In other sports they call it good sportsmanship, and unfortunately it is rare. Ultimate is special because the game is built around the concept of competition with good spirit. In practice this means that there are no referees, and each individual is responsible for calling his or her own fouls. You learn a lot about yourself and your teammates in these moments. The college season opens in late January and extends to College Nationals at the end of May.
Tournaments are usually two day events.
Over the course of a weekend a team plays as many as eight games. This grueling format makes it advantageous to carry a roster of 20 to 24 players, though only seven play at one time. This largely volunteer organization runs the National Series, watches over the sport, keeps a database of teams, and acts as a clearing house for Ultimate players across the country. Their website is an excellence source of information too.