What are Observers?

Observers are game officials that help facilitate one or more aspects of Ultimate competition. For the vast majority of Ultimate play, players are the only officials, taking on responsibility for all aspects of the game. In some settings, Observers are used to help manage aspects of the game that players are less able to manage, from keeping score or tracking time limits to helping quickly resolve player disputes and dealing with conduct issues. An important distinction between the role of Observers in Ultimate and officials in many other sports is that the primary responsibility for making almost all calls during a game remains with the players. This hybrid approach to officiating, where players officiate with the assistance of Observers, delivers the best of both self-officiated and third-party officiated competition, where player responsibility, integrity, and fair play can be showcased in a fast-paced, exciting environment.

What do Observers do?

The role of Observers in Ultimate has evolved a great deal since they were first used in the 1980's. It has gone from a passive role to a much more active one in many ways. Initially, a small group of Observers with varying levels of experience worked a small number of games in UPA championships, usually as a response or deterrent to player misconduct. Now, a growing number of Observers have gone through a formalized training process and take part in multiple UPA and non-UPA events throughout the year, helping to not only handle conduct issues, but to speed up the game and make it more enjoyable for players and spectators.

Along the way, it has become clear to players, coaches, and organizers that Observers, or game officials in some capacity, can serve to improve the game in many ways other than arbitrating on disputed calls and handling conduct issues. Whether by keeping time, keeping score, serving as an adult “supervisor” at youth games, acting as an official source for reporting information to/from a game, or by helping inform players about how the game is expected to be played, there are many roles that players can’t or don’t take on that an official can, while still leaving the game, and its most important aspects itself largely in the players’ hands.

UPA Observer Program

In 2005, the UPA Observer Program took on its current structure. A standardized training document was produced in the form of the UPA Observer Manual. A training clinic curriculum, based on the standards in the manual, was developed, implemented, and continues to be utilized at clinics around the country. Criteria for certification were developed, which included clinic attendance, testing, and performance evaluation. Regional Observer Coordinator positions were created to facilitate scheduling of training clinics and use of Observers at UPA events. A standing Observer Committee, headed by a committee chair, was tasked with overseeing the development of the program.

The UPA Observer Committee determines official UPA guidelines for observing, including current standards for UPA competition, and training materials and methods. The committee consists of seven active members (including a chairperson and a UPA staff liaison), plus the UPA’s national division directors. The active members of the committee are responsible for updating and maintaining the Observer Manual and other official Observer training materials. They also meet periodically to discuss potential changes to Observer roles and practices, and implement any such changes by revising and refining those materials. The Observer Committee oversees and assists in conducting Observer training clinics, including at least one “experimental rules” tournament each year, where proposed variations on Observer roles, protocol and interaction can be tested and evaluated by players and the committee.

To contact the Chair of the UPA Observer Committee, email upa_observer_comm_chair {at} upa.org.