The Ultimate in Cooperative Games

As you maybe saw in my previous post, my major quest is becoming a better handler in ultimate frisbee. Ever since I started college, ultimate frisbee has been a big part of my life. I learned it when I was younger at a summer camp I went to. One of my favorite things is the "spirit" of the game. There are no referees (only observers in some games--not the same) and the game goes on with this ultimate "spirit".

Ultimate is a pretty hard game to police. There are a lot of different fouls, violations, calls, and rules. It'd be a hard game for a referee to judge, let alone biased players in the heat of the moment. It's funny how varying teams have or don't have this "spirit". It's easy to tell after just a few minutes whether teams have spirit. They will argue every call and have a lack of sportsmanship and respect on the field. Those games are awful; the teams are constantly bickering and making everyone mad at each other.

By being difficult and ignoring general sportsmanlike customs of Ultimate, I think of it as a form of cheating. Some teams have a definite edge by disregarding complaints and continue to act in that way. There are rules for a reason; to level the playing field. Which leads me to another point. There's a bit of game theory behind the "spirit" in Ultimate. I gauge every team I play at the beginning to see how they act. If they're contesting every call and being too physical, I'll act more similarly. You just can't be pushed around all game. If you let the other team do that, they're not only going to have an unfair advantage, but will get in your head.

On April 2, Professor Mitani spoke of cooperation between non-human animals (primates) and the game theory behind it (pre-class reading). We all adapt to our environment based on the other actors. There are a variety of variables that go into primates cooperating, including rapport and mutual benefits. It is to everyone's benefit to play clean and fair, determining the winner on skill, luck, and athleticism. But when one team/individual decides to cheat the system, the other team has no choice to follow suit. This creates a less desirable game, which is dominated by slowing down the game and general disruption.

If a team is cooperative and the competition is fair and fun, I won't be as physical or picky about game-hindering rules. The game flows better, and it's more enjoyable to play and watch. I think this happens in every sport; I just use ultimate as an example. Ultimate is one of the better examples because it is self-officiated. Does anyone else have examples of this type of phenomenon in sports they played or watched?