BUDA High School Ultimate League
I. MISSION STATEMENT
1. To develop a structure that provides a meaningful, rewarding competition experience for players and teams of all levels.
2. To develop and improve knowledge of Ultimate skills, basic strategy, and, most importantly, the rules of Ultimate
3. Provide assistance to new teams and help schools develop sustainable programs
4. Promote personal and team accountability for all aspects of the Spirit of the Game, including respect for one’s opponents, teammates, and the rules of the game.
II. BUDA HIGH SCHOOL ULTIMATE LEAGUE ORGANIZATION
The BUDA HSUL is the umbrella organization supporting high school competition in Massachusetts and in greater New England (as defined as Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and Connecticut).
Teams from all states in New England may enroll in the League. However, “enrollment” this year carries a different meaning from years’ past. The HS league is now sanctioned by the USAU, and will be utilizing many USAU resources, such as schedule and score reporting, player eligibility rules, and waivering. There will be no explicit enrollment in BUDA beyond completing a form to share your team’s contact information.
Teams from both public and private schools may play in the BUDA league.
There will be three competitive divisions, Division I, Division II, and Girls. Teams can choose to register for either division, as they deem appropriate. Division I teams will tend to be the more established, experienced teams playing at a high level of intensity. Division II teams are generally less experienced teams, or the B teams or JV teams on more established programs. Teams will register for either one division or another, although they will be allowed to switch divisions up to April 4. At that time the divisional choice becomes final.
Another change from previous years is the abandonment of the Region system. It has been deemed a burden for teams to comply with the “play X number of games against teams in your region” requirement and generally unnecessary in terms of determining the relative ability of teams. We are looking at moving toward using the USAU Power Ranking system. In order for that to be valid, every team must submit scores from every game.
Two coach & captain’s meetings, one for the NE, Central & SE regions and one for the Western region, will take place at the end of February. Team representatives are strongly encouraged to attend, since new league structure and rules will be explained, and it presents an excellent opportunity to schedule games.
General Competition requirements:
Teams will be responsible for contacting each other to schedule games at a mutually agreeable place and time. Priority in scheduling should be given to teams within one’s division. A USAU sanctioned chaperone (coach, club advisor, or parent) must be present for each team.
Division I: This will be a UPA-sanctioned league. Individual players on Division I teams will be required to join the UPA. A schedule will be available for the submission of appropriate rosters, waivers, and medical forms; to be eligible for a spot in the Div I State Championships, teams must submit a preliminary 7-player roster by April 4 to the USAU.
Teams must play a minimum of eight games against other Division I teams by May 15 in order to be eligible for State Championship. Teams can be played multiple times, but only the first two scores will be counted towards championship qualification.
Player mobility: No player on a Division I roster may play on a Division II team. Team members must be from a single school (although homeschooled players residing in the same town/school district are allowed to play on that school’s team.) BUDA will follow the eligibility rules set forth by the USAU.
http://www.usaultimate.org/competition/youth_division/guidelines.aspx#eligibility
Reporting scores: All scores must be reported to USAU by winning captain/coach.
BUDA is very committed to fostering and encouraging the Spirit of the Game. To that end, in addition to reporting point outcomes of games, BOTH teams must also now report “Spirit Score” for game, in which they rate the opposing team’s behavior, both on the field and on the sidelines. Awards will be made at the end of the season to the teams in each division with the highest Spirit Scores. Conversely, teams with consistently low scores may be subject to disciplinary action, including suspension from the league.
Division II: This will also be a USAU-sanctioned league. Individual players on teams will be required to either join the USAU or pay a $5 one-time event fee. A schedule will be available for the submission of appropriate rosters, waivers, and medical forms; to guarantee a spot in the State Championships, teams must submit a preliminary 7-player roster by April 4 to the USAU.
Player mobility: Players on Division II teams may “play up” on Division I teams, but must join the USAU and submit paperwork by required deadlines if they will be playing on Division I team in Championships.
