Assessing ethical behavior and self-control in elite ultimate championships: a cross-sectional study using the spirit of the game scoring system

José Pedro Amoroso; Luís Coelho; Rebecca A. Boulton; Christie M. González-Toro; Felipe Costa; Efstathios Christodoulides; Wouter Cools; Dean Dudley; James E. Moore; Guilherme Eustáquio Furtado; Ming-Yang Cheng; Luís Calmeiro

doi:10.3389/fspor.2024.1297821

Assessing ethical behavior and self-control in elite ultimate championships: a cross-sectional study using the spirit of the game scoring system

José Pedro Amoroso, Luís Coelho, Rebecca A. Boulton, Christie M. González-Toro, Felipe Costa, Efstathios Christodoulides, Wouter Cools, Dean Dudley, James E. Moore, Guilherme Eustáquio Furtado, Ming-Yang Cheng, Luís Calmeiro

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

7 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Introduction: Implementing a self-refereeing system presents a unique challenge in sports education, particularly in academic and training settings where officiated sports prevail. However, Ultimate Frisbee stands out by entrusting players with both athlete and referee roles, introducing distinctive ethical complexities. This manuscript is intended to evaluate ethical behavior and self-control within the Spirit of the Game (SOTG) scoring system in Elite Ultimate. To address these, Ultimate employs the (SOTG) scoring system, integral since the sport's inception in the late 1980s. SOTG aims to enhance and evaluate athletes’ ethical conduct. This study evaluates SOTG's effectiveness in elite-level Ultimate, analyzing variations across divisions and age groups in three high-level tournaments.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from five international Ultimate tournaments in 2022. Teams spanned diverse age groups (under 17 to over 50) and divisions (women's, mixed, open). Post-match, teams assessed opponents’ SOTG in five domains: Rules knowledge, fouls, fairness, attitude/self-control, and communication. Ratings used a 5-point Likert scale (“poor” to “excellent”). An overall SOTG score was calculated by aggregating domain scores.

Results: Our study consistently revealed high SOTG scores, reflecting strong sportsmanship. “Positive attitude and self-control” consistently ranked highest, while “Knowledge and use of the rules” scored lowest. Divisional differences in SOTG were statistically insignificant. Notably, WMUCC2022 (participants aged 30+) had significantly higher SOTG scores, possibly indicating age-related self-control improvement or evolving sport culture. Lower rules knowledge scores may stem from linguistic translation challenges.

Conclusion: Self-refereeing promotes ethical behavior across divisions and age groups. SOTG underscores sportsmanship's importance and aligns with International Olympic Committee (IOC) and with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3, 4, 5 and 16 fostering a fairer, healthier, and more peaceful world.

Original language	English
Article number	1297821
Number of pages	10
Journal	Frontiers in sports and active living
Volume	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2024.1297821
Publication status	Published - 1 May 2024

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors acknowledge the WFDF\u2014World Flying Disc Federation\u2014and the EUF\u2014European Ultimate Federation\u2014for all their support and all the players for their good spirit. We thank the local tournament organizers. Many thanks to our research team for all their efforts and contributions and to SOTG Commission: Anna Gr\u00FCnewald (GER), Chihiro Ono (JPN), Dario Lucisano (ITA), Guo Yang (CHN), Kate Barabanova (RUS), Kate Kingery (USA), Samir El Ajraoui (MAR), and Wolfgang Maehr (SGP). The co-author Guilherme Eust\u00E1quio Furtado\u201D thanks the National funding by FCT\u2014Foundation for Science and Technology, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract (CEECINST/00077/2021).

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., Grant/Award Number: UIDB/04748/2020. Acknowledgments

Publisher Copyright:
2024 Amoroso, Coelho, Boulton, González-Toro, Costa, Christodoulides, Cools, Dudley, Moore, Furtado, Cheng and Calmeiro.

Keywords

self-refereeing
ethical behavior
self-regulation
physical activity
moral competence
sportsmanship
self-control

Access to Document

10.3389/fspor.2024.1297821Licence: CC BY

110885491Final published version, 574 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Amoroso, J. P., Coelho, L., Boulton, R. A., González-Toro, C. M., Costa, F., Christodoulides, E., Cools, W., Dudley, D., Moore, J. E., Furtado, G. E., Cheng, M.-Y., & Calmeiro, L. (2024). Assessing ethical behavior and self-control in elite ultimate championships: a cross-sectional study using the spirit of the game scoring system. Frontiers in sports and active living, 6, Article 1297821. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2024.1297821

