Sportsmanship
Cascade Flag Football Association Sportsmanship & Code of Conduct Policy
CASCADE FLAG FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION SPORTSMANSHIP and CODE OF CONDUCT POLICY
It is a vital and key flagstone of the Cascade Flag Football Association that good sportsmanship is conducted by all participating individuals. The exact definition of good sportsmanship can vary for each person involved, but at its basic level being a good sportsman requires the participants show fairness and respect for opponents, and graciousness in winning or losing.
All registered participants, including players, captains, coaches, officials, and fans, and others involved with Cascade Flag Football Association are bound by its Sportsmanship and Code of Conduct Policy as defined here within. This Code supersedes any Code of Conduct or sportsmanship conduct in any referenced rulebook or facility guideline, unless specifically noted in advance.
1. Good sporting behavior will be observed in all sports programs and activities of the Cascade Flag Football Association. Respect for all participants is essential for amateur competition and fair play.
2. Derogatory or unsporting conduct shall be defined as follows:
a. Any action involving participants which results in personal abuse by verbal or physical means, as determined by the appropriate Cascade Flag Football Association official as defined by the program.
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b. Specific examples of unsporting conduct include, but are not limited to:
i. using profanity, insulting or vulgar language or gestures, when directed towards other participants;
ii. attempting to influence or indicating an objection to a decision of an official;
iii. disrespectfully addressing an official;
iv. willfully failing to be ready to start either half;
v. being present on the field except as a substitute or replacement player;
vi. spiking the ball or throwing the ball in the air or from the field of play;
vii. taunting an opponent
viii. abusively or derisively harrying an opponent or other participant;
ix. entering the field as a non-player participant during an active game, including time-outs, unless sanctioned by the referee
3. Good sportsmanship and proper conduct by players towards all other participants, including the opposition, officials, spectators and staff is mandatory. Either during, immediately prior to, or immediately following a Cascade Flag Football Association program (games, scrimmages, events, and otherwise), the appropriate Cascade Flag Football Association official, game officials, Board of Directors, or Commissioner shall have the authority to administer disciplinary action to individual participants for abuses and unsporting conduct as follows:
a. Penalty (as identified in the referenced rulebook).
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b. Play ejection of players for either 4 or 8 plays, as determined by the game official.
c. Game ejection or expulsion and/or suspension of participants and the impacted participant must leave the playing area.
d. Forfeiture of game(s).
4. Specifically when within Cascade Flag Football Association game, the following rules will be apply an will be based on the judgement of the on field referees:
a. No player shall commit a flagrant foul, which includes striking an opponent with a fist, locked hand, forearm, elbow, knee or foot or wearing any illegal equipment that is unsafe to opponents. Specific conditions, as identified further, shall apply in the case of player(s) fighting. If fighting occurs all players involved will be impacted, regardless of who started the incident.
b. No player shall physically or verbally afflict an official.
When in question the act is considered a flagrant harrying or intimidation.
If a player or fan strikes an official, special conditions as identified further will be applicable.
c. The ball carrier shall not deliberately run in to a defensive player, and a defensive play shall not jump into the path of a ball carrier in forward progress.
d. Defensive players must make a demonstrated effort to avoid charging into a passer who has thrown or is throwing a legal forward pass or a passer who is fading back or standing still because he/she is considered out of play after the pass. A defensive player may not forcibly contact the passerâ??s arm above the elbow (from the elbow to the shoulder). If the quarterback's arm is hit below the elbow, it is up to the official to determine whether the hit was roughing the passer or the defender was simply attempting to legally make a play on the ball.
e. Fighting with another player requires:
i. disqualification from the current game,
ii. disqualification from the teamâ??s next scheduled game,
iii. possible current and future game(s) disqualification, to be determined by the Cascade Flag Football Association Board of Directors.
f. In addition to the above striking an official requires:
i. current tournament disqualification,
ii. possible future games(s) disqualification, to be determined by the Cascade Flag Football Association Board of Directors
g. Participants with multiple violations of the Code of Conduct may also be ejected from games and suspended from future games if determined by the Cascade Flag Football Association Board of Directors.
i. possible future games(s) disqualification, to be determined by the Cascade Flag Football Association Board of Directors
5. No Cascade Flag Football Association participate shall hinder play by an obviously unfair act which has no specific rule coverage. Neither team shall commit any act which, in the opinion of the referee, tends to make a travesty of the game.
a. Team captains are ultimately responsible for the conduct of their players and fans.
6. Due to local regulations and for player safety, game officials may eject a participant from a game for consuming alcoholic beverages or for the illegal use of a controlled substance either on local city, county, state, or federal government property if thought to be in violation of local laws.
a. Game officials may also eject a participant if it is exhibited that the participant likely consumed a sufficient quantity of alcoholic beverage or controlled substance prior to the event as to impair significantly his/her participation and/or behavior.
b. The safety of the game is key and any unsafe act that jeopardizes the conduct and execution of the game or event is a risk to the participants.
Official Actions which Result in a Participant Ejection, Expulsion, and/or Suspension and Participant Recourse
1. The decision to eject a participant will be made by the appropriate Cascade Flag Football Association official for that program:
a. During games the game officials will be the appropriate official to determine the course of action.
i. This decision will be a judgment decision and will not be considered grounds for protest.
ii. It is the responsibility of the team members to cooperate with game officials in controlling fans. If during a game, the game officials may declare a game forfeited if a team fails to reasonably cooperate with officials in controlling spectators.
b. During scrimmages, practices, events, or other programs the Cascade Flag Football Association Board of Directors and/or Commissioner will be the appropriate official to determine the course of action.
2. Any ejection or other action resulting in suspension prior to, during, or after a league game for unsportsmanlike conduct may result in an automatic suspension from further participation in that league or sports program until a disciplinary hearing is held. The length of suspension shall vary based upon the severity of the unsporting action as determined by the Board of Directors. An ejection/suspension shall result in an automatic probationary period commencing upon completion of the suspension period. The length of the probationary period shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
3. Any ejection/suspension/probation shall be handled in the following manner:
a. The Cascade Flag Football Association Commissioner shall secure written statements or first-hand reports from officials, players, or spectators present, and will make a written recommendation on action to be taken within 3-standard business days.
i. The Commissioner will ask the involved team captains to provide a summary of the team members actions and a recommendation of action to the Board of Directors.
b. This recommendation will include the calling of a special Board of Directors meeting to review the incident, reports of the incident, and determine the course of action.
i. The Commissioner will notify the player of the hearing date, time and location once the special Board of Directors meeting has been confirmed.
c. Upon receiving all relevant information, the hearing board will convene and will determine a course of action to be taken within 5-standard days, regarding what action shall be taken.
i. Relevant information may include the written report from the Commissioner, first-hand accounts from team captains, team players, observers of the foul, and/or officials that were officiating the game or officials that were observing the game in which the foul occurred, video evidence that may exist, any other methods to gather information about the incident or a player's history that the Board of Directors may deem necessary to make an informed decision
ii. The suspended person may provide witnesses to speak in his/her behalf, either in person or in writing.
iii. In addition to the written statements, the Board of Directors may request first-hand reports from any person or persons with information relevant to the incident.
iv. Results of the hearing shall be forwarded to the suspended person within 1-standard business day.
d. The suspended person must be allowed the right to appeal the decision made by the hearing board. The request shall be made in writing to Commissioner within the appeal period as determined by the Board of Directors for that specific incident.
e. If appealed a secondary Board of Directors meeting will be convened to review the appeal and determine a response. The decision of the appeal board shall be forwarded to the suspended person within 1-standard business day. The decision of the appeal board shall be final.