All soccer participants are expected too, at all times, to display respect for the rights, dignity and worth of their fellow athletes, team captains, referees, executive members, other volunteers, friends and spectators. All soccer participants will treat everyone equally regardless of sex, ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation or ability. This will be demonstrated by following this League Code of Conduct:

1. No Team Member or Fan will conduct themselves in behavior that is contrary to this Code both on the field as a player and off the field as a game spectator.

2. No Team Member or Fan will cause any form of personal abuse, including verbal, physical and emotional abuse, towards other athletes, team captains, referees, executive members, spectators or others.

3. No Team Member or Fan will react in a violent manner to any incident nor use any form of profane, vulgar, obscene or abusive language or gestures, whether it is directed at a referee, opponent, captain, executive member or spectator. Nor will they tolerate profane, vulgar, obscene or abusive language or actions from any supporters or members of their own team.

4. No Team Member or Fan will use intimidating or threatening behavior towards opponents, fellow team members, team captains, referees, executive members or spectators. Nor will they permit any others to openly or maliciously criticize, badger, harass, or threaten any opponents, fellow team members, team captains, referees, executive members or spectators.

5. No Team Member or Fan will smoke cigarettes and/or use any intoxicating substances on the field during the game, nor will they permit themselves or other athletes to play if they appear to be in an intoxicated condition.

6. No Team Member or Fan will harass, heckle, insult, jeer, or use verbal tactics to embarrass or insult an executive member, opponent or teammate at the field before, during or after a game.

7. No Team Member or Person involved with any team, in any capacity, will make derogatory, disdainful, disparaging comments or remarks regarding any person connected to the League on any public forum, message board or social media.

8. No Team Member will use any illegal, improper or unapproved equipment

9. No Team Member or Fan will engage in a continuous verbal attack upon any other participant or spectator after they have been ejected from a game or make a verbal threat of physical violence to anyone, at any time. Said player must also leave the playing field immediately upon ejection. If said player does not and/or refuses to immediately leave the playing field after an ejection then the Team of the player will have to forfeit the game, and it will be recorded as a loss.
10. No Team Member or Fan will refuse to abide by a referee or team captain’s decision, threaten a referee or team captain, or at any time lay a hand upon, push, shove, strike, or make incidental physical contact with the body or kick dirt or other matter on the referee or opposing player in attempt to cause physical contact when disputing a decision. This includes causing or attempting to cause physical contact with another player in the dispute of the decision.
11. No Team Member or Fan will give false or misleading information or fail to cooperate with a legitimate request from a Sunshine Coast Women’s Soccer League Executive member in the discharge of their official duties.
12. No Team Member or Fan, when requested by an opposing team, will refuse to assist them in the enforcement and control of any of their fellow team members acting in violation of this Code of Conduct.

Any violations of the Code of Conduct must be reported in writing after a 24 hour “Cooling Off Period” via your team’s Exec Rep to the League Executive at info@scwsl.ca.

After review by the League Executive any Team Member or Fan who are reported and found to have acted in legitimate violation of this Code of Conduct will be subject to the following:

1. First Violation: A verbal and written warning from the Sunshine Coast Women’s Soccer League Executive will be given to the Team Member or Fan found acting in violation as well as the Team Captain.

2. Second Violation: The Team Member or Fan found acting in violation will be suspended for 2 games and banned from the field, as a player and/or spectator immediately.

3. Third Violation: The Team Member or Fan found acting in violation will be suspended immediately and banned from the field, as a player and/or spectator and that player’s entire Team will be suspended for 1 game. The player who received the violation’s reentry to the League will be discussed and voted on by the League Executive at their earliest convenience. Any players who receive two Code of Conduct complaints and are permitted to re-enter the League must do so on a signed probationary basis. Players who violate any conditions while on Probation will be subject to a League Participation Review.

4. Team Captains are responsible for making sure that all team members have read and understood what is expected of them as players in the Sunshine Coast Women’s Soccer League. No people shall be permitted on the playing field until they have signed the Code of Conduct. Up to date the Code of Conducts must be submitted to the League Executive email to be on record. Please remember that at the end of the day we are recreationally based League, and we all want to have FUN!

Thank you,

Sunshine Coast Women’s Soccer League Executive