Conduct of players, team officials and spectators
Three years ago the Association wrote to counties and clubs
about the standards of discipline in our game.
There was some short-term improvement but regrettably standards have
continued to fall. Last year the
Association’s Disciplinary Administrator recorded a further increase in red
cards and an increase in the number of Regulation 3 offences.
There are two areas of major concern. There has been an increase in the
seriousness of a number of red card offences requiring significant periods of
suspension from playing hockey. The
number of Regulation 3 complaints has also risen. A Regulation 3 offence is a non playing offence where the
perpetrator is reported under the England Hockey disciplinary code for bringing
the game into disrepute. This includes
post match assaults, both physical and verbal, on umpires and harassment of
players by members of the other team and its officials and spectators. It can include abusive behaviour by
team/club officials and spectators of the other side players or umpires during
a match.
The Association’s Council requires all clubs to appoint a
disciplinary officer and to have a club code of conduct under which the club
may take disciplinary action, when warranted, against its members.
Each club should report the name of its disciplinary officer
to the county disciplinary administrator.
As a first step to encouraging good behaviour the
Association expects all affiliated clubs to comply with the Code of
Pitchside Conduct set out below.
Where the facilities are not under the direct control of the clubs, team
officials and captains must still use their best endeavours to ensure that the
Code is implemented.
Counties are asked to ensure that all affiliated clubs are
reminded of the Code and that Counties take steps to ensure that the Code is
published in their association’s handbook, web-site and elsewhere. Counties are the first line in ensuring that
clubs, their players, officials and members comply with the highest standards
of behaviour and are at all times courteous and welcoming to visiting sides and
their officials and umpires and technical officials.
--------------------------------
Behaviour and umpires; Our
sport can only be played if each match has two umpires. As you will be aware umpires are in short
supply throughout the game. The quality
of hockey is improving at all levels of the game. Our umpires’ associations are making major efforts to increase
the number umpires, particularly young umpires, and to improve the standard of
umpiring to match the improving player standards. They will only succeed if
clubs and players co-operate in this process by showing that umpires are a
valued and respected part of the game and by encouraging players to learn the
Rules and even, if only occasionally, to blow a whistle.
Players are right to have high expectations but umpires will
always make mistakes, but always far fewer than the collective number of
mistakes by a team. Vilification of an
umpire for what a player, team or coach considers an error will not assist the
umpire to develop skill and empathy with the players.
Clubs must cherish all who are prepared to blow a
whistle. If things are not perfect a
sensible, logical and friendly discussion over tea or in the bar in the best
approach. This is a two way process and
it is of course incumbent upon umpires to take part in a non confrontational
process.
There is an increasingly poor attitude at some clubs towards
umpires. This takes a variety of forms
including on and off the pitch insults, failures to welcome umpires and in the
worst cases to berate the umpire before he or she has left the pitch. Some clubs have failed to provide even the
basic elements of hospitality after matches.
Captains are reminded of their responsibilities under the
Rules and umpires will receive the Association’s full support in the
application of the Rules.
“3.4 Captains are responsible for the behaviour
of all players on their team and for ensuring that substitutions of players on
their team are carried out correctly.
A personal penalty is awarded if a
captain does not exercise these responsibilities.”
The Association’s Council asks Clubs, Counties and Leagues
to ensure that any reported abuse of umpires is dealt with immediately.
-----------------------------------------------
approved by Management Committee
September 2004