LETTER CRITERIA

Letters are Earned during the Spring Season Only

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Players, who want to be considered for Letters should strive to meet the criteria outlined in each of the three sections below:

Player Responsibility, Player Skills and Ultimate Intelligence.  

 

Final decisions for awarding Varsity or JV Letters will be made after giving consideration to the criteria below and after taking into account each player’s effort, enthusiasm, leadership and other contributions to the team.

 

Player Responsibility

These guidelines for Attendance, Representation and Administrative Tasks apply to all Letter Awards.

 

Attendance

Players are expected to attend all scheduled events (practices, games tournaments and team meetings).

• Players will be excused from scheduled events for illness, medical reasons, family events, and special school obligations.

• Players are responsible for notifying his/her coach in advance by email or text anytime the player will miss a scheduled practice, game, tournament or team meeting including the reason for the player’s absence.

• Guidelines for attendance include that players are expected to: Attend all tournaments for which the player has signed up. Miss no more than one game for reasons that are “unexcused”. Miss no more than 3 practices for reasons that are “unexcused”. Attend all team meetings unless excused

 

Representation

To earn a letter, players are expected to conduct themselves as representatives of the Ultimate Frisbee Club and Radnor High School, excelling and winning with conduct that is exemplary of Spirit of the Game.  Players are expected to:

• Treat opponents with the same respect with which our own teammates are treated.

• Keep emotions in check and remain calm.

• Meet the requirements for Athletic Eligibility outlined in the Student Handbook and follow Radnor High School sports policy.

• Follow the coaches’ guidance regarding rules, conduct, celebration, etc. on and off the field.

• Wear the Radnor Ultimate Frisbee team uniforms to all games and tournaments.

 

Administrative Tasks

Although mundane and not fun, administrative tasks are mandatory.  Many of them are critical to player safety, team operations and to our program's standing with the School Administration.  

Players are required to:

• Obtain and complete all forms and documentation required for participation in Radnor’s Ultimate Frisbee program on or before the designated deadlines. 

• Communicate with, and take direction from, the coaches, RUF board members and/or other volunteers supporting the Ultimate Frisbee program.

• Frequently visit the RUF Website for announcements, frequently check and promptly respond to email, and promptly sign up for events and for transportation as requested. 

 

Player Skills

 

Basic Skill Set

To earn a JV Letter, players must understand and consistently be able to execute basic skills of Ultimate in practices and in games.  These basic skills require a certain level of physical conditioning and include: catching, throwing, cutting, marking, and down field defense. Examples are:

• Throws including backhand, forehand (flick) and pivot footing.

• Catches including one-handed and two-handed (pancake and claw) techniques.

• Cuts including the 45 degree “K” cut.

• Defensive maneuvers including marking the disc and understanding force mark and break mark sides, being able to maintain appropriate defensive positions both when marking the thrower and when playing basic down field defense.

• Players are expected to maintain physical conditioning to run throughout practices and games

 

Advanced Skill Set

To earn a Varsity Letter, players must be highly proficient in both the Basic Skill Set and the Advanced Skill Set, which includes more difficult throws, catches, marking and defensive maneuvers.  Examples are:

• Throws to start a point (pulls) and throws needed to execute long play styles of offense.

• Catches to start offensive play (catching pulls), overhead catches and catches that require the player to dive horizontally or jump vertically.

• Cuts needed to execute long play styles of offense.

• Defensive maneuvers including understanding positioning to protect the mark, get point blocks, beat covered players to a catch, and play defense in the offense’s passing lanes.

 

Ultimate Intelligence

To earn a JV Letter, players must demonstrate knowledge of the basic rules of Ultimate such as:

• Field layout and dimensions,

• How points are started (pulling and receiving),

• How points are ended (with a goal),

• Common rules governing travel, picks, double team violations, in- and out-of-bounds for field boundaries, end zone lines, goal rulings, fouls between mark and the thrower, fouls between defender and receiver, etc.

 

To earn a Varsity Letter, players must consistently demonstrate knowledge of both the basic rules of Ultimate Frisbee plus more advanced team concepts and strategy for both offensive and defensive play, such as:

• Formations for flow-type offense and to initiate plays from a checked or stopped disc.

• Defensive maneuvers to disrupt opponents’ flow forcing opponents to work harder or to make many throws

• In-depth understanding of the individual player’s role in executing offensive and defensive team approaches

• Advanced ability to communicate with teammates to effectively execute strategies on the field in both practices and games.