Rearcross Football Club
Player’s(Children) Code of Conduct
Introduction:
The FAI want football to be safe, it wants football to be fun and wants to ensure that no matter what level of the game young people are involved in, that it takes place in the spirit of
‘FAIR PLAY’. Fair play is the guiding principle of the Irish Sport’s Council’s Code of Ethics as well as the FAI’s Code of Ethics. When an individual signs a membership form as a player with Rearcross Football Club they are agreeing to abide by this Code of Conduct and to any other policies or codes in our club and national governing body. No person is allowed to play without paying their registration fee, Rearcross Football Club is not liable for any injuries that occur to a person with no registration fee paid.
Children are encouraged to:
• Do their best – put in their best effort.
• Improve and develop their skills.
• Make friends.
• Play by the rules.
• Appreciate/accept everyone in the group, regardless of ability, race, religion, gender etc.
Children are entitled to:
• Be safe.
• Be treated with dignity, sensitivity and respect.
• Participate in football on an equal basis, appropriate to their ability and stage of development.
• Be happy, have fun and enjoy football.
• Make a complaint in an appropriate way and have it dealt with through a proper and effective complaints procedure.
• Be afforded appropriate confidentiality.
• Be listened to and to be believed.
• Have a voice in the running of the club.
• Treat other children, referees, fellow players, coaches and volunteers with the same degree of fairness and respect.
• Play fairly, do their best and have fun.
• Make high standards of Fair Play the standard others want to follow.
• Respect opponents, they are not the enemy, they are partners in a sporting event.
• Shake hands before and after the match, whoever wins.
• Give opponents a hand if they are injured, put the ball out of play so they can get attention.
• Accept apologies from opponents when they are offered.
• Respect fellow team members and support them both when they do well and when things go wrong.
• Treat players from minority groups with the same respect you show other people.
• Be modest in victory and be gracious in defeat “BE A SPORT”.
Children should not:
• Cheat.
• Use abusive language, or argue with, the referee, officials, team mates or opponents.
• Use violence, use physical contact only when it is allowed within the rules.
• Bully.*
• Tell lies about adults or other children.
• Spread rumours.
• Keep secrets about any person who may have caused them harm.
• Bring any devices capable of taking photos or recording videos into changing
areas/showers.
*Bullying can be defined as repeated aggression – whether it is verbal, psychological or physical – that is conducted by an individual or group against others. It is behaviour that is intentionally aggravating and intimidating. It includes behaviours such as physical aggression, cyberbullying, damage to property, intimidation, isolation/exclusion, name calling, malicious gossip and extortion. Bullying can also take the form of abuse based on gender identity, sexual preference, race, ethnicity and religious factors. With developments in modern technology, Children can also be the victims of non-contact bullying, via mobile phones, the internet and other personal devices.
• While bullying can happen to any Child, some may be more vulnerable. These include:
Children with disabilities or special educational needs; those from ethnic minority and migrant groups; from the Traveller community; lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) Children and those perceived to be LGBT; and Children of minority religious faiths.
• There can be an increased vulnerability to bullying among Children with special educational needs. This is particularly so among those who do not understand social cues and/or have difficulty communicating. Some Children with complex needs may lack understanding of social situations and therefore trust everyone implicitly. Such Children may be more vulnerable because they do not have the same social skills or capacity as others to recognise and defend themselves against bullying behaviour. Any instances of bullying should be reported to the Child Protection Officer, or a member of the committee. All disclosures will be treated with the utmost confidence and will be treated seriously and investigated exhaustively.