Codes of Good Conduct
 
It is good practice to have written Codes of Conduct for coaches, team officials, players and parents or supporters.

These can set down the expected standard of behaviour from all interested parties in the club. There are a large number of clubs with their own codes but the main topics covered for each area are as follows 

OFFICIALS
Respect every player.
Be conscious of the safety of every player.
Be equitable with the playing time for each and every player.
Be aware and follow the guidelines of the governing body.
Be of good behaviour and appearance.
Be respectful of all decisions made by the match officials.
Never use inappropriate or bad language.
They must abide by the medical advice concerning an injured player.
They must be aware of any medical condition or medication a player has.
They must ensure all players are aware of the times of matches and training sessions and they have a contact number in case of cancellation.
They should be encouraged to attend Coaching Courses to keep them up to date with the latest techniques and drills.

PLAYERS
Respect the club’s property i.e. kit, training facilities, dressing rooms.
Respect the club’s officials and fellow players.
Respect the decisions of the match officials. They should make an effort to study the laws of the game.
They should respect their opponents.
Ensure they are punctual for all matches and training sessions.
Advise their coach when they will not be available.
They should inform their coach of any medical condition or injury sustained before or during club activities.
They should show a high standard of behaviour during all club activities and refrain from displaying dissent or bad language.

PARENTS/SUPPORTERS
Parents will be responsible for ensuring that their child gets to the club match or activity in plenty of time. They will also be responsible for getting their child home safely.
They must respect every player on the park including the opposition.
They should avoid coaching their child.
They should be encouraged to applaud good play from both sides.
They should not shout and scream.
They should on no account question the match official’s decisions. If adults are seen to question decisions how then are we to get the children to accept decisions?
They should support and encourage all coaches.

These are not a comprehensive set of standards but we would encourage your club to develop their own codes of conduct. It is then a good idea to get everybody including parents to sign an agreement stating they will abide by the club’s codes of practice plus the club’s Child Protection Policy.