Selection Process

The Ultimate Hall of Fame (HoF) has incorporated incremental process improvements over the years and continues to take the long view on these updates. The Board recognizes that additional revisions can be made and endeavor to evaluate and amend process steps each year.

Beginning in 2022, the HoF added Players whose primary division of play was Mixed. The first year began with the nomination of a Starting Class for the Mixed division composed of both Player and Contributor candidates who are considered exemplary individuals deserving of recognition for their play on the Mixed division field and contributions to the growth, esteem, and longevity of the Mixed division.

2023 Selection Process updates and NEW NOMINATION FORMS will be announced/posted in April-May 2023. 

To review a synopsis of historical adjustments and improvements announced for the 2022 HoF Selection Process, please review the 2022 Update for the Ultimate Hall of Fame Process Improvement Initiatives.

Additional important information can be found in the 2022 Ultimate HoF Peer Pool Process and the 2022 Hall of Fame Selection Process + Timeline documents.

Player Candidate Eligibility Criteria

Players with a distinguished record of competitive achievement at the highest national and/or international levels in their primary division of play with additional consideration given to integrity, sportsmanship, and character are eligible to be nominated as candidates in the Player category. Consideration of Hall-worthiness is focused on what the player-candidates did “at their best against the best” in their primary division of play at the highest levels of competition during the peak playing years’ time frame under consideration for the current year’s selection process. In 2022, the peak playing years were 2002 to 2010. For 2023, the peak playing years are 2004 to 2012.

To be inducted into the Ultimate Hall of Fame, potential player-candidates must complete these steps. The first stage involves individuals, or their sponsors, completing nomination/candidate forms that detail the nominee/candidates’ competitive career. Once the nominees/candidates are identified, their competitive histories are shared, reviewed, and ranked by a group of peers from their own playing era and from across the regions. These player peer pools also include Consultants; coaches, regional coordinators, administrators, reporters/media, or others who have first-hand knowledge about the the top tier competitors during the nominee/candidate’s Primary Division of Play during the Peak Playing Years. Peer Pool members who no longer align with the Peak Playing Years but remain connected to the sport and have first-hand knowledge of top tier competitors in the Primary Division of Play during the Peak Playing Years can be allowed to continue in the peer pool.

The second stage involves winnowing the field down to a slate of candidates through a review of the peer voting results and of written applications solicited by the Ultimate Hall of Fame Vetting Committee, with up to ten candidates from the Open and Women’s player divisions selected for the final slate. For 2022, contributor candidates will be nominated by the contributor members of the Hall and forwarded to the Vetting Committee. With the addition of the Mixed division in 2022, a slate of Mixed candidates composed of competitors and contributors from the beginning of the division in 1998 to the end of the current Peak Playing Years (2010) will be forwarded to the Vetting Committee.

In the third stage, the final slate of candidates is announced to the ultimate community with a public request for comment in the Call to the Community.

The final stage involves two rounds of voting to select up to five inductees from the Open and Women’s player divisions by the full voting committee, composed of eligible player and contributor members of the Ultimate Hall of Fame and the Vetting Committee. In the second and final round of voting, the advancing Open and Women’s division candidates, the Mixed division slate, and any Contributor candidates will be considered by the Hall voters. Candidates in the player and contributor categories must receive an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds majority (66%) from the voters to be selected and thereafter be inducted into the Ultimate Hall of Fame. Special Merit candidates will also be on the final ballot to be considered by the Hall voters.

Please note that the peer pools are updated each year and for the 2023 Selection Process, will include those who competed within the 2004 to 2012 peak playing years. Individual competitors and consultants from the 2013 and 2014 competitive years will be added to the respective peer pools to ensure succession in the selection and voting process.

Contributor Candidates

In 2022, contributor candidates were nominated by the contributor members of the Hall and/or contributor candidates included those recognized from within the Mixed division Starting Class. Should a community member want to nominate a contributor, please use the Contributor Nominee Information form below. For contributors from the Mixed division, please us the Mixed Contributor Nomination Form. In 2023, changes will be made to the Contributor candidate selection process; updates will be posted, as available.

Special Merit Candidates

Candidates for Special Merit are reviewed separately from candidates in the other categories. The Vetting Committee will recommend a Special Merit candidate, if they so choose. The Special Merit candidate has a high supermajority voting requirement to ensure a very high standard of “specialness”; candidates will be approved if they receive at least 90% support from eligible Hall voters.

Important Resources

• 2022 What Makes a Hall of Famer
• 2022 Open Peer Pool List
• 2022 Women’s Division Peer Pool List
• 2022 Mixed Division Peer Pool List
• 2021 Open Peer Pool List 
• 2021 Women’s Division Peer Pool List
• 2020 Open Peer Pool List
• 2020 Women’s Division Peer Pool List
• 2023 Peer Pool lists for Open, Mixed, and Women’s divisions will be updated in June 2023

– National Teams of Ultimate – Hartti database // Includes a Player Directory with individual look up with International Results

To nominate a player for the Ultimate Hall of Fame or as a member of the Player Peer Pools:

Women’s Division Candidate Forms

• 2022 Women’s Division Nominee/Candidate Short Form – due July 25
• 2022 Women’s Division Nominee/Reference Form – due August 9
• 2022 Women’s Division Player Candidate Questionnaire – due August 21

Open Division Candidate Forms

• 2022 Open Division Nominee/Candidate Short Form – due July 25
• 2022 Open Division Nominee/Reference Form – due August 9
• 2022 Open Division Player Candidate Questionnaire – due August 21

Mixed Division Candidate Forms

• 2022 Mixed Division Nominee/Candidate Short Form – due July 25
• 2022 Mixed Division Contributor Candidate Form – due August 9
• 2022 Mixed Division Nominee/Reference Form – due August 9
• 2022 Mixed Division Player Candidate Questionnaire – due August 21

Contributor Form

• 2022 Contributor Nominee Information Form – due July 25