@article{3476f32a8155407a9e269a2aeecd97ac,

title = "Assessing ethical behavior and self-control in elite ultimate championships: a cross-sectional study using the spirit of the game scoring system",

abstract = "Introduction: Implementing a self-refereeing system presents a unique challenge in sports education, particularly in academic and training settings where officiated sports prevail. However, Ultimate Frisbee stands out by entrusting players with both athlete and referee roles, introducing distinctive ethical complexities. This manuscript is intended to evaluate ethical behavior and self-control within the Spirit of the Game (SOTG) scoring system in Elite Ultimate. To address these, Ultimate employs the (SOTG) scoring system, integral since the sport's inception in the late 1980s. SOTG aims to enhance and evaluate athletes{\textquoteright} ethical conduct. This study evaluates SOTG's effectiveness in elite-level Ultimate, analyzing variations across divisions and age groups in three high-level tournaments.Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from five international Ultimate tournaments in 2022. Teams spanned diverse age groups (under 17 to over 50) and divisions (women's, mixed, open). Post-match, teams assessed opponents{\textquoteright} SOTG in five domains: Rules knowledge, fouls, fairness, attitude/self-control, and communication. Ratings used a 5-point Likert scale (“poor” to “excellent”). An overall SOTG score was calculated by aggregating domain scores.Results: Our study consistently revealed high SOTG scores, reflecting strong sportsmanship. “Positive attitude and self-control” consistently ranked highest, while “Knowledge and use of the rules” scored lowest. Divisional differences in SOTG were statistically insignificant. Notably, WMUCC2022 (participants aged 30+) had significantly higher SOTG scores, possibly indicating age-related self-control improvement or evolving sport culture. Lower rules knowledge scores may stem from linguistic translation challenges.Conclusion: Self-refereeing promotes ethical behavior across divisions and age groups. SOTG underscores sportsmanship's importance and aligns with International Olympic Committee (IOC) and with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3, 4, 5 and 16 fostering a fairer, healthier, and more peaceful world.",

keywords = "self-refereeing, ethical behavior, self-regulation, physical activity, moral competence, sportsmanship, self-control",

author = "Amoroso, {Jos{\'e} Pedro} and Lu{\'i}s Coelho and Boulton, {Rebecca A.} and Gonz{\'a}lez-Toro, {Christie M.} and Felipe Costa and Efstathios Christodoulides and Wouter Cools and Dean Dudley and Moore, {James E.} and Furtado, {Guilherme Eust{\'a}quio} and Ming-Yang Cheng and Lu{\'i}s Calmeiro",

note = "Funding Information: The authors acknowledge the WFDF\u2014World Flying Disc Federation\u2014and the EUF\u2014European Ultimate Federation\u2014for all their support and all the players for their good spirit. We thank the local tournament organizers. Many thanks to our research team for all their efforts and contributions and to SOTG Commission: Anna Gr\u00FCnewald (GER), Chihiro Ono (JPN), Dario Lucisano (ITA), Guo Yang (CHN), Kate Barabanova (RUS), Kate Kingery (USA), Samir El Ajraoui (MAR), and Wolfgang Maehr (SGP). The co-author Guilherme Eust\u00E1quio Furtado\u201D thanks the National funding by FCT\u2014Foundation for Science and Technology, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract (CEECINST/00077/2021). Funding Information: This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., Grant/Award Number: UIDB/04748/2020. Acknowledgments Publisher Copyright: 2024 Amoroso, Coelho, Boulton, Gonz{\'a}lez-Toro, Costa, Christodoulides, Cools, Dudley, Moore, Furtado, Cheng and Calmeiro.",

year = "2024",

month = may,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3389/fspor.2024.1297821",

language = "English",

volume = "6",

journal = "Frontiers in sports and active living",

issn = "2624-9367",

publisher = "Frontiers Media S.A.",

}

Amoroso, JP, Coelho, L, Boulton, RA, González-Toro, CM, Costa, F, Christodoulides, E, Cools, W, Dudley, D, Moore, JE, Furtado, GE, Cheng, M-Y & Calmeiro, L 2024, 'Assessing ethical behavior and self-control in elite ultimate championships: a cross-sectional study using the spirit of the game scoring system', Frontiers in sports and active living, vol. 6, 1297821. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2024.1297821

TY - JOUR

T1 - Assessing ethical behavior and self-control in elite ultimate championships: a cross-sectional study using the spirit of the game scoring system

AU - Amoroso, José Pedro

AU - Coelho, Luís

AU - Boulton, Rebecca A.

AU - González-Toro, Christie M.

AU - Costa, Felipe

AU - Christodoulides, Efstathios

AU - Cools, Wouter

AU - Dudley, Dean

AU - Moore, James E.

