At this years Worlds, a number of teams, including our team, began what I call the pull noise taunt. It's similar to what teams do in basketball when they try and distract the person taking the free throw. In our case, once our team pulled the disc on defence, a chant would start and the team would yell when the receiver was about to catch the disc (hoping it would cause a turn).
Pictured Above: Old U.K. nationals action between Flump and Brighton 2.Our team didn't start the tournament with this in place, but it was something the team adopted after playing some teams that were doing the same to us.
Does this sort of behaviour belong in Ultimate?
As a player, I don't really mind heckles since I don't find I hear them. Many players will say the same thing, so maybe that means the taunt is fine in the game. However, it's unlikely that we are all immune to the taunt all the time, and there are probably people who will be affected by the taunt in many situations.
In reality, it's bad spirit to taunt the pull - sideline or field. You're not supposed to yell when a person is about to catch it on the fly, so this should translate to the rest of the game. Even if all teams were taunting the pull, we should have taken the higher ground and refrained from our own taunting. Something to think about next time.
PJ
5 comments:
'taunting' is against the rules.
(WFDF rules...1.6.3.)
Although I'm not sure if I would call that taunting. But obviously if the point of doing it was in the hope of causing a turnover...as opposed to encouraging your own team mates...I guess it would be the sort of thing the rules have in mind.
Not the sort of thing that would get you spirit points anyway.
Peter, when we instituted the yelling during the pull it was never with the intention of taunting the player catching the pull. I saw it more as a way to encourage your d-line players who have to sprint the length of the field to cover the pull. I also think it should be noted that we yelled either when the disc landed on the ground, or after it had been caught. Never once did i think it had the intention of taunting the opposing team.
Let's call a spade a spade. I've heard the excuse that the taunt is for us. It's to motivate our people to run down the field. Then why not just yell at them like all teams? Why does it need to be orchestrated, chant like, and climaxed around the point when the opponents catch it? Suspicious to say the least. And do we forget how happy everyone was when someone actually dropped a pull (the whispers of it worked)...
PJ
if you orchestrate it, it ensures that everyon will participate. It is a lot easier to yell as an individual if your enitre team is doing the same thing. However if you just tell your team to yell something at a player they are going to be more withdrawn and may not even say something. You will get a select few individuals yelling, to urge their team down the field which wont have the same effect.
Ya I found it when doing this progressively louder screaming and yelling "canada" after the disc had been played pumped up the team, both on the field and on the sideline, something needed alot on defense. I know for myself hearing that gave me that extra boost to give it 110% to try cut off that first pass. In a way, hearing all the people yelling while you run down gives you that constant reminder that you aren't just playing for yourself or the 6 others on the field, but the 20 other players on the sideline as well.
Post a Comment