worn by players on the field must be of identical color and design.
        5. Teams must have numbers on either the front of their jerseys or the front left or right leg of their uniform bottoms (shorts, pants, skirts), although teams may opt to do both. The placement must be the same for the whole team. The numbers must be at least 2 inches high, match the number on the back of their jersey, and be in visible contrast with the jersey.
        6. Names, logos, and graphics on jerseys must comply with the Name/Logo/Uniform Guidelines above.
        7. It is recommended that uniform accessories including tights, undershirts, hats, and socks be of identical or coordinated style and color.
        8. The UPA reserves the right to disqualify and/or fine players who fail to meet the uniform requirements.
        9. These requirements do not apply to Sectionals or Regionals.
        10. Players participating in the UPA College Division III Championship need to adhere to the above uniform requirements, except for e above
        11. Frequently Asked Questions
      8. Coaching Certification Requirements

        During games at UPA Championship events where field access is restricted (e.g. semifinal and finals of the UPA College Championships), sideline access will only be granted to players, coaches that are designated by the team and have completed the UPA Coaching Ethics Workshop , UPA event staff, and media. All other non-player support staff, with player-level or limited field access, including coaches, must read, sign and agree to abide by the UPA Coaching Code of Ethics  and Spirit of Coaching Statement. Limits on number of coaches and other non-player support staff will be determined by specific event guidelines.

        This policy was approved by the Board of Directors in December, 2008 and is to be implemented for the 2009 youth and college championship events and beyond.

        Restricted access games currently include the semi-finals and finals, but may be expanded to include other games. Coaches should make plans to complete the UPA Coaching Ethics Workshop before May, 2010 in order to ensure access to the sideline for all games at the College Championships.

      9. Formats

        Sectional and Regional tournament formats will be determined by coordinators using UPA guidelines in the UPA Formats Manual for the Championship Series. Contact your Sectional or Regional Coordinator for information.

      10. Seeding
        1. Seeding for Sectionals, Regionals, UPA Division I College Championships, and UPA Division III College Championships will be done by the coordinator using the following information: input solicited from all the captains of participating teams, results prior to the Series (e.g. regular season algorithm, head to head, common opponents, tournament finish), results of last year’s Series, and other applicable information (e.g. team composition, conditions). The coordinator has the authority to adjust seeding according to the best information available.
        2. Seeding for Regionals will additionally be held to the following guideline: No team that finishes ahead of another team at Sectionals may be seeded behind that team at Regionals.
        3. Seeding for the UPA Division I College Championships will additionally be held to the following guideline: No team that finishes ahead of another team at Regionals may be seeded behind that team at the UPA Championships.
        4. Seeding for Sectionals must be pre-approved by the appropriate Regional Coordinator. (If the Sectional and Regional coordinators are affiliated (player, coach, alum, etc.) with the same team, seedings must be approved by the National College Director.)
        5. Seeding for Regionals must be pre-approved by the National College Director. (If the Regional Coordinator and National College Director are affiliated (player, coach, alum, etc.) with the same team, seedings must be approved by the Championship Director.)
        6. Seeding for the UPA Division III College Championships must be pre-approved by the National College Director. (If the Division III Coordinator and National College Director are affiliated (player, coach, alum, etc.) with the same team, seedings must be approved by the Championship Director.)
        7. Seeding for the UPA Division I College Championships must be pre-approved by the Championship Director. (If the National College Director and Championship Director are affiliated (player, coach, alum, etc.) with the same team, seedings must be approved by the UPA Competition Committee of National Directors.)
      11. Forfeit Rule
        1. A team must play all its games at a “qualifying” tournament in order to qualify for the next tournament in the Series:
          1. A team that forfeits a Series game, and every player on that team’s roster, is disqualified for the remainder of the current Series, in every Division.
          2. Any scheduled game where the winner and loser are not determined by playing Ultimate on the field according to the event’s competition rules should be considered a forfeit for the loser.
          3. At the discretion of the event's UPA coordinator, consideration may be given to situations that might warrant an exception being made, provided it does not affect the fairness or integrity of the competition. Consideration should be given if a team misses the first game of the first day because of travel problems.
        2. If one team is not ready to play at game-time, points may be assessed, in accordance with the 11th Edition Rules of Ultimate (Section VIII.A.4). Under these conditions, if the score of the game reaches 8-0, the team that has failed to signal readiness will technically forfeit the game (see rule above).
        3. The list of allowable forfeit scenarios is found in the formats manual.
      12. Rules

        The UPA College Series will be played using the current edition of the UPA Official Rules of Ultimate.  Any changes to these rules must be pre-approved by the National Division Director.

        UPA College Regular Season events must be played in accordance to the guidelines for UPA Sanctioned Events.  Experimental rules changes (i.e. those outside of the current edition of the UPA Official Rules) may be permitted, but must be communicated in detail during the sanctioning application process and must be pre-approved by the UPA.
      13. Observers

        Only UPA Certified Observers are permitted to officiate at UPA-sanctioned (i.e. College Regular Season) Events.

        UPA College Regular Season events must be played in accordance to the guidelines for UPA Sanctioned Events.  Experimental changes in officiating responsibilities (i.e. those outside of the current edition of the UPA Observer Manual) may be permitted, but must be communicated in detail during the sanctioning application process and must be pre-approved by the UPA.

        Only UPA Certified Observers are permitted to officiate at UPA Championship or Championship Series Events.

        If officials are used during the UPA College Series, their duties must be in line with those described in the UPA Observer Manual.  Any changes to these duties must be pre-approved by the National Division Director.


IV.   Violations and Sanctions


Failure to abide by any of the College Season Guidelines may result in sanctions through the UPA conduct process . Such sanctions may be imposed on a team or individuals associated with a team deemed to be in violation of the guidelines, and may include, but are not limited to, suspension or disqualification from UPA competition.

In order to help teams follow College Season Guidelines and avoid violations, the UPA will continue to work to improve registration procedures and communication of information pertaining to the UPA College Season. As these improvements are made by the organization, teams will continue to be held more fully responsible for following Series procedures and understanding College Season information. Because consistency in holding all participants to the same administrative and competitive standards is vital to the integrity of the College Season, because many violations lead to unfair advantages in competition, and because it is often difficult to determine intent, guideline violations will result in serious repercussions. Such repercussions will provide an incentive for players and teams to understand the guidelines fully, follow the guidelines carefully, and avoid intended or unintended violations in the future.”

Last updated 02/04/2010 - 15:45
Site maintained by Kitt Hodsden of CodingClan, specializing in Drupal sites and services