Zero Tolerance Policy
The Zero Tolerance Policy requires everyone involved in the all sporting activity to act in a respectful and sportsmanship like manner. Participation in these athletic activities should promote respect, integrity, and sportsmanship. It is about treating one another with respect and exhibiting appropriate behavior. Remember, everyone must treat others the way that they want to be treated.
Disrespectful and/or unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated. Any participant displaying inappropriate and/or disruptive behavior that interferes with players, coaches, officials, spectators or the game will be considered in violation of the Zero Tolerance Policy.
Use Clean Language! Foul language does not need to occur in all sports. Control and maintain your emotions.
- This includes taunting of players, coaches, officials or spectators by means of baiting, ridiculing, threatening physical violence or engaging in physical violence.
- Use of obscene or vulgar language in a boisterous manner to anyone at any time.
Coaches and players
Coaches and players shall respect and support the contest officials. Coaches shall not indulge in conduct which would incite players or spectators against the official. Public criticism of officials or players in an unethical manner will not be tolerated.
Coaches are permitted to ask officials questions when appropriate such as time outs or at the end of a quarter.
Coaches and players need to model respectful behavior and will follow the NFHS policy for sportsmanship. Not following these actions will result in a warning, technical foul or disqualification from the activity such as:
- Verbal abuse of opponents and officials, profane or belligerent trash-talking, taunting, and inappropriate celebrations.
- Uses obscene or vulgar language in a boisterous manner to any person at any time.
- Visually displays any sign of dissatisfaction with an Official’s decision, in a manner that openly embarrasses the Official and/or challenges their judgment.
- This includes approaching with the intent of inciting the officials and/or any personnel.
Spectators
Remember, playing sports is for enjoyment. Always be positive in your support for the players. Respect your team’s opponents, officials, and spectators.
Spectators should:
- Encourage players to obey the rules and to accept the decisions of officials.
- Demonstrate appropriate social behavior by not using foul language or harassing players, coaches or officials.
- Respect the rights, dignity, and worth of all participants regardless of their gender, ability, cultural background or religion.
- Support the decisions of all referees as being fair and called to the best of their ability. • Support the coaches by trusting their judgment and integrity.
- Be supportive after the game—win or lose. Recognize good effort, teamwork, and sportsmanship.
- Applaud good play and sportsmanship by either team.
Officials may identify violators of this policy to the site administrators for the purpose of removing parents/spectators from the game; when parents/spectators display inappropriate and disruptive behavior, interfere with other spectators or participants or of the game. Any violators may be escorted from the facility. Once removed, play will resume. Lost time will not be replaced.
Spectators will not:
- Use obscene or vulgar language in a boisterous manner to any person at any time.
- Taunt players, coaches, officials or other spectators by means of baiting, ridiculing,threatening physical violence or physical violence.
- Throwing any object onto playing court or in the vicinity of the playing court, or physically interfering with on court proceedings.
Officials
- Officials are required to conduct themselves in a respectful, professional, and trustworthy manner at all times.
- Officials must use proper authority to assure that rules against profanity, trash talking, taunting, arguing call’s and other forms of bad sportsmanship are consistently and strictly enforced by using the NFHS rules and policies which include requesting assistance by the site administrators.
- Officials must apply these guidelines in a realistic manner and must be careful and do not get overly technical in their enforcement.
- Officials should listen to coaches and others who respectfully and in the appropriate setting when they wish to discuss the rules, interpretation of the rules or your control over the game environment.
- Officials should enforce the rules as written, as faithfully as they can in a manner consistent with rules and interpretations of the NFHS guidelines.
- Officials using any actions such as “baiting” or inciting players or coaches are strictly prohibited.
Violations
- 1st violation may be a warning.
- 2nd violation may be a suspension or a ban from future events.
We all need to show courtesy, acceptance and understanding towards each other remembering that this athletic contest is ‘only a game’ and not a matter of life and death for the players and coaches.
