1999 COLLEGE NATIONALS: INTRODUCTION
MAY 28–30, BOULDER, COLORADO

The 1999 Jockey UPA College Nationals was one of the finest tournaments I have had the pleasure to attend. The spirit of Ultimate manifested itself in the form of a well-executed event. Thanks to the beautiful weather, crisp competition and spectacular play, this year's tournament brought Collegiate Ultimate to a new level.

OK, maybe, just maybe, the tournament was a tad more mainstream too. Sports Illustrated, the promised land for Ultimate coverage, carried a full page advertisement for the tournament in local editions throughout the Rockies. There were Jockey banners hanging everywhere, although no representatives from the company actually came to see our Jockeys, and the Denver Post and a few radio stations caught some Ultimate fever.

The Experimental Rules, brought to fruition by the diligence and patience of Charles Kerr and Will Deaver, fit in perfectly. They truly reflect the growing popularity of the sport in the college division. The rules make sense and work effectively. There were few teams and fewer individuals that expressed major objections to them, and those that did were good-natured and respectful.

The hidden beauty of the Ex Rules is their adherence to the Spirit of the Game.

"Are we pro-referee? No–neither one of us are. We don't want refs," explained Deaver. "We want to have the observers trained to let the players work it out."

By having all the games played to 15 points with a two-hour cap, the rules solidify strategies for teams and allow tournaments to run more smoothly. The presence of an on-field Observer is harldy noticed after witnessing the first game. And the regulating of time between turnovers and points raises the level of necessary conditioning and takes the focus away from arguments and discussions, allowing spectators to get more attached to the ebb and flow of a game.

Furthermore, having an empowered neutral observer keeps spurious calls at a minimum and equalizes the field of play.

The new tournament format (for the Men's division only) was also a success. Having sixteen teams may be difficult for some sites, but the clean pool play structure of four teams each leads to highlighted matches of real significance.

Instead of muddling through two days of pool play, unsure until the end which team you had to beat by X amount of points to qualify for semifinals, the new format provided a more focused strategy to each game.

The four pool play winners receive a bye into quarters to match up with the winner of a crossover game between second and third seeds. Every game on Saturday becomes a must-win for teams looking to win the title. For others, there are consolation games to play in search of winning the B bracket.

Each game becomes more important than the last as the quality of teams gets better and better. A team can focus and strategize on their very next game instead of trying to sub players out of meaningless games in order to save strength. There were no meaningless games at this tournament.

Of course, the rules were only in effect for the Open division. The women's division, with fewer teams and fewer trained observers, could not have supported the Ex Rules at this point. But in the future, judging by the success of this tournament, they may be implemented for women's games as well. However, the Rules will almost certainly have to be altered to fit the Women's division more effectively.

The Boulder air was clean, refreshing, and thin. Sun shone all weekend, with only one spoilsport thunderstorm to temporarily halt Ultimate activity. The Boulder Ultimate scene was supportive as many local players came out to help with the logisitics of the tournament, acting as linesmen and scorekeepers.

Thanks to Mark Driver and Jon Shepard for pulling it together, and the UPA administration for support.

Men Final Write-Up
Women Final Write-Up
Daily RSD Posts
Interview Transcripts
Team Bios: N.C. State Jinx and Stanford Superfly
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