AU - Furtado, Guilherme Eustáquio

AU - Cheng, Ming-Yang

AU - Calmeiro, Luís

N1 - Funding Information: The authors acknowledge the WFDF\u2014World Flying Disc Federation\u2014and the EUF\u2014European Ultimate Federation\u2014for all their support and all the players for their good spirit. We thank the local tournament organizers. Many thanks to our research team for all their efforts and contributions and to SOTG Commission: Anna Gr\u00FCnewald (GER), Chihiro Ono (JPN), Dario Lucisano (ITA), Guo Yang (CHN), Kate Barabanova (RUS), Kate Kingery (USA), Samir El Ajraoui (MAR), and Wolfgang Maehr (SGP). The co-author Guilherme Eust\u00E1quio Furtado\u201D thanks the National funding by FCT\u2014Foundation for Science and Technology, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract (CEECINST/00077/2021). Funding Information: This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., Grant/Award Number: UIDB/04748/2020. Acknowledgments Publisher Copyright: 2024 Amoroso, Coelho, Boulton, González-Toro, Costa, Christodoulides, Cools, Dudley, Moore, Furtado, Cheng and Calmeiro.

PY - 2024/5/1

Y1 - 2024/5/1

N2 - Introduction: Implementing a self-refereeing system presents a unique challenge in sports education, particularly in academic and training settings where officiated sports prevail. However, Ultimate Frisbee stands out by entrusting players with both athlete and referee roles, introducing distinctive ethical complexities. This manuscript is intended to evaluate ethical behavior and self-control within the Spirit of the Game (SOTG) scoring system in Elite Ultimate. To address these, Ultimate employs the (SOTG) scoring system, integral since the sport's inception in the late 1980s. SOTG aims to enhance and evaluate athletes’ ethical conduct. This study evaluates SOTG's effectiveness in elite-level Ultimate, analyzing variations across divisions and age groups in three high-level tournaments.Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from five international Ultimate tournaments in 2022. Teams spanned diverse age groups (under 17 to over 50) and divisions (women's, mixed, open). Post-match, teams assessed opponents’ SOTG in five domains: Rules knowledge, fouls, fairness, attitude/self-control, and communication. Ratings used a 5-point Likert scale (“poor” to “excellent”). An overall SOTG score was calculated by aggregating domain scores.Results: Our study consistently revealed high SOTG scores, reflecting strong sportsmanship. “Positive attitude and self-control” consistently ranked highest, while “Knowledge and use of the rules” scored lowest. Divisional differences in SOTG were statistically insignificant. Notably, WMUCC2022 (participants aged 30+) had significantly higher SOTG scores, possibly indicating age-related self-control improvement or evolving sport culture. Lower rules knowledge scores may stem from linguistic translation challenges.Conclusion: Self-refereeing promotes ethical behavior across divisions and age groups. SOTG underscores sportsmanship's importance and aligns with International Olympic Committee (IOC) and with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3, 4, 5 and 16 fostering a fairer, healthier, and more peaceful world.

AB - Introduction: Implementing a self-refereeing system presents a unique challenge in sports education, particularly in academic and training settings where officiated sports prevail. However, Ultimate Frisbee stands out by entrusting players with both athlete and referee roles, introducing distinctive ethical complexities. This manuscript is intended to evaluate ethical behavior and self-control within the Spirit of the Game (SOTG) scoring system in Elite Ultimate. To address these, Ultimate employs the (SOTG) scoring system, integral since the sport's inception in the late 1980s. SOTG aims to enhance and evaluate athletes’ ethical conduct. This study evaluates SOTG's effectiveness in elite-level Ultimate, analyzing variations across divisions and age groups in three high-level tournaments.Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from five international Ultimate tournaments in 2022. Teams spanned diverse age groups (under 17 to over 50) and divisions (women's, mixed, open). Post-match, teams assessed opponents’ SOTG in five domains: Rules knowledge, fouls, fairness, attitude/self-control, and communication. Ratings used a 5-point Likert scale (“poor” to “excellent”). An overall SOTG score was calculated by aggregating domain scores.Results: Our study consistently revealed high SOTG scores, reflecting strong sportsmanship. “Positive attitude and self-control” consistently ranked highest, while “Knowledge and use of the rules” scored lowest. Divisional differences in SOTG were statistically insignificant. Notably, WMUCC2022 (participants aged 30+) had significantly higher SOTG scores, possibly indicating age-related self-control improvement or evolving sport culture. Lower rules knowledge scores may stem from linguistic translation challenges.Conclusion: Self-refereeing promotes ethical behavior across divisions and age groups. SOTG underscores sportsmanship's importance and aligns with International Olympic Committee (IOC) and with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3, 4, 5 and 16 fostering a fairer, healthier, and more peaceful world.

KW - self-refereeing

KW - ethical behavior

KW - self-regulation

KW - physical activity

KW - moral competence

KW - sportsmanship

KW - self-control

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85193079117&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3389/fspor.2024.1297821

DO - 10.3389/fspor.2024.1297821

M3 - Article

SN - 2624-9367

VL - 6

JO - Frontiers in sports and active living

JF - Frontiers in sports and active living

M1 - 1297821

ER -

Assessing ethical behavior and self-control in elite ultimate championships: a cross-sectional study using the spirit of the game scoring system

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this