Recently Hockey Victoria sent out the code of conduct to remind members of the hockey community how they are expected to behave. Please take the time to read it.
As a Team Official you must meet the following requirements in regard to your conduct during any activity held or sanctioned by Hockey Victoria/ Hockey Australia and in any role you hold within Hockey Victoria.
The Tournament Director / Umpire Manager and/or Event Coordinator are responsible for ensuring that the Code of Conduct is met at all times. If, in their opinion, there is a serious breach of the Code of Conduct the team official may be suspended from the tournament/competition and/ sent home.
- Treat all players with respect at all times.
- Ensure the athlete’s time spent with you is a positive experience.
- Treat each athlete as an individual.
- Be impartial and maintain integrity in your relationship with other officials, players and coaches.
- Make a commitment to providing a quality service to your athletes.
- Keep up to date with skills, qualifications and the principles of physical growth and development.
- Avoid situations that may lead to a conflict of interest.
- Be courteous, respectful and open to discussion and interaction.
- Provide a safe environment for training and competition.
- Be a positive role model in behaviour and personal appearance by maintaining the highest standards of personal conduct and projecting a favourable image of hockey at all times.
- Refrain from any personal abuse towards players, team officials or tournament officials.
- Show concern and caution towards ill and injured athletes. Enforce the blood rule and apply procedures regarding ill or injured players according to the rules.
- Adhere to the Anti-Doping Policy advocated by Hockey Australia.
- Abide by all relevant policies documented by Hockey Victoria/ Hockey Australia in relation to your appointment at a Hockey Australia sanctioned event.
Players – Code of Conduct
- Must behave in a sportsmanlike manner at all times to other players, officials and spectators.
- Make no detrimental statements in public in respect of the performance of any match officials or umpires.
- Play by the rules at all times and ensure that the game of hockey is not brought into disrepute.
- Accept responsibility for all actions taken. Exercise reasonable care to prevent injury by ensuring that you play within the rules. Reasonable care consists of showing due diligence in abiding by the rules and adhering to the official’s decisions.
- Do not engage in any doping practice, the use of drugs or other banned substance unless prescribed by a medical doctor.
- Do not bet on the outcome or on any other aspect of a hockey match or competition.
- Do not throw or fix a match, try to achieve a contrived outcome to a match or competition, or otherwise influence improperly the outcome or any other aspect of a match or a competition.
- Do not show unnecessary obvious dissension, displeasure or disapproval towards an umpire, technical official, tournament director or other official as a consequence of his or her decision or generally.
- Abstain from the use of tobacco and the consumption of alcoholic beverages when playing or whilst in the players’ uniform.
- Refrain from any sexual harassment towards other players and officials. Treat all participants fairly and within the context of their sporting activities, regardless of gender, race, place of origin, athletic potential, colour, sexual orientation, religion, political beliefs, socio-economic status, and other conditions.
- Must not do anything which adversely affects or reflects on or discredits the game of hockey, Hockey Australia, any member State Association, or any squad, team, competition, tournament, sponsor, official supplier or licensee, including, but not limited to, any illegal act or any act of dishonesty or fraud.
These are extracts from the Hockey Australia Players- Code of Conduct form (2003) and the Hockey Victoria Official’s Code of Conduct form (2005).
