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You support a rules quiz for players to help increase the level of overall rules knowledge. In your interview, you proposed a Captain's Rule Quiz, which a captain MUST pass for the team to be able to play in the Series. Please tell us how you expect to get this initiative off of the ground. How much money would be worthwhile to put this into effect?

How do you see such a Rules quiz evolving throughout the next 3 years?

How would you answer those critics that see quizzes as a barrier to getting more players involved in the UPA?

In my interview, I stated that rules knowledge among UPA members could be greatly improved. I base this claim on my extensive observing and playing experience at all levels of the game. I feel that knowledge of the rules among the membership is paramount to the UPA's mission. Since we play a player-controlled sport (with respect to the rules), all of us have been (and will be) "officials", and it is up to us to call the game correctly. If rules knowledge is low, we will no longer be playing ultimate; instead, we will be playing a hybrid game based on hearsay, conjecture, and conversations passed on from peers.

I advocate a rules quiz as a way to improve rules knowledge. In my candidate interview, I proposed a captain's quiz to begin as soon as this college season—with more stringent requirements over the next few years. I propose a standardized 20 question quiz to be created by the Standing Rules Committee. I would also like (but not require) at least some of these questions take advantage of the "videopaper" technology that has been used to demonstrate ultimate in the past [referencing the Daniel Cogan-Drew videopapers supported by the 2003 UPA innovation grants -H.E.]. The cost of creating this quiz would not be prohibitive; I propose that we leverage the material used in the observer certification quiz. Most of these questions detail intricacies in the rules and have been vetted through several iterations of observer clinics. The remaining questions could be brainstormed through email prior to the first BoD meeting in 2009, where the proposal could come to a vote. If approved, the quiz would be a prerequisite to creating a new roster using the current UPA online system.

Critics might suggest that adding more prerequisites would be a barrier to membership growth. To them, I would suggest examining the numbers after implementing the firm roster deadline (another such "barrier"), or after implementing the online system. Growth has continued in spite of these barriers to team registration, and I maintain that a rules quiz would have a similar effect. Also, I believe that the gain in rules knowledge would outweigh any decrease in UPA series registration.

Over the next few years, I would propose that captains must still pass an evolving rules quiz (i.e. not the same quiz from the prior year), while team members must pass a simpler version. I would propose that in the first year of this system, only 7 team members pass a less-stringent version while the membership as a whole gets adjusted to the additional step of a rules quiz. I would also propose an optional survey to rules quiz respondents asking for feedback on the questions and the system. As long as membership continued to grow, I would use the feedback to course-correct the rules quiz system and make any changes necessary.