It was the 2018 New Jersey State Championship. Columbia High School, the birthplace of Ultimate Frisbee, was down 12 to 10 against Westfield in the finals. Universe point looming. Legs burning. Hope fading.
The team called a timeout. That is when Josh stepped up and said: "The sideline is the eighth man and we have to be loud. Our stands are helping us but we have to be the ones to carry this."
His teammate Jacob added: "Leave it all out on the field. That includes your vocal chords."
Columbia scored three straight points and won the state championship 13 to 12. The sideline made the difference. The eighth man showed up.
This chapter is about everything that happens off the field that wins games on it. The calls, the energy, the culture, and the role I believe every team should have: the spirit captain.
When the Sideline Matters Most
Let me be honest with you: if you are playing a casual pickup game at Nolte on a Sunday morning, sideline communication is not critical. It is nice to have, but the stakes are low.
But in real game situations, like hat tournaments, league play, championships, any game that matters, your sideline people can make a massive difference. They establish your team's culture. They bring the energy. They provide eyes that players on the field simply do not have.
As Ultiworld puts it: "Games in Ultimate these days are not played 7 on 7, they are played 25 on 25."
That is the mindset shift. You are always in the game, even when you are not on the field.
The Three Captain Model
Most Ultimate teams have one or two captains. An offensive captain who calls the plays and a defensive captain who assigns matchups and calls the force.
I believe every team needs a third: the spirit captain.
The spirit captain is not about rules or strategy. The spirit captain owns the culture. They are the heartbeat of the sideline and the soul of the team. Here is what the spirit captain is responsible for:
Team identity. The spirit captain helps choose or create the team name. Not just a name, but an identity that the team rallies around. A name that means something to the players, that shows up in how they play and how they carry themselves.
The celebration handshake. Every great team has one. A signature multi step handshake that the team does after every point they score. Fist bump, high five, low five, side five, maybe a symbolic gesture that connects to the team name. The spirit captain designs this and teaches it to every player. It sounds silly until you see a team do it in unison after a big point. Then it feels like magic.
The goodwill gesture. Here is something most teams do not do but should: when the other team scores, the spirit captain leads a brief acknowledgment. A clap. A "nice point" to the opponent. This is not weakness. This is strength. It shows your team that you are not rattled. It shows the opponent that you respect them. And it resets your team's energy so you do not carry frustration into the next point.
The team chant. Every huddle ends with a chant. "One, two, three, [team name]!" The spirit captain owns this. They close every huddle. They make sure the energy is right. Not forced. Not fake. Real. A chant that feels good to shout because you mean it.
The vibe after mistakes. This is maybe the most important job. When someone drops a pass. When someone throws a turnover. When your team gets broken. The spirit captain sets the emotional tone. Are we going to hang our heads? Or are we going to pick each other up? The spirit captain is the first voice after a mistake, and that voice should always be encouraging.
→ Action Step: If you are ever on a hat tournament team where nobody is filling this role, volunteer. Say "I will be our spirit captain." Create a team name. Design a quick handshake. Close the first huddle with a chant. You will be amazed at how quickly the team gels.
The Essential Sideline Calls
Your voice is a weapon. Here are the calls every sideline player needs to know.
"UP!" The most important call in Ultimate. When the disc goes in the air, yell "UP!" as loud as you can. Defenders are often facing away from the thrower and may have no idea the disc is coming until it is too late. Your call gives them a chance to turn, locate, and make a play.
Mark communication. The person marking the thrower cannot see what is developing behind them. Feed them short, sharp calls:
- "Strike!" — a cutter is making a hard upline cut. Take it away.
- "Inside!" — someone is cutting through the break side. Shift to block it.
- "Around!" — the thrower is looking to throw an around break. Close that lane.
- "No huck!" — there is a deep threat. Make sure they cannot throw long.
- "No break!" — someone is open on the break side. Guard it at all costs.
Keep it to one or two words. The mark does not have time for a sentence.
"Poach!" When you see a defender standing in a lane instead of guarding their person tightly, call it out. "Poach!" or "Sarah is poached!" lets your offense know someone is open.
"Clear!" When someone makes a cut, does not get the disc, and hangs around clogging the lane, call "Clear!" to get them moving.
"Man on!" When a receiver is slowing down because they think they have the catch, but a defender is charging from behind, warn them. Defenders do not need to catch the disc. They just need to get a hand on it.
Transition help. When there is a turnover and everyone is scrambling, help your team find their marks: "Jake, you have got number 7!" or "Switch, Emily, take the handler!"
One Person Per Player
Here is a common problem: everyone on the sideline is yelling, and no one is listening. Ten people screaming different things creates noise, not communication.
The solution? Pick one player and focus on them.
Follow that teammate throughout the point. Give them specific, actionable communication. Use their name so they know you are talking to them. "Jake, you have got help left!" is infinitely more useful than "Someone is coming!"
Encourage your sideline teammates to do the same, with each person picking a different player. Now you have seven players on the field, each with their own personal spotter on the sideline.
