taking advantage

there are a number of ways to take advantage of the rules of ultimate, but i think most of them can be grouped into one of two categories. the first are plays that may bend the rules or be a loophole in the rules where the onus is on the opponent to make the call (for instance, moving your foot on a throw to the break side of the field). the second are calls, either those which are a technicality in the rulebook or an excessive amount of calls (calling a travel for a slight foot movement on a throw to the open side). for a moment i'd like to discuss gaining an advantage with calls.

it's been said before that we're actually all players and referees in this game. even in refereed sports you find different refs call a different game. some may call the high strike, while others let it go. some may be looking for pushing underneath the basket, while others may let the big men play. just because an ultimate player calls a tight game, doesn't mean that he's a cheater. it may not be good for the fans, but some games (especially with a lot at stake) will create a lot of calls for a number of reasons (disjointed offense creating picks, defenders not wanting to give any advantage calling slight picks, players trying to make big plays which lead to fouls on the mark or on receptions, etc). while boring, a game with a lot of calls doesn't inherently mean that either team is cheating (more on this at another time). the problem is that high-level players may find themselves more prone to make calls when their team is down in a big game. this is the danger of self-officiating. i typically don't get that irked by players who call a tight game, so long as they don't complain every time an opponent makes a call. some of these differences may be regional (i always hear about west-coast teams travelling all the time), but i think so long as a team or individual calls every game consistently, there shouldn't be something inherently "cheating" when someone calls a tight game.