UPA Procedure DSC - 001 - Disc Approval Process (PDF file)

UPA Procedure DSC - 002 - Flight Test Pool Testing Criteria (PDF file)

UPA Procedure DSC-003 - Flight Test Pool Testing Criteria for U-12 Discs (PDF file)

UPA Procedure DSC-004 - Disc Testing Criteria for Series Level Disc (PDF File)

The current Disc Approval Process no longer defines a Technical Standard. Vendors are advised to use a currently approved disc as guidance for candidate discs. A vendor submits a candidate disc for an informal review by members of the Disc Standards Committee (DSC). This is a “reality check” to insure resources are not wasted (vendor or UPA) on a disc with little or no chance of approval. If a disc shows promise the vendor is given a list of seven preliminary disc screeners, the Disc Approval Committee (DAC), for a formal review. This process can continue until a candidate disc is deemed ready for review by the larger Flight Test Pool. The DSC may also skip the DAC review if a disc is clearly acceptable for approval, as could be the case for a twin mold or material change.

Should a manufacturer make any changes to the mold, or to the plastic that is used to manufacture the submitted discs, it will be necessary to re-apply for approval.

Multi-Level Approval
Based on a definition accepted by the UPA Board of Directors at its Annual Meeting in January 2004, a disc meets the UPA minimum standard of "UPA Approved" if it is accepted as “good enough for use by leagues, tournaments, and UPA members.” UPA Approved is the base level of approval for use by UPA members.

In order for a disc to be considered for the UPA Championship Series or other UPA hosted event/program a disc is required to undergo a more extensive, player driven review.

The multi-level approval process was adopted by the UPA for several reasons. It allows a disc to be used in recreational play without being encumbered by the exacting standards of our elite members.

With time, a disc with a different flight or other characteristics may be accepted for a subset of our members (for example, a smaller disc for junior players, or a disc with more stable flight characteristics for novice players). The multi-level approach gives the UPA the flexibility it needs to approve a disc for uses appropriate to the level of play.

Composition of the Flight Test Pool
The Flight Test Pool is composed of a diverse mix of players including Elite players, Tournament Directors, Youth Coordinators, and League Coordinators. These players evaluate a candidate disc using an online survey composed of questions approved by the Disc Standards Committee. The results from these surveys are used to determine the acceptability of a disc for various levels of play.

It is the goal of the UPA that the Flight Test Committee be represented by a geographically diverse population of ultimate players. If you are interested in participating on the FTC please contact UPA headquarters. Flight Test Committee members must be willing to test discs promptly and to provide feedback through the established online tool.

A Little History
The UPA Board of Directors reactivated the Disc Standards Committee in the summer of 2001 in order to solicit competitive bids from potential disc sponsors. The concept was originally proposed by Board Member emeritus Robert “Nob” Rauch in 1991 for the same reason, but was inactive for several years after a false start with the approval of the Mattel “Tool” mold in 1995. At that time there was only one level of approval (an approved disc was immediately eligible for UPA Series play) and discs were allowed to meet six of seven criteria of the Disc Technical Standard and still be approved. The nay votes from the FTC at that time were from players with smaller hands who commented that the disc was too “deep.” Combined with only one level of approval, the UPA members did not accept this “approved” disc and the Disc Approval Process was put on hold.

Conclusion
The UPA Disc Standards Committee will continue to actively test candidate discs and to further refine the Disc Testing Process. We realize that other vendors may not have a suitable disc for our Series play, but believe that the UPA and the players will benefit over the long-run from these efforts. Also instructive is the fact that most professional sports operate by defining the standards for the object used in their games as well.