Club teams: “Club” teams consisting of players from different schools that have insufficient numbers of players to form teams, or homeschooled players from different towns/school districts, may petition the MC to participate in Division II. Upon approval, these “club” teams are allowed a lifespan of two years, after which it is expected that they will recruit sufficient numbers within their own schools to form single-school teams.
Teams may play other Div II teams or, if mutually agreeable, Division I teams. Teams must have reported scores of at least 5 games by May 15 in order to be eligible for end-of-the-season tournament(s).
Reporting scores: All scores must be reported to USAU by winning captain/coach. BOTH teams must also now report “Spirit Score” for game, in which they rate the opposing team’s behavior, both on the field and on the sidelines. Teams with consistently low scores may be subject to disciplinary action.
Girls:
Female high school competitors will be allowed a fair amount of flexibility in order to encourage participation in the sport.
Girls’ teams from one school may enroll in the Girls division. Since the entire league is USAU-sanctioned, players on these teams must submit a roster to the USAU. If a school has insufficient numbers of female players to form a team (less than ten) they may combine with players from no more than two other schools to form a team. These teams may compete on an informal basis; if space allows, they may petition to play as a ‘club’ team in the Championship tournament.
Girls who are enrolled on a girls’ team are also permitted to play on Open teams for regular season and championships games. In the case where the championship games for the different divisions are held at the same time, the player must commit to either the Open or the Girl’s Division.
III. TOURNAMENTS
BUDA will run several tournaments at the end of the season:
Division I Mass. State Championships will be played in late May or early June, field availability depending. The number of teams and format for this tournament are yet to be determined.
Division II Mass. State Championships: See Div I
Division III Mass. State Championships: See Div I
New England Girls Invitational will also be played in late May or early June. BUDA teams from any New England state are eligible to participate. Teams from any single schools will have priority over ‘club’ teams when it comes to awarding berths in the tournament.
The above tournaments will be USAU-sanctioned tournaments. All players will be required to comply with USAU regulations governing play. Teams participating in these tournaments will be eligible for invitation to the USAU Eastern Championships the following spring (with the exception of combo ‘club’ teams, since USAU Easterns competition guidelines require that all players be from one school).
Division II tournaments. One Division II tournaments will be offered over the course of the season, to give younger/newer teams an opportunity to experience tournament play.
Girls tournaments. BUDA hopes to sponsor at least one weekend event for girls, either for girls’ teams or a hat tournament.
IV. ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE
In order to administer the above organization, the following positions are needed:
BUDA HSUL Director: Chairs Competition Committee; oversees activities of New England Coordinator and Mass. Commissioner(s). Coordinates BUDA HS tournament calendar, provides content for League website, and acts as liaison w/ BUDA Board and other youth initiatives. Coordinates BUDA HS tournament calendar, and provides content for League website.
Competition Committee: Meets annually in fall to review competition from previous spring and make adjustments. Appoints/elects Mass. Commissioner, NE Commissioner, Regional Coordinators.
New England Coordinator: responsible for working with state commissioners to help the development of high school Ultimate within each state, foster communication among teams in New England, and encourage region-wide growth of the sport. Where no state entity presently exists, he/she will recruit/appoint a state commissioner. Plans and runs New England Invitational.
Mass State Youth Coordinator: responsible for competition between high school teams in the state, and works with the New England Coordinator as needed. Oversees issues of eligibility and monitors Spirit Score reporting. Leads planning, coordination of Mass. State Championships.
Mass Division II/Girls Commissioner: Supports competition in these leagues, particularly encouraging growth of new teams. Coordinates BUDA Division II tournaments, and works with NEC on NE Girls Invitational.
Regional coordinators: One for each region in Mass. Provide more local support for MCs, helping oversee regular season competition, checking to make sure Div I teams are fulfilling requirements, and providing encouragement and assistance to Div II teams (particularly new ones). Collect rosters, fees, and waivers. Provide input for selection of championship participants.
Webmaster: Maintains website.