Be the Extra Eyes and Ears
Here is what I have found most valuable about the sideline: they are an extra set of eyes when things move fast.
When I am on defense, I am focused on my person. I am tracking their cuts, watching their hips, trying to stay between them and the end zone. I cannot see everything. But the sideline can.
They can see if someone on the other team is slipping toward the end zone unseen. They can see if a switch went wrong and someone is wide open. They can see the danger I cannot.
That is the real power of the sideline. Not just energy, but information. They see the whole field while you are locked in on your small piece of it.
Cheering Through the Long Points
The other thing the sideline does? They keep you alive during brutal points.
I was at the Hagerstown hat tournament, fourth game, down by two with three minutes left. My legs felt like cement. Every muscle was screaming at me to quit.
And then I heard it from the sideline: "LET'S GO! ONE POINT AT A TIME! YOU HAVE GOT THIS!"
It was like someone plugged me back into the wall. My energy came back. My focus sharpened. We scored five straight points and won that game.
When you are gassed, when you have been running for what feels like forever, when you are not sure you can take another step, the sideline is your lifeline. Their cheers are not just noise. They are fuel.
This is where the spirit captain shines brightest. They are the ones leading those cheers. They are the ones whose voice cuts through the exhaustion. They are the ones who keep the energy alive when legs are dead.
Spirit Circles and Team Culture
Ultimate has a unique tradition called the Spirit Circle. After games, especially at tournaments, both teams gather together, alternating players so you are standing between opponents rather than teammates.
Captains speak. Great plays are acknowledged. Issues are addressed. Small spirit awards are sometimes exchanged. It is a moment that captures something essential about Ultimate: your opponent is not your enemy. They are part of the same community.
The spirit captain plays a key role here. They represent your team's character. They acknowledge the other team's best moments. They own up to any rough play from your side. They close the circle with grace.
This culture, the cheers, the circles, the handshakes, the post game rituals, is built on the sideline. It is where your team's identity lives and breathes. And the spirit captain is the architect of all of it.
Being an Honest Observer
Ultimate is officiated by the players themselves, which means players make their own calls. But what happens when two players disagree about whether a catch was in or out of bounds?
This is where sideline players become important as observers. According to the rules, you should not volunteer your perspective unless asked, with one exception: you can speak up if your perspective is to the detriment of your own team. If you clearly saw your teammate's foot was out of bounds, you can say so.
That is Spirit of the Game in action. Your integrity is worth more than any single point.
The Balance: When to Speak and When to Stay Quiet
There is such a thing as too much sideline talk.
If the sideline is constantly screaming instructions like "Go left! No, go right! Cut under! Now go deep!", players become dependent on external direction instead of reading the game themselves.
The best sideline communication is surgical. Short. Specific. Timed to the moment when the player needs it most. "UP!" when the disc is thrown. "Strike!" when a cutter is attacking. "Nice bid!" after a layout attempt. Silence when the player is in flow and does not need distraction.
Wrap Up
◆ The sideline is the eighth man. Games are not played 7 on 7, they are played 25 on 25.
◆ Every team should have a spirit captain who owns the culture: team name, celebration handshake, goodwill gesture when the opponent scores, team chant, and emotional tone after mistakes.
◆ The essential calls are "UP!", mark communication (strike, inside, around, no huck, no break), "Poach!", "Clear!", "Man on!", and transition help.
◆ Pick one player on the field and be their personal spotter. Specific calls using their name beat generic screaming.
◆ The sideline provides information, not just energy. They see the whole field while you are locked in on your piece of it.
◆ Rush the field after every point. When your team gets scored on is when they need encouragement most.
◆ Spirit circles after games honor the community. The spirit captain represents your team's character.
◆ Be an honest observer. Your integrity is worth more than any single point.
◆ One focused call beats ten scattered screams. Add clarity, not confusion.
Mentor's Closing
I have been on teams where the sideline was silent. Where substitutes sat on the ground scrolling their phones while the game happened without them. Where nobody cheered after a score and nobody picked anyone up after a mistake.
Those teams always lost. Not because they lacked talent. Because they lacked soul.
And I have been on teams where one person, just one person, decided to be the spirit captain. They gave the team a name. They designed a handshake. They closed every huddle with a chant. They were the first voice after every mistake, and that voice was always kind.
Those teams played differently. They played harder. They played longer. They played with a fire that the other team could feel from across the field.
Columbia High School did not win that 2018 state championship because they had better players than Westfield. They won because Josh understood that the sideline is the eighth man. Because Jacob told his teammates to leave their vocal chords on the field. Because the culture they built, point by point, cheer by cheer, handshake by handshake, carried them through a deficit that should have ended their season.
You do not need to be the best player to be the most valuable person on your team. Sometimes all you need to be is the loudest voice on the sideline, the one who designs the handshake, the one who picks people up when they fall.
Be the eighth man. Be the spirit captain. Your team needs you more than you know. :)